Italy's Olympic Curling Ambitions: High Hopes for 2026

Italy’s participation in the 2024 Le Gruyère AOP European Curling Championships is an important step as the host nation for the 2026 Winter Olympics. While other nations are focused on securing spots for the upcoming Games, Italy enjoys automatic entry as the host, allowing them to shift their focus toward performance improvement and fine-tuning their teams for the Games in Cortina.

Italy’s curling program is clearly flourishing, with both their men’s and women’s teams ranked highly, reflecting the country's progress in the sport. To guide this development, renowned Swedish coach Soeren Gran has joined the Italian curling program as head coach of the women’s and mixed doubles teams. Gran, alongside Canadian Olympic gold medalist Ryan Fry (who leads the men's team), and Marco Mariani, is tasked with preparing Italy to showcase top-tier curling on the Olympic stage.

Gran believes the players are fully aware of the responsibility they bear, both for the growth of curling within Italy and its global standing. He explained, “The team understands that this is a significant opportunity—not only for themselves but for the sport in Italy. They’re thinking about Italian curling as a whole.”

While the current teams at the European Championships are the likely contenders for the 2026 Games, Gran made it clear that selection is a thorough process. Each player, especially in the women’s team, must be individually chosen by him and Mariani, ensuring the best possible combinations are put forward. Gran also emphasized that players must demonstrate dedication if they wish to secure their spots. “They have to show commitment, and if they don’t, we won’t hesitate to make tough choices,” he said.

Although the men’s and women’s team selections may seem straightforward due to their automatic qualification, Gran's approach to the mixed doubles team is more cautious. Italy’s mixed doubles team, featuring Olympic champions Stefania Constantini and Amos Mosaner, is already considered one of the top pairs, but Gran humbly acknowledged, “It’s clear who the best duo is, given their Olympic success.”

The increased funding for Italy’s curling program has given the team access to more international competitions, enhancing their experience and success on the world stage. Gran noted, “It’s hard to predict how long the funding will continue, but in my experience, Olympic support typically peaks in the final two years before the Games. After that, the focus shifts more toward the summer Olympics.”

On the men’s side, skip Joel Retornaz, who is likely to compete in his fourth Olympics, expressed his excitement but also his awareness of the passage of time. Reflecting on his long curling career, he noted, “It’s a bit surreal to think that this will be my fourth Olympics. I’ve been competing at a high level for so many years, but I also realize I’ve missed a few Olympic cycles, so it feels like a significant milestone.”

Looking ahead to the 2026 Games in Cortina, Retornaz is hopeful that Italian curling will receive significant attention. “We’re hosting the Olympics again, and our teams have been performing well. We’re defending champions in mixed doubles, and both the men’s and women’s teams are competitive. This is a golden moment for Italian curling.”

Retornaz added that the spotlight and the associated pressure won’t faze him. “Pressure comes with the attention, but I’m not afraid of it. I think we have a real shot at a medal this time. In the past, when asked about our goals, it was always about wanting to medal, but deep down, we knew it might be difficult. Now, we truly believe we have the team that can win a medal.”

With a strong foundation and a clear focus on the future, Italy’s curling program looks poised to make a major impact at the 2026 Winter Olympics.