19 March 2024
The evolution of Denmark’s Dupont sisters
30 world championship appearances and playing in four different Olympic Games would be a good track record for many World Curling Member Associations. But that is the total amassed so far by just two athletes competing at the BKT Tires World Women’s Curling Championship 2024 – Danish sisters Denise and Madeleine Dupont.
If you add in a further eight World Juniors appearances and 24 campaigns at various European Championships – including gold medals in 2022, in curling terms, “experienced” would be a fair word to describe these siblings. It also helps that they always radiate a sense of fun on the ice whenever they play.
Denise is the elder of the two, starting her World Championship career in 2003, playing in Winnipeg. She explains that was an early experience that started her fond relationship with the country of Canada.
“Every time we go to Canada, my colleagues tell me we’re so lucky. We’ve been here so many times and we just love this country. It’s fantastic to meet people all around the place.”
Four-time Olympian
Unlike her sister, Denise played in the 2006 Turin Olympic Winter Games, but since then, she and Madeleine have been together at the 2010 Games in Vancouver, the 2018 Games in PyeongChang, Korea and most recently the 2022 Games in Beijing.
If Denmark are successful in qualifying for the Olympics in 2026, Denise will become a member of a rather exclusive club – a five-time Olympian.
“I really hope that I can go to Cortina. I thought it was amazing the first time when I went to Turin, but every time at the Olympic Games is special.”
When Denise looks back on her record, she seems as surprised as anyone that she is still going strong.
“In my first championship I was thinking ‘this is what I love’ – I did love it from the first time. I never imagined I’d still be doing this. What I love about the sport is that you can still keep going, even when you’re as old as me. You can still play at a high level, and I think that’s fantastic.”
Madeleine agreed with her sister, “we didn’t think anything more than ‘oh, this is fun!’. Now we just keep it fun, and we take it one season at a time. We never plan four years ahead or anything like that – that’s what makes it fun – you never know what’s going to happen.”
Madeleine started her world championship career one year after Denise, playing in a world championship for the first time in 2004, in Gavle, Sweden. She has three Olympic Games appearances under her belt too.
The differences? “It’s more competitive now. Teams have three, four or five team leaders and officials, we’ve always just been a team and a coach. It’s more professional now.”
Reflecting over the years Madeleine adds “it’s almost a cliché, but you learn so much when you’re in a team … about compromise, flexibility and how to be around people and knowing yourself a lot better than otherwise. I’ve had so many experiences. I feel very fortunate to have had these experiences.”
“People [friends] are aways jealous. They always say ‘have a nice holiday’. This is not a holiday- this is more work than work!”
