China's wheelchair curling mixed doubles team cemented their status as title contenders at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics, securing a dramatic 8-7 victory over Italy on Thursday to maintain their flawless 3-0 record. The win positions them as the only undefeated team in the eight-nation round robin competition.
Wang Meng and Yang Jinqiao showcased strategic resilience against the host nation's duo, overcoming an early three-point deficit. The Chinese pair executed a critical guarded stone play in the third end to level the score, then delivered a clutch three-point surge in the sixth end to force overtime.
Yang's precision shot in the extra end proved decisive, displacing Italy's scoring stone while fortifying China's position. The Italian team's subsequent attempt to counter inadvertently improved China's winning alignment, sealing the victory for the Beijing 2022 gold medalists.
This triumph sets up a high-stakes Friday match against the Republic of Korea (ROK), with China aiming to extend their momentum into the latter stages of the tournament. The mixed doubles event, making its Paralympic debut this year, has drawn particular attention to adaptive winter sports innovation.
