British Curling Wheelchair Mixed Doubles (18-20 October) has attracted a world class line-up in a crucial season in the build up to Milan Cortina when the discipline will be added to the Winter Paralympic schedule for the first time.
The staging of the event immediately after the annual Stirling International has helped attract a powerful field, with teams from Canada, Latvia, Hungary, France, Italy, Norway and Switzerland all taking the chance to mix it with the home contingent.
For the first time, too, there will also be a cross-border pairing among the British Curling line-ups, with the withdrawal through injury of Scotland regular Hugh Nibloe resulting in compatriot Jo Butterfield teaming up with England’s Julian Mattison, who is one of the most recent additions to the elite programme.
For British Curling Paralympic Head Coach Sheila Swan it has been a case of seeing the opportunity in adversity as she takes the chance to run the rule over some different players.
“The focus on this discipline has obviously increased now there is an additional medal opportunity at Milan and in our last full season ahead of those Games we have attracted a number of world class teams in the line-up for this weekend’s event,” she said.
“We are fielding a number of teams of our own and have had to make a last minute call up, as Hugh Nibloe has had minor surgery this week and is being rested ahead of another international event the following week.
“In addition to that we have been nursing a number of minor injury niggles within the squad, while also fielding three teams this week to provide competitive experience across our squad.
“So the month of October has and will continue to be an opportunity to rotate players in different positions to give our squad the best preparation ahead of key selections later this season.
“Having to make last minute changes due to off ice factors is part and parcel of Paralympic sport, so having a broader squad to work with this season certainly gives us greater flexibility and also more competitive opportunities for our newest programme members.”
Mattison is meanwhile determined to seize his ground-breaking opportunity, while feeding off the vast top level sporting experience of Butterfield, who was a Paralympic gold medallist in athletics at Rio in 2016 before switching sports to establish herself as an international curler.
“I love training at the National Curling Academy and it has been brilliant being part of the programme,” said the 56 year old who lives in Carnforth. 
“This is a chance that I have been waiting for and I am grateful to have it and I am really looking forward to playing with Jo.
“I have trained with her at the NCA and she brings a great dynamic on and off the ice and I think that will help me as a less experienced player at mixed doubles having only played in this event last year.
“I am very happy to be involved again and we will plan some tactics for this weekend and know Jo will be able to help in that department, so I am just looking forward to playing among a high calibre field and will take it one game at a time.”
Another leading figure in the domestic game will also make a comeback at this event as 2014 Sochi Paralympic medallist Angie Malone MBE makes her competitive debut in an international mixed doubles event six years after retiring from the international game. She will not be representing either Scotland or Great Britain, but Hungary as she steps in to help them out after they too had an athlete withdraw from the tournament.
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Images: PPA/Graeme Hart
