From March 27 to April 1, Samara became the centre of curling as the Vladimir Vysotsky Sports Palace hosted the Russian Mixed Doubles Curling Championship. The event brought together 16 of the strongest teams from across the country, who competed over four intense days in a strategic battle for the title.

Following the draw, the participants were divided into four groups of four teams each. After a brief opening ceremony, the long-awaited matches began, with each mixed duo striving to showcase their best skills on the ice in pursuit of the championship.

The competition was fierce, filled with dramatic moments! Success in this "ice chess" required not only a deep understanding of physics but also precise control over the friction and timing of granite stones sliding across the ice — especially when delivering throws of varying force.

Participant Groups:

Group A:

1st Place – Tomsk Oblast-1

2nd Place – Tomsk Oblast-2

3rd Place – Republic of Udmurtia-3

Group B:

1st Place – Moscow-4

2nd Place – Moscow-3

3rd Place – Moscow-1

Group C:

1st Place – St. Petersburg-1

2nd Place – Chelyabinsk Oblast-1

3rd Place – Republic of Bashkiria

Group D:

1st Place – Moscow-2

2nd Place – Chelyabinsk region-2

3rd Place – Republic of Udmurtia-2

After days of thrilling matches, the winners emerged:

1st place – Tomsk Oblast-2 (Andrey Anishchenko, Anastasia Borisova)

2nd place – Chelyabinsk Oblast-1 (Roman Kuzmin, Nargis Kuzmina)

3rd place – Moscow-3 (Daniil Osipov, Olga Kornaukhova)

Svetlana Kuzmina, Director of the Centre for Adaptive Physical Culture and Adaptive Sports, took part in the awards ceremony, praising the exceptional skill of the deaf athletes.

Evgeny Tavyrikov, senior coach of the Russian national curling team, shared his thoughts: "The championship was held at a high level. The ice in Samara met all requirements, and the curling lanes were excellent, allowing athletes to demonstrate their full range of skills. The teams were well-prepared, and every match was fiercely contested until the final stone. As tradition dictates, we also held a masterclass from our top curlers for spectators and beginners — everyone was engaged and enthusiastic. We look forward to seeing a team from the Samara Region competing at future events!"

RESULTS

Text: Sofia Rumiantseva, Nurlan Tazhigulov, Maria Mazhenina

Photo: Yulia Makarova, Anastasia Terentieva

Translation: Daria Kudelina