Tag: wheelchair curling

Photo that says Silver for Scotland at World Wheelchair Curling Championships 2025. It is white text on a light and dark purple background

World Silver Medal and Paralympic Spot Secured

Scotland sealed a silver medal on home ice at the weekend (16th March), finishing second behind Japan in the Mixed Doubles Competition at the World Wheelchair Curling Championships.  

The silver medal for Charlotte McKenna (Central) and Hugh Nibloe (Dumfries and Galloway) has also guaranteed the pair a spot in ParalympicsGB squad for the upcoming Winter Paralympics in Milano-Cortina 2026.  

Following the silver medal win, Charlotte said: “It feels great. It’s amazing to get a silver medal. A bit disappointed obviously and it hurts now to not get the gold.” 

“I think we can be proud of what we did,” concluded Charlotte.  

Qualifying for the Paralympics was, “the absolute goal,” said Hugh.  

The Championships took place at Auchenharvie Leisure Centre in Stevenston, Scotland. Charlotte and Hugh battled for gold against Japan’s Nakajima Yoj and Ogawa Aki. 

The Japanese duo took the lead following the first end (0-1) but Charlotte played a perfect take-out to put Scotland in front, 2-1, heading into the third end.  

Japan wasn’t rattled though and led the break, 5-2. Their momentum continued which forced Scotland to concede the game, with the finish score being 11-2.  

More information can be found on the British Curling website here.  

 

Portrait photo of Hugh Nibloe. he is wearing ParalympicsGB team kit and sitting in his wheelchair, smiling to camera.

Nine Scots on British Curling’s World Class Programme

British Curling announced last week their biggest ever cohort of Para athletes to be selected for the World Class Programme 2024-2025 season, and nine Scots made the cut.

The 12 strong squad includes five Scottish Paralympians: Hugh Nibloe, Gregor Ewan, Robert McPherson, Gary Smith and Meggan Dawson Farrell, alongside Jo (Joanna) Butterfield, Gary Logan, Charlotte McKenna and Martin Sutherland as World Championship representatives. England’s Stewart Pimblett completes the set of the experienced athletes.

Newcomers to that squad are England’s Mixed Doubles world champs Karen Aspey and Julian Mattison, who have moved up from Paralympic Performance Foundation (PPF) level.

Three more of last season’s PPF squad join the Programme: Scotland’s Keith Gray and England’s George Potts and Jason Kean have graduated to national level support, a group that is completed by a third English player Jean Guild.

“Congratulations to all of those who have been selected to the world class programme this season after a rigorous selection process,” said British Curling Paralympic Head Coach Sheila Swan.

“This is the largest squad we have recruited to the Paralympic programme and consists of many familiar faces and experienced athletes along with lots of fresh blood, demonstrating how effectively our Paralympic pathway is now working, enhanced by our recruitment campaigns north and south of the border, with more English athletes on board than ever before.

“International wheelchair curling has never been so competitive, which is being felt ever more keenly with just two years to go to Mila Cortina in 2026 with two medal opportunities available from the team and mixed doubles disciplines in the Paralympic programme for the first time.

“We believe having a large squad will not only boost our chances in 2026 and beyond, we also know it will help everyone at different stages of the pathway to develop well in order to win well when it counts in 2026.”

 

Selected athletes for 2024/25 – Paralympic Squad:

Charlotte McKenna

Gary Logan

Gary Smith

Gregor Ewan

Hugh Nibloe

Joanna Butterfield

Julian Mattison

Karen Aspey

Martin Sutherland

Meggan Dawson-Farrell

Robert McPherson

Stewart Pimblett

Charlotte McKenna