The Swiss curlers have no time to celebrate their second European Championship gold in a row. They are already moving on to Canada on Tuesday.
After an official dinner, the Swiss women had to go to bed early on Saturday. They had to leave at 4.30 a.m. the next morning for their return journey from Lohja in Finland. Although they first flew from Helsinki to Zurich, they were not going home. After a short reception at the airport, they traveled on to Canada, as the next Grand Slam tournament with the best 16 teams in the world is scheduled for Tuesday in St. John's, Newfoundland.
A similar tournament was held in Edmonton shortly before the European Championships. However, Selina Witschonke, Carole Howald, skip Silvana Tirinzoni and Alina Pätz braved the exertions brilliantly. "If you don't sleep well, it's obviously not good for your body or your head, so it's all about using your energy properly," said Pätz in an interview with the Keystone-SDA news agency shortly before the flight.
The Swiss managed this perfectly, remaining unbeaten at a European Championship for the second time in a row, showing their best side in the semi-final against Italy (7:2) and in the final against Sweden (8:4). Delivering a top performance when it counts is another of the Swiss' many strengths. "We're a team that tries to win every game, even when it's difficult," says Pätz.
The Swiss controlled the final against Sweden without any major problems after taking a 3-0 lead after two ends. "Maybe once there was a slightly dicey situation, otherwise we were the better team," Pätz looks back. "The Swedes are a rather defensive team, so when you're in front, that naturally works in your favor. They feel less comfortable when they have to play offensively."
Apart from their immense individual quality, what characterizes the Swiss women? "We are four very different characters and each of us brings something to the team that helps us on the ice, be it positivity, perseverance or a certain calmness. These differences are a plus. And we work together very professionally, all pursuing the same goal." The switch from Witschonke and Howald at the one and two positions also paid off. "Selina is very strong with draws (a stone that is played into the house) and Carole with takeouts. So we are now very, very well staffed," says Pätz.
Since Tirinzoni and Pätz teamed up in 2018, it was their sixth gold medal together - they won the World Championship title four times in a row from 2019 to 2023. "People on the outside have the feeling that gold is a given. I think that's crazy, because it's not at all. It's always a battle," says Pätz.
Even after the upcoming tournament in St. John's, the Swiss will only be at home for six days before heading to a tournament in Japan for a week. "But we'll certainly have a toast together," says Pätz.
SDA
