"Two 19kg Stones Missing"...Curling Stones Stolen Ahead of Paralympic Event

by Heo Midam

Published 05 Mar.2026 17:21(KST)

Stones Valued at Approximately 1.46 Million Won Each

Two curling stones that were scheduled to be used in the wheelchair curling events at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics have gone missing, prompting local authorities to launch an investigation.

According to the Associated Press on March 4 (local time), two curling stones intended for use in the wheelchair curling mixed doubles event at the Curling Olympic Stadium in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, were reported stolen.

On the 18th of last month (local time), at the Curling Olympic Stadium in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, during the women's round-robin match between Korea and Sweden at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics, at the end of the 3rd end, two Korean stones were positioned in the scoring area. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The World Curling Federation proceeded with the matches using spare stones of the same specifications as those that were stolen. According to regulations, curling stones may have a maximum circumference of up to 36 inches and weigh about 19 kilograms. The granite used in the manufacturing of the stones is quarried from Ailsa Craig, an island off the Ayrshire coast of Scotland. For the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics and Paralympics, a total of 128 stones were produced.

The World Curling Federation stated, "Local authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the theft of the stones," and added, "We are currently using spare stones, and as they are matched to the same specifications as the stolen ones, the competition is proceeding without any impact."

The Guardian, a British daily newspaper, reported that the stolen stones are valued at 750 pounds each (approximately 1.46 million won), and that the theft was discovered during a routine inspection on March 2.

Meanwhile, the wheelchair curling mixed doubles pair Baek Hyejin and Lee Yongseok from the Gyeonggi-do Sports Association for the Disabled, who were the first among the South Korean delegation to compete, lost 5-7 to the Italian pair Paolo Ioriati and Orietta Berto on March 4. Baek Hyejin and Lee Yongseok will face the United Kingdom in their second preliminary match at 6:05 p.m. (Korea Standard Time) on March 5, followed by their third preliminary match against Japan at 3:05 a.m. the next day.

Wheelchair curling mixed doubles, which is a mixed pairs event, features eight teams competing in a round-robin format in the preliminaries. The top four teams advance to the semifinals to determine the final rankings.