A New Chapter for Australian Curling
Australia’s mixed team curlers Tahli Gill and Dean Hewitt have made a remarkable comeback after the heartbreak of missing out on the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. The duo recently claimed world championship gold in Switzerland, defeating Sweden’s Therese Westman and Robin Ahlberg with a final score of 8-4. This victory marks a significant milestone in their careers and for Australian curling as a whole.
The pair had been in a strong position to qualify for the Olympics, but they narrowly missed out on the opportunity during the qualification tournament in Canada. Despite this setback, Gill and Hewitt refused to let the disappointment define them. Instead, they focused on their next goal — winning the world championship — and succeeded in spectacular fashion.
“It’s amazing … it feels really good,” Gill said after the match. “Oh gosh, I’m going to get emotional. It was really tough in December to just miss out on qualifying [for the Olympics]. So we just came out here and had lots of fun. We just wanted to do our best, and we did, so we’re really happy and proud.”
A Game of Strategy and Resilience
The match against Sweden was a test of both skill and determination. After swapping singles over the first two ends, the game took a dramatic turn in the third end when Gill managed to pick out two Swedish stones, scoring three points and taking a 4-1 lead. Westman responded with a pinpoint stone in a crowded house, earning her team two points and bringing the score to 4-3 at the end of the fourth.
Hewitt acknowledged the challenge posed by the Swedish team. “They took it to us, it was a tight game,” he said. “The first few ends we were just playing a little bit conservative while we learned the ice a bit. Then we tried to play a few more tougher shots to secure the bonus points.”
The Australians faced a critical moment in the sixth end when they had the hammer after the break. Gill delivered another impressive shot, stealing a single point. Meanwhile, the Swedish team failed to capitalize on a power play, scoring only one point. Australia, however, made the most of their own power play, scoring three points to secure a decisive lead.
“We got a little bit of a break in our powerplay to get three rather than two, but basically, we’re just happy with staying with it every end the whole way through,” Hewitt added.
A Historic Achievement
This victory is historic for Australia, marking the country’s first-ever world championship curling gold medal. It comes just 12 months after Gill and Hewitt earned bronze at the 2025 World Championships in Fredericton, Canada — an incredible achievement given that Australia has no dedicated curling facility.
World Curling commentator Sander Rølvåg praised the pair’s success. “Let that sink in,” he said. “A nation without a dedicated curling club has just climbed to the very top of the world. It’s not just a victory, it’s a statement about what’s possible if you really want it.”
Hewitt, who was also named MVP of the tournament following the semifinals, expressed his gratitude. “Thank you to everyone back home,” he said. “We couldn’t have done it without you.”
The Road to the Olympics
Before their world championship triumph, Gill and Hewitt had high hopes of competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics. They were ranked number one in the world, having won a bronze medal at the 2025 World Championships — Australia’s first global curling medal. However, their chances were dashed after a disappointing 15th-place finish at the 2024 world titles.
As a result, the pair did not accumulate enough points to qualify automatically for the Olympics. Only the top seven teams, plus hosts Italy, were guaranteed spots, leaving two remaining slots to be decided at a last-ditch qualification tournament in Kelowna, Canada. Unfortunately, Australia fell short in that competition.
Despite the disappointment, Gill and Hewitt refused to dwell on what could have been. After the initial heartbreak of missing the Games wore off, they immediately turned their attention to the world championships, vowing to come back stronger than ever.
Now, they are on top of the world.
