by sportswriters Li Chunyu, Zheng Zhi and Jiao Ziqi

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy, March 14 (Xinhua) -- China was just one step away from its three-peat in Winter Paralympic wheelchair curling mixed team after losing to Canada 4-3 in the event's final clash at the Milan-Cortina 2026 here on Saturday.

For the Chinese team, it was inevitable to feel a little bit disappointed as they failed to defend their title. With more young talents joining them, the athletes and coaches believe wheelchair curling has a promising future in China.

Before Milan-Cortina 2026, China has won two consecutive titles in Winter Paralympic wheelchair curling mixed team at PyeongChang 2018 and Beijing 2022, as well as four world champions in a run.

At Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium, the mixed team event started with the round-robin session. Canada topped the standings with nine straight wins, while China finished second with eight wins and one loss. They reached the last four together with Sweden and South Korea.

The only loss of China in the round-robin was a 9-4 defeat to Canada, and the two powerhouses met again in the final to chase the glory. China's lineup consists of Wang Haitao, Zhang Mingliang, Chen Jianxin and Li Nana, confronting the Canadian quartet of Mark Ideson, Jon Thurston, Ina Forrest and Collinda Joseph.

It was quite a tight final as the teams were leveled at 3-3 after seven ends. In the decisive eighth end, the last two shots of Ideson helped Canada earn another point to secure the victory.

"Our team demonstrated determination throughout. Although we fell short in the end, everyone had given their all. Over the past four years, the team has become more mature. But we still need to improve our hitting in particular," said Yue Qingshuang, coach of the Chinese team.

Besides the mixed team, the mixed doubles made its debut at the Winter Paralympics, as the Chinese pair Wang Meng and Yang Jinqiao claimed the historical gold on Wednesday.

"Chinese wheelchair curling has reached a world-class level. At Milan-Cortina 2026, we won gold in mixed doubles and silver in mixed team. We carried over the momentum in recent years," said China's skipper Wang.

The 36-year-old added, "I started my curling career in 2008. We learned from others at first and then being studied by them. It has been a tough journey. I am really delighted to see more young enthusiasts join us. We must help them grow up quickly. When we retire someday, they can shoulder the responsibility."

In the eyes of Chinese curlers, the team features solidarity and perseverance. Zhang remarked, "Either victory or defeat represents a process through which we can accumulate experience, laying a foundation for the future."

"I didn't perform my best, but my teammates trust me all the time. We kept communicating and encouraging each other on the ice," said Chen.

As the only female athlete on the team, Li was proud of being a member of them. "When I threw the stone out, I heard my teammates saying 'great shot' and then felt assured. The result today was unsatisfactory, but we had tried our best," she reflected.

Chinese curler Zhang Qiang, 28, was a substitute in the final, but he competed in the round-robin. "This marks my first Winter Paralympic journey. The atmosphere brought me a different experience. Our young athletes take veterans as role models in training. They also told us how to adjust our mindset in competitions," said Zhang.

Looking ahead to the next Paralympic circle, Yue noted, "Other teams set us as a target as we get stronger. It's important for us to maintain stability. In the following years, we can expect more new faces in our team to realize their dream in the World Championships and the Winter Paralympics." ■