By Ben Hoppe, U.S. curling writer
Last month in Milano Cortina, the United States curling teams put together the strongest all-around national performance at any Olympic Winter Games. Not only did the individuals have strong performances, but the teams worked together, supported each other, and relished in the rambunctious environment of the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium.
The wheelchair curlers of Team USA aim to continue the trend of strong international performances in Cortina with another successful run on their own at the Paralympic Winter Games. The United States will need a full team effort, along with individual performances, if they want to put themselves on the podium.
While Laura Dwyer and Steve Emt have kicked things off in the mixed doubles discipline, the mixed team of newcomers and returning Paralympians will be able to get a lay of the land and prepare for their initial game against China. First-time Paralympian Sean O’Neill has been busy soaking up any and all information he can learn from the past experiences of veterans Matt Thums and Oyuna Uranchimeg.
“Telling us the real sort of on-the-ground experience that they’ve had, they’re constantly giving those little tips and things they remember to help prepare us,” O’Neill said.
While three of the five team members have never been to a world championship, let alone a Paralympics, the nuances of wheelchair curling allow the curlers to have a veteran voice in their ears throughout the entire game. Thums, now a two-time Paralympian, will be in the house with O’Neill to strategize and call the game together.
“Having that partner to bounce ideas off of and the veteran status of Matt, this is not his first rodeo,” said coach Clare Moores. “We’re going to lean on him to kind of shine a light of what needs to happen strategy-wise for Sean.”
O’Neill and Thums have been building their relationship in the house, creating a unique dynamic, similar to what American fans might have seen with Luc Violette and Danny Casper.
Where O’Neill admits he is unafraid to speak up and show what he is seeing, he is balanced out by a very deliberate and steady Thums. The two have figured out how to communicate with each other in a way that they’re building on each other’s thoughts rather than cancelling out suggestions. It’s taken a significant amount of work, but they’re confident it will pay off.
“I’m really happy with the place we’ve gotten to as a team throughout these last few months,” O’Neill said. “It took a lot of work, a lot of talking, and it comes down to a lot of trust between the two of us. … You need the faith that you have each other’s back and you trust each other. I think that’s what Matt and I have really built.”
Meanwhile, Katie Verderber and Dan Rose will lean on another veteran Paralympian, Uranchimeg, on the front end. Where O’Neill and Thums will be focused on strategy, the front end will be vital to tracking paths so they can ensure they’re throwing the proper weights on the ever-changing ice surface for wheelchair curling.
Uranchimeg’s lengthy experience in wheelchair curling, and her Paralympic debut from Beijing, should prove vital.
“She is such a cheerleader, and she just notices everything and is able to point out what’s needed, what’s not needed,” Moores said.
The wheelchair curlers are not alone in knowing what they need to track. They’ll be using the same stones from the Olympic mixed doubles event. Pete Annis has been working with the National Wheelchair Curling Team, and he was able to get a lot of information about the rocks, the facility, and just about everything because a former teammate of his just happened to be in Cortina last month. Annis won a U.S. national championship with Rich Ruohonen in 2008, so information between the Olympic and Paralympic teams has been free-flowing since curling started up at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium.
The team is expecting to see a little more of a dead house and rocks that aren’t quite as lively, which could work to the advantage of a United States team that prefers to have rocks in play.
“We’re not throwing Korey Dropkin weight out there,” O’Neill shared.
The busy houses and rocks in play should make for some exciting ends, and that could make for some big cheers to go along with big scores on the scoreboard in a boisterous venue.
The stadium quickly became known for its loud atmosphere, and it figures to get noisy once again with fans, family, and friends in the stands. O’Neill noted that between the seven wheelchair curlers, they’re expecting over 100 family and friends in attendance. Just like how the Olympians in February embraced the infectious energy, the Paralympians are looking forward to the same, including Thums and Oranchimeg, who did not have fans in the stands for their Paralympics debuts in Beijing.
“There’s no doubt this will be the loudest place we’ve ever curled,” O’Neill said. “It’ll be something to adjust to and take that energy and use it.”
The United States started strong in Cortina with Dropkin and Cory Thiesse winning Olympic silver in mixed doubles, and if the wheelchair curling team can continue to lean on each other, they’ll be in a good position to take those same stones to a strong finish at the Paralympic Winter Games.
Lead photo courtesy of USA Curling
