Milano Cortina 2026: Meet the inaugural wheelchair curling mixed doubles finalists
China and the Republic of Korea have advanced to the gold medal match of the inaugural mixed doubles tournament at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games 11 Mar 2026
History will be made at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games on 11 March, when the inaugural champions will be crowned in the wheelchair curling mixed doubles tournament.
China advanced to the final after beating Latvia 8–3 in the semifinal, setting up a meeting with the Republic of Korea, who pulled off a 6–3 win over the USA.
The gold medal match, and the bronze medal match between Latvia and the USA, will take place on adjacent sheets at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium at 14:35 CET.
The mixed doubles event is making its Paralympic debut at Milano Cortina 2026, two decades after wheelchair curling was introduced to the Games programme at Torino.
As the sport enters a new chapter, meet the two pairs aiming to become the inaugural Paralympic gold medallists.
Republic of Korea
The Republic of Korea’s Hyejin Baek and Yongsuk Lee claimed four wins from seven games in the round robin stage to secure a spot in the semifinal against the USA. The Korean pair earned a comfortable win over the USA’s Laura Dwyer and Stephen Emt.
“It is very meaningful that the mixed doubles is being played here for the first time at the Paralympics,” Baek said through a translator after the semifinal win.
“But we still have our final coming up so I want to try not to be too emotional.”
Baek and Lee have known each other for years and took up the sport together, playing for the same team in Korea. While Baek is competing at her second Paralympics, it is the first Games for Lee.
He says advancing to the final is special, and he is already emotional thinking about how far the pair has come. “But I am trying to control myself and I am very thrilled,” he added.
“I didn’t think we would make it this far. We started (the sport) together; we will make it to the final. I am very happy and very grateful,” he said.
When asked to explain the secret to their teamwork, Lee and Baek mention how they support each other emotionally on the ice.
Baek, who competed at Beijing 2022, said, “He is a good player so it is easy for me to lead him. Secondly, he is very calm in every situation so even if I’m going through some emotional ups and downs, he is there to calm me down.
“That is what makes us a good team.”
Lee reciprocates.
“I’m grateful for my partner because she is like the rock that holds me whenever I have difficulties psychologically during games or during training,” he said. “She is the one that holds me, so that is the part I am very grateful for.”
Their goal is to play like they always do. Lee and Baek lost to the Chinese pair in the round robin stage, but they have a strategy in mind going into this match.
How to win gold in this sport that requires the stillest of hands? Unsurprisingly, Baek says the key is to stay calm.
China
China’s Jinqiao Yang is the youngest athlete in the wheelchair curling mixed doubles tournament, but the 24-year-old has proved age is just a number.
Together with Meng Wang, he recorded only one defeat in the round robin stage before beating 2023 World Champions Latvia in the semifinal.
“It’s my first final at the Paralympic Games so this means a lot to me,” Yang said. “I hope to be more stable and play better than today (in the final).”
China have become a wheelchair curling powerhouse, winning Paralympic gold in the mixed team event at PyeongChang 2018 and Beijing 2022.
Wang, 37, and Yang have been playing together since the second half of 2023.
“The charm of the sport is the trust between the players,” Yang says.
What is the key to good teamwork?
Wang says, “It depends on long-term communication and working together for a long time. We also have a coach on site and we encourage each other all the time.”
Playing in the gold medal match means “another chance for me to achieve my dream,” Wang said.
Where to watch and listen to the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games
Secure your tickets for the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games
Milano Cortina 2026, which takes place from 6-15 March 2026, is set to be the most beautiful Paralympic Winter Games yet. Ticket prices start at EUR 10 for children under 14, with approximately 89 per cent of the tickets available for EUR 35 or less.
For more information, please visit tickets.milanocortina2026.org
