Silvana Tirinzoni and Alina Paetz of Switzerland aim to secure an Olympic medal in women's curling at the 2026 Winter Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. The duo, with a history of world championship successes, started strongly by defeating China and Italy in the round-robin stage. Despite past near-misses, they remain focused on adding Olympic hardware to their achievements.
In Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, on February 13, 2026, the Swiss women's curling team, led by skip Silvana Tirinzoni and thrower Alina Paetz, began their Olympic campaign with victories over China and host nation Italy during the round-robin phase. This marks their return to the Olympics four years after a disappointing performance in Beijing, where they recorded eight wins and one loss in the preliminary rounds but lost the semi-final to Japan and the bronze-medal match to Sweden.
Tirinzoni, 46, and Paetz, 35, transitioned from rivals to teammates ahead of the 2018-19 season, forging a partnership that yielded four consecutive world championships from 2019 to 2023. They advanced to the finals in 2024 and 2025, though both times they were defeated by Canada's Rachel Homan. Tirinzoni highlighted the mutual growth in their collaboration, stating, "I think we made each other better, better curlers, maybe even better human beings. In these last eight years, we have been growing together and became a very, very successful team. It's been a fantastic adventure with her on the team."
Uniquely, Paetz handles the last rocks—a role typically reserved for the skip—thanks to the deep trust within the team. Paetz praised Tirinzoni's leadership, saying, "I think Silvana is the smartest skip in women's curling, and it's a pleasure to play with her. We are all happy to have a skip like her with so much experience. She's the best strategist. I think she gives me the confidence to play last rocks as good as I can."
Reflecting on the Olympic pursuit, Tirinzoni emphasized the significance: "That's the goal. We want to win the medal. At the same time, we know how hard this is and how fantastic that would be. But yeah, it's the only thing missing. If it happens that we are going to be on the podium at the end of the week, that would be a dream come true." Paetz echoed the enjoyment of the moment, noting, "I'm just enjoying myself out there. I'm happy where I am in that stage of my career right now, just happy to be here and enjoy every minute."
Their extensive resume includes multiple world championship medals and Grand Slam victories, yet the Olympic podium remains elusive.
