Paris, France. Wednesday’s 50-45 win over Denmark secured a spot for the U.S. in tomorrow’s semi finals at the 2016 IWRF Rio Qualification Tournament. The win also boosted the Americans to a 5-0 record, leaving them as the only undefeated team in the field. Thursday’s semi final will again pit the U.S. against Denmark with tip off at 5 a.m. EST. Not only is advancement to the gold medal match on the line but, the winner of this semi final and the semi final between France and New Zealand (7 a.m. EST) will punch their tickets to Rio.
Catch all the action from Paris on the livestream at http://www.handisport.org/6672-2/. Game results will be updated daily at http://www.usawr.org
About USA Wheelchair Rugby
Wheelchair Rugby was invented in Canada in 1977. Originally known as “murderball” because of its intense physical nature, the sport’s name was changed to wheelchair rugby. By 1993 wheelchair rugby was officially recognized as a sport for athletes with disability and the International Wheelchair Rugby Federation was founded. In 1994 Wheelchair Rugby was recognized by the International Paralympic Committee as a Paralympic sport and made its Paralympic debut as a demonstration event in Atlanta in 1996. It became a medal sport in Sydney in 2000, where the United States won the gold medal. In 2013, USA Wheelchair Rugby partnered with USA Rugby in order to collaborate in the growth of Rugby in America.
Lakeshore Foundation, a U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Site in Birmingham, Alabama, serves as the High Performance Management Organization for USA Wheelchair Rugby under contract with the United States Olympic Committee. With a unique combination of activity, research and advocacy Lakeshore is a leader in their field. Learn more about USA Wheelchair Rugby and Lakeshore Foundation at www.lakeshore.org.
USA Wheelchair Rugby is proudly supported by Liberty Mutual Insurance. Liberty Mutual Insurance is the official property and casualty and life insurance partner of the U.S. Olympic Committee for the 2016 Olympic Games and 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The company also is the proud sponsor and partner of several national governing bodies, including ASA/USA Softball, U.S. Rowing, U.S. Soccer Federation, US Youth Soccer, USA Hockey, USA Volleyball, USA Water Polo and USA Wrestling.
For more information contact Jen Remick at jenr@lakeshore.org or 205.999.4944