March 7, 2024
US Wheelchair Curlers End Quest a Game Short
The US Wheelchair curling team ended up a game out of the playoffs by splitting their final two curling matches yesterday.
A loss to Korea, 8-2, and an 11-3 win over the Czech Republic resulted in a 5-6 record , just a game behind Sweden which made the playoffs at 6-5. Other teams making the final rounds include China, Canada, Latvia, Korea and Norway.
While the Americans, skipped by Wausau’s Matt Thums, didn’t make the playoffs they had their share of highlights. They defeated both China and Canada during regular play. A last-end one-shot loss to Sweden earlier in the week proved to be the determining factor.
But it’s not over for Thums. He and Oyuna Uranchimeg (Twin Cities) are the U.S. mixed doubles champions and will begin world competition Monday at the same curling facility in South Korea. In their group, they will be matched against Finland, England, Slovakia, Italy, Canada, and Switzerland,
March 6, 2024
US Wheelchair Curlers Split; Need to Win Out
The US Wheelchair curling team split a pair of contests yesterday to stand at 4-5 at the World Championships in South Korea. They lost 7-6 to Sweden in the last end, then routed Estonia 9-3.
In the words of skip Matt Thums of Wausau, they’ll have to win both their last two contests tomorrow to have a shot at qualifying for the finals. “Every game is a battle and everyone is trying to stay focused and play the best that we can,” he reported this morning. “Another tough loss to Sweden today. We need to win out in order to have a shot at the playoffs.”
Korea and the Czech Republic are left on their schedule.
Curling with Thums are Shawn Sadowski, Steve Emt and Laura Dwyer, all with Wisconsin ties, and Oyuna Uranchimeg of the Twin Cities.
See results at livescores.world curling.org.
March 5, 2024
US Wheelchair Curlers Win Two More
The USA Wheelchair Curling team continued to climb in the standings yesterday with two more wins at the World Wheelchair Championships in South Korea. Skipped by Wausau Curling Club’s Matt Thums, the Americans came from behind to edge Scotland 7-6, and then beat arch-rival Canada 7-5 in the second game.
Thums was quoted earlier that the US team was “hitting the broom and getting their weight right” as they broke into the win column after losing their first three. He said the progress felt good.
The two victories not only felt good, they moved the US team up in the standings, and they are now at 3-4, just two wins behind the leaders Korea, China, and Latvia.
The win against Scotland was classic come-from-behind curling. After breaking out to a 5-0 lead, the US team saw the Scots tie it up with a four spot, then lead 6-5 going into the last end. But Thums and teammates used the hammer (last shot) to notch a pair and win.
Against Canada, they rallied as well, scoring in the late ends to win by two.
Curling with Thums are Shawn Sadowski, Steve Emt, and Laura Dwyer, all with Wisconsin ties. The fifth member is Oyuna Uranchimeg from the Twin Cities.
Up next for the US are games tonight against Sweden and early tomorrow morning (our time) against Estonia.
March 4, 2024
US Wheelchair Curlers Notch a Victory.
The USA Wheelchair Curling team moved up in the standings at the World Wheelchair Championships in South Korea yesterday with an impressive 5-3 win over highly ranked China.
Later in the day, the Matt Thums skipped team lost a close one to undefeated Latvia, also 5-3.
In the match against the Chinese, the U.S. scored single rocks in five of the eight ends, holding China scoreless in six ends. In the last end, the U.S. limited China to a single score to wrap up their first win.
Later today, they play Scotland (8 p.m. our time) and then have a match against rival Canada early tomorrow morning.
At 1-4, the Americans are tied with the Czech Republic and Estonia,
Curling with Thums of the Wausau Curling Club are Shawn Sadowski, Steve Emt, and Laura Dwyer—all with Wisconsin ties. Oyuna Uranchimeg of the Twin Cities is the fifth team member.
The games are being played at the Olympic-style curling facility in Gangneung, South Korea.
Scores can be followed on livescores.worldcurling.org. Some games are streamed on You Tube at Curling 1Spoon.
March 3, 2024
The USA Wheelchair Curling team got off to a rough start at the world championships in South Korea this weekend, going 0-3 in their opening games.
Skipped by Wausau’s Matt Thums, the team opened with a nail-biter loss to Italy 4-3 in the opener, then got blown out 9-3 by Norway. This morning, Slovakia edged them 5-4 with a rock in the last end.
Going into tomorrow’s game against Latvia, they are at the bottom of the standings with six games to go. The top six teams in the 12-team tourney will make the qualifying round.
The games are being played at the Olympic-style curling facility in Gangneung, South Korea.
Scores can be followed on livescores.worldcurling.org.
March 1, 2024
The USA Wheelchair Curling team—dominated by Wisconsin players—begins its quest for an international championship in South Korea today.
With the Wausau Curling Club’s Matt Thums playing a vital role, the team took on Italy early Saturday morning (our time) in the first round of the World Wheelchair Curling Championships at the same Gangneung curling facility where Wausau’s Ella Wendling medaled in the Youth Olympics mixed doubles competition in February.
Curling with Thums are Shawn Sadowski of Portage, Laura Dwyer of Oconomowoc, Steve Emt who has relocated from Connecticut to Wisconsin, and Oyuna Uranchimeg from the Twin Cities.
Following team play, mixed doubles teams will take the ice beginning March 11. Thums and Uranchimeg won the U.S. championship this year and will represent the U.S.
"We have been acclimating well these last couple of days," Thums said. "After pre-event practice we play Italy the next day."
In wheelchair curling, there are no sweepers, so shot-making is paramount. Curlers must push their rocks down the ice with an archer's accuracy.
South Korea is 13 hours ahead of us. The action can be followed on www.worldcurling.org.