Wheelchair Curling Mixed Doubles provisionally accepted into Paralympic Programme
The International Paralympic Committee has confirmed that Wheelchair Mixed Doubles curling has been provisionally approved as an additional event at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.
The announcement was made today following the decision being confirmed at a recent International Paralympic Committee Governing Board Meeting.
This confirmation means that two curling events — Mixed Team and Mixed Doubles — will now be part of the 2026 Paralympic Winter Programme.
However, the new curling discipline confirmation is subject to the following conditions:
- A reduction of teams in the Mixed Team event from 12 to 10 — a reduction of 10 athlete quota slots
- Inclusion of no more than eight Mixed Doubles teams — an increase of 16 athlete quote slots
These quota adjustments provide the two Wheelchair Curling events with an additional six athletes in the quota.
A final confirmation of all medal events and athlete quotas will be made by the International Paralympic Committee Governing Board in late 2022 or the first quarter of 2023.
World Curling Federation President, Kate Caithness, said:
"We are absolutely delighted with this news confirming that two Wheelchair Curling events will be included in the Paralympic Programme for the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.
"From the outset we understood that our application for an additional event would require an increase in the athlete quota. We were not surprised the International Paralympic Committee took the decision of a proviso to reduce the number of teams from 12 to 10, to allow the inclusion of this new discipline and increase the overall quota by an additional six athletes."
"We are confident that this new discipline will accelerate the visibility and growth of Wheelchair Curling in the coming years. This is a fundamental step in showcasing our sport and making it more accessible to everyone around the world.”
The inaugural World Wheelchair Curling Championship was scheduled to take place in Lohja, Finland in January 2021. However, this championship has been cancelled due to the ongoing issues surrounding COVID-19 and new competition dates in late 2021 are being explored.