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Paralympic wheelchair curling mixed doubles team secures silver but keeps its eyes on gold

Published: 11 Mar. 2026, 16:11 Updated: 11 Mar. 2026, 17:15

Korea’s wheelchair curling mixed doubles players Baek Hye-jin, left, and Lee Yong-seok celebrate after defeating the United States in the semifinals at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Paralympics at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium in Cortina, Italy, on March 10. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Sixteen years after Korea last reached the Paralympic podium for wheelchair curling, Baek Hye-jin and Lee Yong-seok pushed the country back there on Tuesday — and they’re not done yet.

The Korean mixed doubles pair defeated the United States 6-3 in the semifinals at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics, clinching at least silver and advancing to the gold medal match. The victory at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium secured Korea’s first Paralympic medal in wheelchair curling since the mixed team won silver at the 2010 Vancouver Games.

Baek and Lee will face China in the final at 2:35 p.m. on Wednesday. China finished first in the preliminary round and advanced to the final after defeating Latvia in the semifinals.

Wheelchair curling matches run eight rounds, also known as “ends.” Unlike the nondisabled version of the sport, players do not sweep the ice, which places great importance on precise shot-making.

Korea, which had already beaten the world No. 5 United States 10-1 in the preliminary round, opened with two points in the first end. The United States answered with one point in the second after setting up guards, but Laura Dwyer’s shot caught traffic and limited the damage.

Korea restored its momentum with two points in the third end but gave up one in the fourth, carrying a two-point lead into the halfway mark.

Korea wheelchair curling mixed doubles head coach Park Kil-woo greets supporters after the team’s semifinal victory over the United States at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Paralympics at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium in Cortina, Italy, on March 10. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The fifth end turned into a clearing exchange, with both sides repeatedly knocking stones out of the house. Korea eventually came away with a single point.

The United States tried to swing the match in the sixth end and used its power play, which allows teams to place the stones to the side instead of the center to create scoring opportunities.

After the seventh delivery, the United States occupied the top four scoring positions. Baek changed the picture with a precise draw that slipped into the No. 1 spot. The United States missed its final shot of the end, allowing Korea to steal a point.

The United States pulled one back in the seventh end, but Korea still led 6-3 when the two entered the final end.

With the United States chasing multiple points, Korea called a timeout and approached the end carefully. Lee then delivered a runback with his sixth stone, knocking a U.S. rock out of play. The United States conceded soon after.

Korea’s Baek Hye-jin delivers a stone during the wheelchair curling mixed doubles semifinal against the United States at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium in Cortina, Italy, on March 10. [YONHAP]

Baek’s road to the Paralympics began with a life-changing moment. A 2011 car accident left her with a spinal cord injury, and she spent two years undergoing treatment in the hospital. After being discharged, she rebuilt her strength by playing badminton before turning to curling in 2015.

The sport also brought her together with her husband, Nam Bong-kwang, who competes on Korea's four-person wheelchair curling team.

Baek later partnered with Lee, who had undergone rehabilitation at the same hospital and also played badminton. The pair started in the second division and gradually climbed the rankings.

They broke through in the national trials, upsetting married duo Jo Min-kyung and Jung Tae-young — the reigning 2024 world champions — to earn their way to the Paralympics.

At the Games, Baek’s aggressive decision-making and Lee’s steady accuracy have proved a complementary combination.

Their team nickname reflects that approach. “200 Percent” plays on Lee and Baek sounding like ibaek, the Korean word for the number 200, a nod to their goal of giving more than everything they have.

They have already secured a silver medal.

Now they will try to turn it into gold.

Korea’s Lee Yong-seok, left, and Baek Hye-jin pause to confer after the sixth end during the wheelchair curling mixed doubles semifinal against the United States at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium in Cortina, Italy, on March 10. [YONHAP]

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM HYO-KYOUNG [[email protected]]