Canada is back on top of the Paralympic podium — but it didn’t come without a heart-stopping finish.
Kipling, Saskatchewan’s Gilbert Dash and Canada’s wheelchair curling team captured the gold medal Saturday morning with a dramatic 4–3 victory over China at the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.
The final end turned into a scene straight out of a curling thriller.
With Canada holding the hammer in the eighth end and the score tied 3–3, both teams battled for control behind a series of long centre guards. China’s final stone needed to outdraw a Canadian rock biting the four-foot, but the shot came up short, leaving Canada sitting with shot rock.
But the drama was far from over.
Team Canada’s clock was ticking down with less than 30 seconds remaining, and if it expired, the Canadians would automatically lose the game. The team debated whether their rock was indeed shot. If it were, they could let the clock run out and claim gold. If it weren’t, China would steal the win.
With the seconds disappearing and the pressure mounting, skip Mark Ideson made the call.
With just one second left, Ideson delivered Canada’s final stone and executed a perfect raise tap of his own rock to the button, sealing the 4–3 victory and an unforgettable Paralympic gold medal.
The tense finish capped off a tight defensive battle from the opening end.
Canada earned the last rock in the first end after finishing atop the round robin standings with an undefeated record. The teams exchanged stones while getting a feel for the ice, ultimately blanking the end, a decision that proved pivotal later in the game.
China forced Canada to take a single in the second end after a perfectly executed hit and roll tucked under cover, giving the Canadians an early 1–0 lead.
In the third, Ideson answered with a clutch hit and roll of his own, forcing China to take one and tie the game 1–1.
Canada looked poised for two in the fourth end, but Ideson’s final draw with the hammer came up just light, leaving the Canadians to settle for a single and a 2–1 lead at the break.
China pushed back in the fifth, cluttering the front of the house with stones. Canada managed to limit the damage when China’s final takeout rolled too far, resulting in just one point and a 2–2 tie.
The defending Paralympic champions continued to apply pressure in the sixth end with several rocks in scoring position. Still, Ideson delivered once again, making a clutch hit and stick to restore Canada’s lead at 3–2.
China had another chance for two in the seventh but couldn’t quite find the precise draw they needed, settling for one and sending the game to the eighth end tied 3–3.
That set the stage for the final-end chaos and Canada’s golden finish.
The championship team was skipped by Mark Ideson (London, ON), with Jon Thurston (Dunsford, ON) at third, Ina Forrest (Spallumcheen, BC) at second, Collinda Joseph (Stittsville, ON) at lead and Gilbert Dash of Kipling, Saskatchewan serving as alternate.
Mick Lizmore and Dana Ferguson coached the team.
For Dash, the victory adds a Paralympic gold medal to an already remarkable career and gives Saskatchewan another proud moment on the world stage.
