Gold for Canada in Paralympic wheelchair curling

Team defends its 2006 crown

VANCOUVER, March 21 /CNW Telbec/ - In front of a boisterous home crowd at Vancouver Paralympic Center, Team Canada successfully defended its Paralympic crown, defeating Korea 8-7 in a nail-biting gold medal match on Saturday.

In the fourth end, Armstrong executed a perfect draw to the four-foot, helping Canada score four to take a commanding 8-1 lead. However, Korea stormed back with two in both the fifth and sixth ends and a single in the seventh to set up the dramatic final end.

Armstrong missed on a takeout during his first rock, and Korean skip Kim Haksung made a nice hit and stick, leaving two in the house for the opponents. Armstrong would have the hammer, fittingly, with the gold medal on the line. As the final rock of the tournament slid down the ice, the entire arena went silent, but as it inched closer and gold was seconds away for Canada, the fans in attendance rose in jubilation.

Canada now owns a record nine gold medals at these Games. The only competition remaining on the Paralympic schedule is the 1km sprint classic in para-nordic, slated to start tomorrow at 10:00 PT. The closing ceremonies are scheduled for 19:00 PT on Sunday.

About the Canadian Paralympic Committee

The Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) is a non-profit, private organisation with 43 member sports organisations dedicated to strengthening the Paralympic Movement. The CPC is responsible for creating an optimal high-performance environment for the Canadian Paralympic athletes to win at Paralympic and ParaPanAmerican Games. By supporting Canadian Paralympic athletes and promoting their success, the CPC inspires all Canadians with a physical disability to get involved in sport through programs delivered by its member organisations. For more information, visit www.paralympic.ca.

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For further information: Michael Cvitkovic, Press Chief, Canadian Paralympic Committee, [email protected], [phone] or [phone]; Marie-Helene Cayer, Media Relations (French Media), Canadian Paralympic Committee, [email protected], [phone]