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Canada’s wheelchair curling team won its fourth Paralympic title and first since 2014 on Saturday with a 4-3 victory over defending champion China at the Milano-Cortina Games.
Canada’s rink, which includes skip Mark Ideson, lead Collinda Joseph, second Ina Forrest, third Jon Thurston and alternate Gilbert Dash, won all 11 of its games in Italy.
The back-and-forth gold-medal game came down to the final stones with the score tied 3-3. It appeared the Canadians would not have to throw their final rock after opposing skip Wang Haitao sent China’s heavy through the house, leaving Canada seemingly in position for the decisive single.
But with Canada’s thinking-time clock winding down and no official call, Ideson delivered the final shot with 2.8 seconds left to avoid the forfeit and tap it in for the win.
WATCH | Canada takes down China to capture wheelchair curling title:
Canada clinches wheelchair curling gold with controversial buzzer-beater shot at Paralympics
Canada’s wheelchair curling team needed a dramatic final shot to win gold at the Paralympic Winter Games.
Thurston, who also serves as vice-skip, wasn’t certain which team held the closest stone before the last shot, leading to the hectic finish.
“I’d say it was a bit of a gamble,” Ideson said. “But you know what? Jon wasn’t 100 per cent sure, and if you’re not 100 per cent sure then you’ve got to make sure. We definitely didn’t want to lose the game on a measure.
“I also didn’t want to lose the game by running out of time. We managed to get it away. I had a really good feel on my first run, so we just got it through the same weight and the same path and just gave it a little nudge and got it away in time.”
Thurston also spoke about the moment of uncertainty after the game.
“My guess would be that we were shot [winning]. It looked like it on the screen but I also didn’t want to lose the Paralympic Games because my guess is wrong,” Thurston said. “We were tight on time, but I was trying to relay [to Ideson], you need to play the tap to make sure that we’re shot.”
Ideson opened the scoring in the second end with a perfect draw to the button for a single in front of the roaring crowd at Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium. The teams traded singles for the next five ends, leaving the game tied entering the eighth and final end with Canada holding the hammer.
WATCH | Ideson breaks down dramatic finish in gold-medal game:
Canada’s skip Ideson wins curling gold on final shot, ‘it was a heck of a game and a crazy finish’
Canada’s wheelchair curling mixed team made a dramatic final shot capturing the gold medal at the Paralympic Winter Games Saturday.
Canada is the only country to win a wheelchair curling medal at every Paralympics since the sport’s addition in 2006, winning the first three tournaments before earning bronze in the last two.
“It’s amazing, I can’t express in words really how it feels,” said the 60-year-old Joseph. “It’s what we worked for all year and to have it actually come true in this fashion is spectacular.”
The “Cardiac Canadians” made history Thursday by becoming the first team ever to go 9-0 in the preliminary round at the Paralympics. The team’s round-robin campaign included a 9-4 win over previously unbeaten China, which was searching for its third straight title.
Canada defeated South Korea 8-7 in the semifinals on Friday with a steal of three in the final end.
The 63-year-old Forrest, from Spallumcheen, B.C., is the first wheelchair curler to compete at five Games. She helped Canada capture gold on home ice in her 2010 debut in Vancouver, and in Sochi, Russia in 2014.
“The first time [in Vancouver] with all that cheering, you think it’s amazing and you’ll never surpass that,” Forrest said. “And then to have another event like this with so many Canadians and seeing the flag raised and hearing the anthem; it’s amazing.”
WATCH | Canada’s wheelchair curlers receive gold medals in Italy:
Canada’s wheelchair curling team presented with gold medals at Winter Paralympics
Gilbert Dash, Collinda Joseph, Ina Forrest, Jon Thurston, and Mark Ideson receive their gold medals following a perfect 9-0 campaign in Paralympic wheelchair curling.
Four of Forrest’s Paralympic medals have been won alongside Ideson. The 49-year-old from London, Ont., has now skipped Canada to two Paralympic titles.
Wang was trying to become the first skip to win three Paralympic gold medals. He has led China to four world titles in the last six years, defeating Canada in last year’s semifinals.
Canada has 13 medals with one day of competition left in Italy — three gold, three silver, seven bronze. The full medal table is available here.