Leduc welcomes international athletes for Wheelchair Curling Event

LEDUC -- Teams from across the globe have gathered in Leduc for this week's Wheelchair Curling Event.

The international competition is currently taking place at the Leduc Recreation Centre and will run until Sunday, Jan. 17. This year's event, hosted by Curling Canada, features both mixed-doubles and mixed-fours events. The competition has drawn several top teams from across Canada and the world. Some of the international teams competing in this year's event hail from the USA, Great Britain, Scotland, and more.

"The main goals for this event are to support the growth and development of high-performance wheelchair curling," said Janet Guthrie, Sports Tourism Coordinator with the City of Leduc. "So that people have the opportunity to compete in sports at all levels, and up onto the international stage."

In the past, Leduc had previously hosted the World Sledge Hockey Challenge, Blind Hockey tournaments, national wheelchair curling championships, and multiple para-ice hockey events. In a statement, the City says those moments have launched athletes to the Paralympics, returned players to the ice after life-changing injuries, and even inspired local athletes to join Team Alberta.

"I think it's fantastic to see such well-rounded athleticism come into the community, and create that type of an impact, for not only our community, but for that community," said Shawn Raymond, Leduc City Councillor. "It's amazing that all of our services and our departments do such a good job." 

The mixed-fours portion of the event will wrap up on Wednesday, and will be followed by the mixed-doubles for the duration of the week. All of the action is being livestreamed at https://www.youtube.com/@CurlingZone