20 January 2026

Milano Cortina 2026: Team Switzerland

The Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games are quickly approaching, and we are taking a look at all the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) who will be competing for those coveted medals. Next up is Team Switzerland.

Team Switzerland will be represented in curling by three teams: Team Tirinzoni (women’s), Team Schwaller (men’s) and Team Schwaller/Schwaller-Huerlimann (mixed doubles).

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2015 world champion Alina Paetz joined Silvana Tirinzoni’s rink for the 2018–2019 season, creating a dream team that quickly became a powerhouse in Swiss curling.

Playing fourth to her skip’s third, Paetz helped lead the team to four consecutive world titles from 2019 to 2023, with Tirinzoni becoming the first skip ever to win four world women’s titles in a row. Alongside Carole Howald and Selina Witschonke, they reached the next two finals but fell short both times, losing to Canada’s Rachel Homan.

Their partnership stands among the most successful in curling history, but has yet to deliver an Olympic medal.

Olympic heartbreak and renewed ambition

In fairness, the team has only competed together at one Olympic Winter Games. At Beijing 2022, they finished fourth after a loss in the bronze medal game to Anna Hasselborg’s in-form Sweden.

This time around, Team Tirinzoni looks to right the wrongs and finally capture the Olympic title. Their journey began eight years ago after both curlers lost teammates to retirement.

“It was clear I wanted to continue curling and I heard that some of Silvana’s teammates were also thinking about stopping,” said Paetz.

“I thought it was a good chance to play with her. I mean, she has been successful, like, way longer than I was.

“It was just for me a no-brainer to ask her if she wanted to play with me.”

“It was very mutual,” added Tirinzoni, “I intended to call her, actually; and she was like, one or two days earlier than me.

“It was a funny phone call. She started to explain why it would be a good idea to play with each other because we were always competitive.

“I wouldn’t say we would have been best friends back then, so, she tried to convince me why it’s a good idea.

“After, like, two, three minutes, I just stopped her and said, ‘you don’t have to continue’. I also wanted to play with her.”

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Meet the teams

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Building chemistry and a winning formula

While it seemed natural from the start, the pair say they have grown with each other, as did their “great front end” with Tirinzoni adding: “I think we are way better today than we were seven years ago when we started this journey.”

Despite leaving Beijing without a medal, the skip remained upbeat — and rightly so. Switzerland topped the round robin with an 8-1 record before the play-off defeats.

“I know the Olympics only count maybe the medals, but I still think we played an amazing event there,” said Tirinzoni.

“It’s not that we were the favourite there. It was a very, very tough field and we were able to finish first after the round-robin.

“And then it was a very strange semi-final that I will never forget. The luck was not on our side in that game and that happens.

“It was unfortunate that it’s such an important game, but I don’t think it was a failure for me.

“Yes, we didn’t win a medal, but we still played a very good tournament.”

Paetz added, “You can play as many big events, Worlds, Euros as you want to; it’s definitely different going into the Olympic Games.

“I think you have to prepare a little bit different for that, and I think in the team we have now, we for sure do that a little different, a little more to make sure we’re all ready to go.”

Building towards Milano Cortina

After Beijing, Tirinzoni committed to the next Olympic cycle. But it was not all about Milano Cortina 2026, it was about winning as many tournaments along the way, including the World Women’s Curling Championship and the Grand Slams, as well as placing number one in the rankings. Their recipe for self-improvement is learning from both their losses and wins.

“We never had only the Olympics in our head for four years and not even in this season,” the skip said.

“We tried to keep our season as normal as we always did and played the same amount of tournaments; and now, yes, now it’s time to focus on the Olympics and be very well prepared.”

Paetz added, “I think we are capable of winning that gold medal.”

Shared values and goals

“We are speaking the same language and I don’t mean German,” said Tirinzoni.

“I think we know how we want to be successful. We have the same goals. We know how we want to approach sponsors and or how we want to be on and off the ice.

“If you have this same kind of language, then you feel very close to each other, really. Like sometimes you don’t even need to speak.

“It’s more about just looking at each other and where we want to go. I think over the years we created a very comfortable environment so that everyone can be herself and is respected. And that’s, I think, the key for success.”

“I think over the years we created a very comfortable environment so that everyone can be herself and is respected. And that’s, I think, the key for success.”

Silvana Tirinzoni, Team Switzerland

Veteran skip still hungry for more

The Olympic Games is also the natural conclusion for many athletes’ careers and the Swiss skip, who turns 47 this year, admits that “at the age that I am, every year is a bonus”. However, there are still no plans to retire, and instead, focus is on the Games, where the world is watching.

“Usually in Switzerland, people don’t even know that we play in Canada,” said Tirinzoni.

“Maybe we just won a Grand Slam, but everyone will know that we play at the Olympics.

“And neighbours that you haven’t heard for years all of a sudden text you. So this is going to be different and you cannot deny that, and you just have to try to handle it as well as possible.

“There is going to be a different kind of pressure, that’s no doubt. But I feel like with all the experience we have, I think we are just going to be prepared for that.”

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Team Switzerland Stats

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