Ideson, Forrest headline Curling Canada's candidates for 2026 Paralympic team
OTTAWA – Curling Canada has announced its pool of candidates for its 2026 Paralympic Winter Games team.
Canadians have finished in the medals in five straight Paralympic Games, with gold in 2006, 2010 and 2014, and bronze in 2018 and 2022.
The 2026 Paralympic Games will be March 6-15 in Milan and Cortina, Italy.
The country's governing body of curling named 14 athletes to its national wheelchair program for 2025-26 on Tuesday.
Canada qualified for the Paralympic mixed team event again, but did not in mixed doubles, which makes its Paralympic debut in Italy.
Jon Thurston of Dunsford, Ont., Gilbert Dash of Kipling, Sask., Doug Dean of Thunder Bay, Ont., and Ottawa's Collinda Joseph and Chrissy Molnar return to the national program after taking bronze at the 2025 world wheelchair championship in Stevenston, Scotland.
Mark Ideson of London, Ont., who skipped Canada to back-to-back Paralympic bronze as well as world championship silver medals in 2020 and 2023, also returns alongside two-time Paralympic champ Ina Forrest of Spallumcheen, B.C.
Ideson and Forrest lost to Japan in the quarterfinals of the world mixed doubles championship in March to fall short of qualifying Canada for the sport's Paralympic debut.
Toronto's Jillian Hopkins, Dennis Thiessen of Sanford, Man., and Marie Wright of Moose Jaw, Sask., rounded out the senior athletes announced Tuesday.
Canada's Paralympic team announcement is expected in late fall, Curling Canada said Tuesday in a statement.
'This group of national program athletes shows up every day, ready to put in the work and dig into the process of improving,' Canada's head coach Mick Lizmore said in the statement.
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'The way they support and push each other forward is what makes this journey so special. Together, with the support of family, friends, and a dedicated support staff, they're building toward benchmarks and goals throughout the season with eyes on arriving at the Paralympics prepared and ready to execute.'
Karl Allen of Keene, Ont., LeeAnn Cayer of Port Robinson, Ont., Terry Fowler of Cochrane, Alta., and Reid Mulligan were named to the NextGen team.
Athletes will compete in Wetzikon, Switzerland, and Stirling, Scotland, in October before heading to Prague, Czech Republic, in November.
The national mixed and mixed doubles events Jan. 11-17 will be in Leduc, Alta.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 10, 2025.
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