Author

Michael Houston

21 January 2026

Milano Cortina 2026: Team Germany

With just two weeks until the start of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, we take a look at all the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) set to compete. Next up: Team Germany.

Team Germany will be represented by one curling team: Team Muskatewitz (men’s).

Team Muskatewitz: Joining forces for success

From a junior stand out to European champion, Germany’s Benjamin Kapp reflects on a breakthrough season and now sets his sights on the Olympic stage.

Two years ago, Benjamin Kapp was one of the brightest junior talents in curling. By the end of 2024, he had made his mark at senior level, helping Germany claim its first men’s European title in two decades.

Although their victory was considered a surprise, the rink’s chemistry was anything but. Kapp had been the skip of the junior team, which consisted of Felix Messenzehl, Johannes Scheuerl and Mario Trevisol. During the 2023–2024 season, opportunity knocked when five-time World Championship curler Marc Muskatewitz began searching for a new squad.

Muskatewitz’s tactical expertise, paired with one of the most physically impressive quartets, created magic. Together, they beat Bruce Mouat’s Scotland for the continental crown. It was a harmonious partnership, which suited both the skip and the former junior skip.

“It’s been great,” said Kapp when reflecting on two years since joining forces with Muskatewitz at the 2023 World Men’s Curling Championship, where they reached the playoffs.

“Marc is really good at strategy and especially had already the previous years of experience in men’s curling.

“I didn’t mind stepping back from skipping because I also really enjoy playing third and just giving advice to Marc and then he can decide what he wants to play.

“For me that was great because now I really enjoy playing third and also get a bit of sweeping in and not just standing around the whole time.”

Benjamin Kapp at the World Junior Curling Championships 2022 in Jonkoping, Sweden © World Curling

Building momentum to the European glory

The European title was the culmination of steady progress, starting with a hard-fought win over Sixten Totzek in the national trials.

“There’s so many small things that come together when you are winning such a big championship,” said Kapp.

“We had a good feeling and we took it game by game and then all of a sudden we’re in the final and we just gave it our best go.”

The victory carried extra significance for Kapp, who followed in the footsteps of his father Andy Kapp — one of Germany’s greatest curlers. At the time of their win, Andy was coaching at a junior competition and could only celebrate with a picture of a drink from afar, with Benny saying he “was just really pumped up”.

After their first Grand Slam appearance, they finally returned home to a large reception from their family and friends, where Munich International Airport was “turned into a fan club”.

Team Muskatewitz win gold at the 2024 Le Gruyère AOP Europeans © World Curling / James Roberts

Meet the team

Team Muskatewitz

Marc Muskatewitz (SKIP)

Age: 30
Olympic Appearances: Debut
Fun fact: Marc is a keen Alpine and off-piste skier.

Benjamin Kapp (THIRD)

Age: 23
Olympic Appearances: Debut
Fun fact: Benny is a third-generation winning curler. His father and uncle Andy and Uli won five world medals and two European titles together. His grandfather Charlie won the European title in 1991 with Uli as alternate.

Felix Messenzehl (SECOND)

Age: 22
Olympic Appearances: Debut
Fun fact: When Felix won the 2024 European title, he was part of the first German men’s team to win it in 20 years – his father Markus was part of Sebastian Stock’s team to last win it.

Johannes Scheuerl (LEAD)

Age: 23
Olympic Appearances: Debut
Fun fact: Looks good with a headband.

Mario Trevisiol (ALTERNATE)

Age: 22
Olympic Appearances: Debut
Fun fact: He and three of his teammates are part of the Bundeswehr sport soldier programme, supporting his sporting career.

QUALIFICATION

Team Muskatewitz qualified for Milano Cortina 2026 through their points earned at the 2024 and 2025 World Men’s Curling Championships.

They sit sixth on the Olympic rankings with a total of 15 points.

TEAM STATS

2024 European Champions

Navigating challenges and staying patient

This season has had its share of challenges, but there has been a notable improvement in their form since playing their first tournaments back in August.

They missed the top four at the Le Gruyère AOP European Curling Championships based on their head-to-head record, shortly after going 1-3 in Lake Tahoe. Importantly, all three defeats were by a single point against three of the top five-ranked teams in the world. Those fine margins continued at the Canadian Open, where they reached the quarter-finals before losing to eventual winners, Yannick Schwaller’s Switzerland.

“We had a bit of a bumpy season,” Kapp admitted.

“Not everything has worked out the way we wanted to, but we’re still really confident because we know we just have to stay patient and keep doing what we’re doing because eventually it will all pay off.”

Patience became a key theme when the team invested in a sports psychologist to help shift their mindset.

“Staying patient is key because especially this season so many games that we’ve lost with a one-point difference or the last shot and I think it’s not always bad because it shows that you’re like right there with the top teams in the world,” Kapp added.

“You have to keep pushing against the barrier and then eventually you’re going to break through and score the point that decides those games.”

“It’s so funny because once we started to play with Marc and got Ryan as a coach, we made this WhatsApp group and the name of the group was ‘Olympic Dream 2026’ and now we changed it to ‘Olympic Team 2026’.”
Benny Kapp, Team Germany

Team Muskatewitz at the Le Gruyère AOP Europeans 2025 © World Curling / James Roberts

Olympic Dream gets out of the group chat

Despite the focus on staying grounded, excitement is building for the 23-year-old as he prepares for Milano Cortina 2026. Now he is ready to “just soak it all in”, even planning to attend the Opening Ceremony, then heading to Austria for a couple of days of training before returning to the Olympic Village for the start of the men’s competition.

“Next week we get our clothing for Team Germany so that’s going to be the first big event where it’s actually getting real now,” said Kapp.

“It’s so funny because once we started to play with Marc and got Ryan as a coach, we made this WhatsApp group and the name of the group was ‘Olympic Dream 2026’ and now we changed it to ‘Olympic Team 2026’.

“There’s so many cool things that just make you feel like you’ve achieved one of the big goals and essentially now you can just enjoy the ride and reward yourself for your hard work.”