Teams led by Xenia Schwaller and Marco Hoesli won the women's and men's titles at the Swiss Curling Championships in Bern, securing spots at the world championships for the first time. Olympic silver medalists Silvana Tirinzoni (women's) and Yannick Schwaller (men's bronze) were defeated in best-of-three finals. Schwaller's victory highlights her team's dominant season, while 46-year-old Tirinzoni confronts potential retirement.
The Swiss Curling Championships concluded in Bern on February 28, 2026—shortly after Switzerland's silver medal in women's curling at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics (loss to Sweden)—with Team Xenia Schwaller defeating four-time world champion Team Silvana Tirinzoni 2-1 in the women's best-of-three final, and Team Marco Hoesli overcoming Team Yannick Schwaller 2-1 in the men's. Both winners earn debuts at the world championships.
In the women's series, Tirinzoni (world No. 1) won Game 1 6-5 in extra end. The 23-year-old Schwaller (Zurich's Grasshopper Club) rallied with 7-5 in Game 2 and 7-3 in Game 3. Team Schwaller, with teammates Selina Rychiger (lead), Fabienne Rieder (second), and Selina Gafner (third), finished the season 67-29, winning three titles and ranking sixth globally. Highlights included victories over Tirinzoni, Team Homan, Wranå, Constantini, and Gim; playoffs in three of five Grand Slams (semifinals at CO-OP Tour Challenge and KIOTI GSOC Tahoe); and the 2024 World Junior Championship.
On the men's side, Yannick Schwaller (Tirinzoni's occasional teammate and Xenia's cousin; Olympic bronze over Norway) won Game 1 6-1. Hoesli's Glarus team (world No. 30) evened it 6-4 in extra end (Game 2) and clinched 5-4 (Game 3). Yannick, a four-time worlds skipper (2025 silver), couldn't rally.
The Olympic teams noted fatigue from quick turnaround. Post-event, Tirinzoni—who hinted at retirement after January's Players’ Championship and postponed decisions post-Olympics—faces uncertainty at 46 after nationals loss, potentially reshaping her squad amid Olympic cycle changes. Teammate Alina Pätz called her “the smartest skip in women’s curling.” The championships drew crowds amid Olympic buzz.
Team Schwaller heads to the BKT World Women’s Curling Championship in Calgary (March 14-22). Team Hoesli goes to the World Men’s in Ogden, Utah (March 27-April 4).
