US CURLERS SET TO COMPETE FOR WORLD WHEELCHAIR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Pictured: David Samsa, Pete Annis, and Pam Wilson.
[EAGAN, MN, March 1, 2023]—The top wheelchair curlers in the US have traveled to Richmond, British Columbia, Canada this week for the 2023 World Wheelchair Curling Championship and the 2023 World Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Curling Championship.
Faces new and old have the opportunity to raise the World Championship trophy at the Richmond Curling Centre as competition in both events will run simultaneously from March 4-12.
In the four-person Championship, Team USA will consist of Steve Emt, Matt Thums, Shawn Sadowski, Laura Dwyer, and Oyuna Uranchimeg. Emt, Thums, and Uranchimeg are long-time members of the USA Curling National Team and bring a wealth of experience to the group, having placed 5th at the 2022 Beijing Paralympic Winter Games. Sadowksi and Dwyer, on the other hand, offer a new look for the American contingent, looking to make their first appearances at the Worlds. Despite being inexperienced, the debutants do not lack skill, having finished second at the past two US Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Championships as a team.
“The team is really excited to get to Vancouver and prove to the rest of the world how far we have come,” remarked two-time Paralympian Steve Emt. “Our two new players complement the rest of us very well and we are all looking forward to a great week of competition.”
On the mixed doubles side, Pam Wilson and David Samsa will look to improve on their 2022 finish after coming in 5th at the inaugural Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Worlds. Wilson and Samsa are accomplished curlers in their own right, also having represented the US in the most recent Paralympic games. The duo has dominated wheelchair mixed doubles curling in the US since its inception, having won both national championships in the short history of the competition.
“It’s been great to watch Pam and Dave grow as a team,” said US Wheelchair Curling National Director Pete Annis. “With more time to prepare and learn the mixed doubles game (since their 2022 appearance), I believe they have more confidence heading into the worlds.”
The 2023 edition of the World Championships offers a unique opportunity for wheelchair curling as both the four-person and mixed doubles events will be held together for the first time. The Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Worlds is a relatively new addition to the sport after being held for the first time last year in Lohja, Finland.
Team USA will kick off its 2023 Wheelchair Worlds with a four-person game against Norway at 12pm PT on Saturday, Mar 4th, followed right after by a mixed doubles contest against Finland at 4 PM PT. To watch games from the championships, visit the CurlBC YouTube channel.
Participating Countries:
Four-Person: Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, United States
Mixed Doubles: Canada, China, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Norway, Poland, Scotland, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, United States
