World Seniors, Wheelchairs, Pinstripes and More

A few things to mention with regard to curling over the past week.

The World Seniors were held alongside the World Mixed Doubles in Geneva – a dual event for many years which is now coming to an end. 

But what a way for a large combined event to go out – 77 teams in total, comprising at least 308 competitors and God-knows-how-many alternates, coaches etc.

The only larger combined WMD and WS event, in terms of arena size, was held at Chelyabinsk, Russia in 2010. 

That building was so massive they built 14 curling sheets inside (!!) and even flew a completely unnecessary blimp around during the opening ceremony.

In Geneva, Scotland won another women’s title, led once again by Jackie Lockhart. Will Jacks ever get bored of winning senior trophies? I’m guessing not (I certainly wouldn’t). USA won the men’s crown.

Canada won bronze in both senior women’s and men’s play.

It was nice to see Sherry Middaugh compete at a world championship after so many glorious years of competition. It was also great to see Jane Hooper Perroud return to a world championship setting after winning the world women’s title with Marilyn Bodogh literally 30 years earlier.

I was particularly pleased to see Karri-Lee Grant compete at a world championship. She was one of the junior curlers at The Thornhill Club when I threw my first stones there, and she went on to become a legend at that facility.

(I hear some Thornhill golf members are once again trying to cause trouble for the curlers. I suggest they immediately cease and desist. Seriously... just piss off.)

Melissa Foster is the youngster on this squad, and since she joined they've won two national titles – and now world bronze.

A key acquisition.

It was cool to see Canada’s sasky senior men, skipped by Bruce Korte, add red and white pinstripes to their black pants just as Brad Jacobs’ crew did at the Olympics in Cortina.

The pinstripes first appeared at the 1998 Olympics in Japan, worn by your truly with the Harris team and, of course, the Schmirler gang.

I tried one of my old pairs on back in February, and was shocked to find they still fit – and fit well.

Asham handled the pinstripe job for Korte – nice work, Arnold and crew.

It was also very cool to see Germany’s junior women’s team from 1989 reunite to make a run in Geneva at the seniors, some 37 years later. Wow.

The skip is Heike Schwaller-Wielaender, wife to my pal Andreas, and both are parents to the impossibly young world champion skip Xenia Schwaller.

I watched Heike curl at Unionville in ’89, a few years before I met Andi, and possibly years before they even met, although the details are fuzzy with the passage of time.

Small world.

What else needs to be be said about Australia’s world title in mixed doubles? TCN covered it here, and also here, but one wonders if casual curling fans – perhaps holdovers from all that Olympic excitement in February – can truly understand the scale of this achievement.

This comment under one of our stories says it best:

No dedicated ice, months away from family overseas and no funding.

This achievement by Team Gill/Hewitt is much bigger than most curlers can fathom, who have access to everything on a normal weeknight at home.

Finally, congratulations to Chris and Elizabeth Daw for their performance at the 2026 Canadian Wheelchair Championship held in Boucherville, Que. 

As Team BC 2, Daw won two games and was close to a couple more. His crew also scored three four-enders, tops in the field. 

Not bad for a fella who has been out of the sport for two decades! 

Quebec’s Carl Marquis won the championship, beating Northern Ontario’s Doug Dean 10-6 in the final.