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Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Double Paralympic bronze medallists Jungnell and Ikonen lead Swedish Sochi 2014 wheelchair curling team

 
Monday, 06 January 2014


By Gary Anderson



January 6  Two time Paralympic bronze medallist Jalle Jungnell will skip the Swedish wheelchair curling team at Sochi 2014 ©Getty Images Jalle Jungnell and Glenn Ikonen, who both formed part of the bronze medal winning Swedish wheelchair curling teams at Turin 2006 and Vancouver 2010, have been named to lead the nation's squad heading to Sochi 2014 where they will again be among the favourites for a Paralympic medal.

The veteran duo will be joined by another athlete with Paralympic experience in the form of Vancouver 2010 teammate Patrick Kallin, while the team is completed by Kristina Ulander and Zandra Reppe - who will both be making their Games debut in Sochi.

At last year's World Championship, which was held in Sochi's Ice Cube Centre - where this year's Paralympic competition will be staged, Jungnell, Ikonen, Kallin, Ulander and alternate Gert Erlandsson, lost out 4-3 to the sport's powerhouse Canada in the final.

Indeed, for Jungnell and Ikonen, that was the second time they had to play second fiddle to the Canadians at a World Championship, after losing out to the two-time Paralympic champions in Vancouver in 2009.

In 2010, Ikonen was suspended for six months after he was found to have taken a blood pressure medication - beta blocker metoprolol - which was on the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) banned list.

Ikonen was tested during the Vancouver Winter Games and was forced to miss Sweden's final three matches of the tournament.

Despite being one of the leading nations in curling, Sweden has still not managed to win a major international wheelchair curling event, but Jungnell and her team will be heading to Sochi determined to finally break that gold medal winning barrier.

Sweden will be looking to celebrate Paralympic gold this time around in Sochi ©Bongarts/Getty ImagesSweden will be looking to celebrate Paralympic gold this time around in Sochi ©Bongarts/Getty Images























However, along with Canada, the Swedes will face stiff competition from the likes of hosts and 2012 world champions Russia, and former Paralympic Games silver medallists Great Britain and South Korea.

Double world champions Norway will also be looking to make the podium in Sochi, while two-time World Championship bronze medallists China will be hoping to cause a few upsets along with 2008 bronze medal winners the United States.

Slovakia and Finland complete the list of 10 nations who will be taking to the ice in Sochi in March.

Contact the writer of this story at gary.anderson@insidethegames.biz This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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