Author

Michael Houston

23 February 2026

Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympics: Team Estonia

The Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games may have come to a close, but the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games are just about to begin!

In the lead up to the beginning of wheelchair curling at Milano Cortina 2026, we will take a look at all the National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) competing. First up: Team Estonia.

Team Estonia will be represented by one wheelchair curling team: Team Riidebach/Villau (mixed doubles).

Team Riidebach/Villau: The butterfly effect that sent Estonia to the Paralympics

After scoring in all first four ends, Estonia’s Katlin Riidebach and Ain Villau looked comfortably on their way to victory over Poland at the 2025 World Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Curling Championship.

But a 7-0 lead was cut to just two when their opponents scored with the hammer and stole for four. Crucially, they held on, winning 8-6.

This victory against the team that finished bottom of their group may seem unimportant, but it was the third in several butterfly-effect moments. The second of these came in their second game, when they defeated the 2023 world champions Polina Rozkova and Agris Lasmans of Latvia by an 8-3 margin.

Katlin Riidebach at the World Wheelchair Mixed Doubles 2025 © World Curling / Ansis Ventins

Getting the important wins

Their round-robin saw an opening defeat to Czechia, a win against Denmark and successive losses to Canada and Italy. Poland was a must-win. But for once, they were not rooting for their Baltic neighbours, as Canada defeated Latvia a few sheets over.

This meant Estonia and Latvia were tied on 3-3, but due to Riidebach and Villau’s win against them, they secured third in the group. That first butterfly effect moment could be traced back to the Draw Shot Challenge, with their score securing them a spot in the quarter-finals as the best-placed third-place team.

Stay with me.

A 7-3 victory over Norway was helped by a steal of two to go 4-0 after two ends, getting them into the semi-finals. A 9-4 defeat to Japan made the bronze medal game against Korea a must-win. High-scoring ends was the difference in a 9-5 win.

A medal was just one part of their reward.

I say it was a must-win because it also ensured they would make it to the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.

Meet the team

Team Riidebach/Villau

Katlin Riidebach

Age: 43
Paralympic Appearances: 2022 (10th)
Fun fact: Has a sausage dog called Sami

Ain Villau

Age: 54
Paralympic Appearances: Debut
Fun fact: Loves fishing

QUALIFICATION

The Estonian mixed doubles team secured their spot at Milano Cortina 2026 through their points earned at the 2023, 2024 and 2025 World Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Curling Championships.

They placed eighth on the Paralympic rankings with a total of 19 points.

TEAM STATS

2025 World Wheelchair Mixed Doubles bronze medallists

Reaching their goals

“I can’t say if we were very lucky in the last championships, because we did many things right,” said Riidebach.

“The luck is three teams who were in the bottom of the line to go to the Paralympics, all were in the top three and for us to make it to the Paralympics it was the third place.

“No other place would guarantee that we could make it.”

Scotland — who represent Great Britain at the Paralympics — and Japan had leapfrogged them in qualification when they advanced to the final. Canada were also taken out of contention when they lost the quarter-finals to Japan. Slovakia exited at this stage too at the hands of Korea. Ironically, they needed Korea to defeat Estonia to take the eighth and final spot at the Paralympics.

When asked if the medal or the Paralympic spot was better, Riidebach shrugged saying “both”.

“We are such a small country and we don’t have so many athletes, especially in curling,” she said.

“So you have the people that you have, but all the big countries, they can select their best; and if you can win that kind of game, then you know you are strong.

“The Paralympics, I think for all athletes it is the top goal to get in.

“It was two ambitions that we achieved.”

Team Estonia at the World Wheelchair Mixed Doubles 2025 © World Curling / Ansis Ventins

She earned it

But for her, this feels like a new experience, despite it being her second appearance.

“For me, the first Paralympic Games, I was such a new player at the team at this point and I didn’t feel I deserved this place because I wasn’t in the teams when they get the points to get to the 2022 Paralympics,” she added.

“But these Paralympic Games, I know I have done something. It’s like I earned it.”

She understands the responsibility associated with being a Paralympian and ambassador for your country and your sport. However, she said she is not thinking much about the event to keep the pressure off herself, adding she has only thought about “our equipment, uniform and health being OK” and will only think past the Paralympics when her competition ends.

Much like Latvia, Estonia has thrived in the two-person format. Their bronze may be their crowning moment, but Riidebach, with former partner Mait Matas, had qualified for the quarter-finals in 2024, and just missed the play-offs in 2023 under the former format which saw six teams advance instead of eight.

Team Riidebach/Villau win the World Wheelchair Mixed Doubles 2025 bronze © World Curling / Ansis Ventins

Calm meets emotion

What will be interesting is the pairing of Riidebach and Villau, who made it onto the world podium in their first Championship as a duo. She attributes that to complementing personalities.

“We are balancing each other because Ain is very calm, very rational,” she said.

“And I’ve got the visual part with the broom and the speed; but I am also very emotional, so we are very honest with each other.

“We can tell each other what we did wrong, and nobody takes it personally, and I think if you can do it, it gives the opportunity to be better.”

The pair will have their families in attendance this time around, including Riidebach’s son who has previously held her chair during competitions in Tallinn. Her husband will also be part of the team heading to Milano Cortina 2026 too, who has helped her improve tactically and supported her during stressful games.

Small nation with big Paralympic dreams

If they can find that form, it could bring greater focus to Estonian winter Paralympic sport. When the team competed in Beijing four years ago, they were the first Winter Paralympians from the country since 2002. Their sole winter medal came all the way back in 1994, won by Vilma Nugis in cross-country skiing. It would also be their first Paralympic medal since 2008.

For a nation of little over one million people, it is an opportunity to grab headlines and shine a spotlight on the sport that continues to grow. Now that the opportunity has presented itself, they must take it.