Milano Cortina 2026: Wheelchair curling mixed doubles makes Paralympic debut
Hosts Italy off to a winning start as first of 81 wheelchair curling matches kicks off at Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium 04 Mar 2026
History was made on Wednesday night (4 March 2026) when wheelchair curling mixed doubles made its debut at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games and host nation Italy got off to a fairytale start.
The sport’s mixed team event marks its 20th anniversary on the Paralympic programme in Italy. It all began at Torino 2006.
The inaugural mixed doubles round robin kicked off, two days before the Opening Ceremony at the historic Arena di Verona.
Italy’s fairytale start
Italy’s Paolo Ioriatti and Orietta Berto caused a major upset beating the Republic of Korea’s Yongsuk Lee and Hyejin Baek, 7-5 at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium.
Republic of Korea are currently ranked No. 1 in the world in the mixed doubles. Italian wheelchair curlers are competing at the Paralympic Winter Games for the first time since Vancouver 2010.
“I felt calm, thinking only about having fun. I saw that I was also able to make some good shots and then everything else followed,” Ioriatti said after winning his first Paralympic match.
“Right from the first end, when (Berto) scored the point, we started off in high spirits and we did well to keep it up. As a result, I also started making good shots.”
Ioriatti had a long wait to become a Paralympian at the age of 54.
"Yes, I only waited 18 years. Now I've won my first match so I'm really happy. I hope I can keep playing at this level,” he said, laughing.
Berto said they were able to enter a bubble mindset.
“Honestly, we didn't think about the team. I personally played against the stones, not thinking about our opponents. That's how we intend to take each game and take it one day at a time,” she said.
“I immediately managed to find my concentration and I tried to block out everything else around me.”
Competition gets underway
Japan, the reigning world champions Aki Ogawa and Yoji Nakajima, were outclassed by China’s Meng Wang and Jinqiao Yang, 3-10 and only made it to seven ends.
“It's hugely significant. Japan were the reigning world champions and formidable opponents. It was the opening match – we were both adjusting to the venue. So perhaps adapting better to the venue might have tipped the balance slightly in our favour," Yang said.
Estonia’s Ain Villau and Katlin Riidebach came from behind to beat Great Britain’s Jason Kean and Jo Butterfield 10-7, while the USA’s Laura Dwyer and Steve Emt beat Latvia’s Polina Rozkova and Agris Lasmans 11-6.
“We stayed calm; we did like we do in practice,” Riidebach told reporters. “You focus on your stone and your teammate and that is it.”
Butterfield said coming out to the arena was “epic” but now her team would regroup.
“It’s not the performance we wanted. It’s not the result we wanted. We didn’t play our best,” she said.
“There is a lot of curling still to go.”
Butterfield, a breast cancer survivor, said it was a thrill to make it to the Winter Paralympics.
“If someone had said to me two years ago that I’d be sitting at the Paralympics, I probably would have laughed at them. Thankfully, that is behind us now,” she said.
Kean lamented his uncharacteristic silly mistakes in the first half.
“Jo was pulling them out the bag which was brilliant,” he said. “I’m not going to dwell on what’s going on. I am going to think about it. What I needed was to relax. Maybe there was nerves in the first half.”
Emt said he loves the different dynamics of the mixed doubles game compared to the team event.
“Laura and I are cut from the same cloth. We should have been twins,” he said.
“We don’t treat each other with kiddie gloves. We’re a little harsh with each other but that’s the way we want it.”
The pair held their nerve thanks to breathing exercises and meditation, Emt said.
Dwyer heaped praise on her opponents for a tight match.
"We did not play perfectly and that's what's pushing me to step up because the games are going to get harder as we go and so we need to tighten up and do what we need to do," she said.
The mixed doubles round-robin action continues Thursday 5 March, with the first matches taking place at 10:05 local time.
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
