Canadian Wheelchair Curling Team Finding Its Bearings
23/02/2009 16:15
VANCOUVER — With six Brier appearances and a total of about four decades of curling behind him Jim Armstrong has lots of experience to draw on. Trouble is, almost none of it has to do with the wheelchair version of the game.
An admitted neophyte to two-wheeled curling, Armstrong and the rest of Team Canada are off to a bit of a slow start at the 2009 world wheelchair championships at the new Vancouver Olympic/Paralympic Centre. Following a 9-5 loss to Italy on Draw 3 Sunday Canada stands at 1-2.
Team Canada opened play Saturday with a win and a loss, beating Scotland 10-2 before dropping an 8-3 decision to China. The Canadians return to action Monday with a pair of games, facing Switzerland in the afternoon followed by the United States in the evening.
“In the able-bodied game, if I hit a slump I’ve have about 40 years to draw back on,” smiled the 58-year-old Armstrong Sunday following the loss to Italy. “I don’t have that here.”
After an car accident sidelined him permanently from the able-bodied game six years ago, Armstrong stayed completely away from curling for about five years. He was lured into the wheelchair game in 2007 and has quickly become one of Canada’s best — winning the Canadian title last season. But this event marks his debut as skip of Team Canada and, in terms of the wheeled game, he’s one of the most inexperienced competitors at the 2009 championships.
A retired Richmond, B.C., dentist, Armstrong is shouldering much of the blame for his team’s slow start.
“This one (Sunday’s loss) is mine to eat,” he said. “We had lots of chances today, but there was nothing I could finish.”
As Armstrong noted, the chances were there Sunday. But the Canadians ran into trouble in the fourth end when they gave up a steal of three after Armstrong watched his final shot over curl. After Canada countered with three of its own on the fifth for a 5-5 tie, they gave the trey right back in the six. On that end, Armstrong saw his draw attempt fail, leaving his Italian counterpart, Andrea Tabanelli, an open shot for his trio.
Team Canada coach Joe Rea is confident his crew will rebound as round robin play continues through Thursday after which the top four teams will advance to the playoffs.
“We’re struggling with the ice right now, but it’s the same for everybody,” said Rea.
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SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Good luck and kudos to Jim Armstrong and the rest of Team Canada at the World Wheelchair Curling Championships taking place in Vancouver this week. That game is hard enough to play when you’re able-bodied, never mind from wheelchairs.