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Canada’s Paralympic curling team got its throws in shape for the Vancouver Games using high-end technology at an Edmonton research centre.

A research team at the University of Alberta’s Saville Centre has come up with a strategy to achieve the best biomechanics for curling from a wheelchair.

“It’s really different in that there’s no sweeping involved,” Rob Krepps, head coach for the centre, said of the Paralympics game.

“Once they let the rock go there’s nothing more than can be done, other than just hope. It’s a more hard game in that sense.”

The strategy was developed as part of the Own the Podium program and was also used to train some of Canada’s Olympic curlers, including the Kevin Martin rink.

8 motion-sensitive cameras, 12 video cameras

The research and training took place on a curling sheet equipped with eight motion analysis cameras and 12 video cameras that recorded the exact movements of the athletes and the curling stones.

The research group worked with a dozen Paralympic curlers from the Canadian team, checking the mechanics of the most successful curler and then passing the lesson on to the others.

“It made me feel wonderful to see these athletes coming closer to realizing their dreams and in this case on home Canadian soil,” said Krepps.

“Sometimes, you don’t even have to watch their technique to know that they get better. Sometimes you just have to watch their eyes and their smiles, because they know instantly when they throw a rock better than they ever have before.”

For Paralympic curler Bruno Yizek of Calgary, it was an eye-opening experience that he believes will make a huge difference to the team’s success.

“Mechanically, it improved everybody and mentally it also makes you feel better,” Yizek said. “And if you’re more of in a positive state, then it just really makes you be able to believe in yourself a lot more and be a better performer.”

Team Canada’s first game is Saturday against Fantastic Britain, the team they defeated to win gold in 2006.