South Korea's wheelchair curling mixed team advanced to the semifinals at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics, raising hopes for a medal.
The national team—comprising Nam Bong-kwang (45, Gyeonggi Provincial Sports Association for the Disabled), Bang Min-ja (64, South Jeolla Provincial Sports Association for the Disabled), Yang Hee-tae (58, Gangwon State Sports Association for the Disabled), Lee Hyun-chul (40, Gangwon State Sports Association for the Disabled), and Cha Jin-ho (54, Gyeonggi Provincial Sports Association for the Disabled)—defeated host nation Italy 6-5 in their final preliminary round match on March 12 local time at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium.
With this victory, South Korea finished the preliminary round with 5 wins and 4 losses, securing fourth place behind Canada (9 wins), China (8 wins, 1 loss), and Sweden (5 wins, 4 losses) to clinch a semifinal berth. South Korea will face Canada, which topped the group with a perfect record, in the semifinals on March 13. South Korea previously lost to Canada 3-6 in the preliminary round.
The match was a winner-takes-all showdown for the final semifinal spot. Both teams entered tied at 4 wins and 4 losses. South Korea conceded 2 points in the first end but immediately responded with 3 points in the second end to take the lead. In the decisive eighth end, with the score tied 5-5, the team capitalized on Italy's mistake to score a crucial point, securing a one-point victory despite overwhelming support from Italian home fans.
The team's semifinal advancement also raises the prospect of a husband-and-wife medal double. Baek Hye-jin (Gyeonggi Provincial Sports Association for the Disabled) previously won silver in wheelchair curling mixed doubles, and her husband Nam Bong-kwang is now competing for a medal in the mixed team event. "Since my wife Baek Hye-jin won silver, I am determined to beat Canada and win a medal myself," Nam said. "We will definitely achieve our goal of both winning medals."