On the eve of the start of the wheelchair curling competition at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, sports equipment was reported missing. Organizers have called in law enforcement, but the tournament will start as scheduled, CBC reports.
All the granite stones, each weighing about 19 kilograms, are the property of the World Curling Federation. Each such stone, according to The Guardian, costs 750 pounds (up to 44 thousand hryvnias).
Before the incident, there were two complete sets of stones in the arena. One of them was made specifically for the mixed pairs debut at the Games level, the other was previously used at the World Junior Championships.
The fact of the disappearance of two stones from the mixed pairs set was confirmed by official representatives of the international federation. It is not yet known how unauthorized persons managed to remove the bulky equipment from the territory of the protected facility.
World Curling spokesman Chris Hamilton said in an emailed comment about the current state of affairs: “Authorities are investigating the theft.”
The Paralympic teams competing in the mixed doubles event were informed of the incident during an official meeting in Cortina d'Ampezzo. The teams competing in the foursomes were notified later.
Despite the loss of some of the main equipment, organizers assured that this would not affect the timing or quality of the tournament. The missing stones were replaced with spare units from an additional set.
“The spare stones from the mixed doubles set are currently being used and have been brought to the same specifications as the rest of the set,” Hamilton added.
The Paralympic wheelchair curling mixed doubles event began on Wednesday, March 4, and will continue until March 11. The mixed four-person tournament will begin on Saturday, March 7.