Curlers aiming for Paralympics

An all-scottish wheelchair curling squad has been announced for the Paralympics in South Korea in March by the British Paralympic Association. Included in the line-up is Aileen Nelson from East Kilbride

The British Paralympic Association has announced an allscottish wheelchair curling squad for the Paralympics in Pyeongchang.

Aileen Neilson, Gregor Ewan, Bob Mcpherson, Angie Malone and Hugh Nibloe will compete for Paralympicsgb in South Korea in March.

East Kilbride’s Neilson, Ewan, from Moray, Motherwell’s Mcpherson and Glaswegian Malone claimed bronze at Sochi 2014, while former rugby player Nibloe, from Stranraer, will make his Games debut.

Neilson said: “I’m delighted to be leading this team into the Pyeongchang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games. We have all worked so hard over this cycle and are ready to return to Paralympic competition to take on the best in the world.”

The team will compete at the Gangeung Curling Centre in Pyeongchang, the venue where the same group claimed a bronze medal for Scotland at the Wheelchair Curling World Championships in 2017.

Meanwhile, Eve Muirhead continues her countdown to next month’s Winter Olympics at the Bern Cup in Switzerland this afternoon.

The Perth curler and her team-mates Lauren Gray, Vicki Adams and Anna Sloan claimed their second European title on their last Swiss visit in late-november, but their target now is an Olympic gold medal in South Korea next month.

The Scots were champions in Bern in 2014 before winning Olympic bronze in Sochi a few weeks later, and Muirhead knows that this weekend is a crucial part of their preparations for Pyeongchang.

“We have two competitions left before the Games, and this is the first one,” she confirmed. “We’re excited to get started in 2018 after a short festive break with family and friends. The Olympics is less than a month away, so it’s important we knuckle down now and focus on the next few weeks. The field is strong in Bern with a triple knockout format, and we kick off our campaign versus Cynthia Gertsch from Switzerland.”

Left to right: Gregor Ewan, Hugh Nibloe, Aileen Neilson, Robert Mcpherson and Angie Malone, with Performance Director Graeme Thompson, top left, and Head Coach Sheila Swann during the announcement at the National Curling Centre in Stirling.