Team Canada has won the gold medal in mixed team wheelchair curling at the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games in Milan/Cortina d’Ampezzo. The Canadian team comprised of skip Mark Ideson of Parry Sound, Ontario, third John Thurston of Dunsford, Ontario, Ina Forrest of Fort St. John, British Columbia, lead Collinda Joseph of Ottawa, Ontario, and fifth Gilbert Dash of Kipling, Saskatchewan.
On Saturday, Canada became the first team in wheelchair curling history to go undefeated at the Paralympic Winter Games. They had a perfect record of 11 wins and zero losses. In Saturday’s final, Canada beat China 4-3. Sweden won the bronze medal as they beat South Korea 7-4 in the bronze medal game on Friday.
However, the game had a dramatic finish. After China had their final shot in the 10th end, there were two rocks in the four foot. There was a strong belief that Canada was lying the counted point. However, Thurston was not completely sure. After deliberation, Ideson delivered the stone to nudge the Canadian rock in for the winning point. However, Ideson delivered his rock with three seconds left.
Canada won a second medal on Saturday in para alpine skiing. Michaela Gosselin of Collingwood, Ontario won the bronze medal in women’s slalom standing. Gosselin, who underwent a scapulectomy operation in her left shoulder after being diagnosed with cancer, posted a third place time of 1:29.19 for her first career Paralympic medal. Varvara Voronchikhina of Russia won gold with a time of 1:26.95. Wenjing Zhu of China won silver with a time of 1:28.44. Gosselin reached the podium by 0.22 seconds. Mengqiu Zhang of China finished in fourth place with a time of 1:29.41.
Team Canada is now at 13 medals. They have won three gold medals, three silver medals and seven bronze medals.
In other Canadian Paralympic news, Ideson and Natalie Wilkie of Salmon Arm, British Columbia will carry the flag for Canada in the closing ceremonies of the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games on Sunday. Wilkie won four Paralympic Winter Games medals in Milan/Cortina d’Ampezzo. Three medals (two gold and one silver) came in para biathlon, and one bronze medal came in para cross country skiing.
