Austrian Curling Teams Achieve Historic Milestones at European Championships

Last week, Austria’s men's curling team made history by securing their first World Championship qualification since 2002 at the European Championships in Lohja, Finland. This achievement not only marks Austria's return to the World Championships but also earns them crucial points for the Olympic qualification race towards the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Games.

After a tough start to the competition, with six consecutive losses, skip Mathias Genner and his team staged a dramatic turnaround. They claimed three straight victories to break a 22-year drought and secure Austria's spot at the World Championships.

"It was a difficult week," Genner reflected. "We faced some of the best teams in the world and struggled with six losses in a row. We came so close to beating Sweden, the Olympic champions, but lost 7-6 in an extra end." However, Genner and teammates Jonas Backofen, Martin Reichel, Florian Mavec, and Johann Karg ended the tournament on a high note, with victories over the Czech Republic (9-8), England (7-2), and the Netherlands (8-6).

"We always knew we could perform at our best in the final games," Genner continued. "Finishing seventh at the European Championships and securing Austria’s place at the World Championships in Canada for the first time since 2003 is a dream come true. It also puts us in a good position to earn points for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. Our Olympic dream is very much alive!"

Björn Schröder, a former Swiss World Champion and head coach of Curling Austria since 2018, hailed the team's historic achievement. "This is a fantastic result for the team and the Austrian Curling Association (ÖCV). Our primary goal was to maintain our position in the league, but qualifying for the World Championships is an even bigger accomplishment."

Looking ahead, Schröder added, "We’ll be heading to Canada with confidence, focusing on collecting Olympic qualification points. It’s also motivating to know that we’ve already secured a spot in the Olympic qualifying tournament in the fall of 2025."

While the men's team celebrated their success, Austria’s women’s curling team also marked a significant achievement at the European B Championships in Östersund, Sweden. Led by skip Verena Pflügler, the team finished eighth overall, securing their spot in the division for the upcoming season.

In their final match, Austria pulled off a stunning upset, defeating the Czech Republic 9-4. The Czech team would go on to win the tournament, but Pflügler’s squad made a strong statement with their impressive performance.

"Beating the group leaders, who eventually became the tournament champions, gave the team a huge morale boost," said Daniela Jentsch, head coach of both the women’s and youth teams. "Our goal was to finish in the middle of the standings, but we were unlucky in some of our matches. With an average age of just 24.8 years, this team is young and has made tremendous progress compared to last year."

Both teams’ successes at the European Championships signal exciting times for Austrian curling, with the men’s team heading to the World Championships in Canada and the women’s team continuing to build momentum on the international stage.