Two Australian curlers are gearing up for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, aiming to improve on their 10th-place finish at the 2022 Games. Despite the challenges of limited funding and a lack of dedicated training facilities in Australia, the sport has gained a small but dedicated following, driven by the duo's historic qualification for the Olympics. The opening of a dedicated curling facility in Australia would be a significant boost for the sport, allowing for greater growth and development.
Australia ns are known for their love of summer sports, but in a year's time, two local athletes will be aiming to make their mark on the world stage at the Winter Olympics . This comes after their historic qualification for the 2022 Games, where they became the first Australia n curlers to represent their country. Curling , a unique winter sport involving guiding granite stones across ice using special brushes, has gained a dedicated following in Australia , albeit a small one.
The sport's popularity has surged in recent years, partially fueled by the duo's groundbreaking achievement. 'For years and years people would ask, 'What is curling?' But since that Olympics, I think the level of awareness across Australia has grown quite a lot,' says Hewitt. 'More and more people are coming out to attend curling.' 'I think the toughest thing at the moment is still that we don't have enough ice time, let alone dedicated curling ice ... we can't even advertise, because we're full.'In countries like Canada and Sweden, curling enjoys widespread popularity with purpose-built facilities and dedicated youth programs. Australia's curling landscape, however, faces stark contrasts. Limited funding and a lack of dedicated training spaces force athletes like Hewitt to spend much of their year overseas. Currently, he's training near Turin in Italy. Securing a dedicated curling space in Australia has been a long-standing aspiration. While progress has been made, with a recent injection of funding, a dedicated facility remains elusive. This absence of infrastructure significantly hinders the sport's growth.Despite these challenges, Hewitt and Gill remain optimistic about their prospects for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. They aim to go one better than their 10th-place finish in 2022, where they secured notable victories against Canada and Switzerland. 'It's been three years now, and we've been building up our training more and more,' says Hewitt. 'I think really spurred us on to grow that next level ... to strive for getting on the podium this time.' 2026 was always our goal, to achieve good things at the Olympics, and 2022 was that little bonus.' The establishment of a dedicated facility would undoubtedly propel Australian curling forward, providing a crucial platform for development and growth.Both Hewitt and Gill, like many Australians who take up curling, were introduced to the sport through family members. However, Hewitt notes a shift in demographics: 'I think it has changed. For years, it was a family and expats from around the world, whether it's Canada, the US, Scotland, Europe, they're all the people that actually made up the majority of the curlers,' he says. 'Now I go out to curling on a Monday night in Melbourne, and they're mainly the Aussie accents. Mainly people that have heard about it or seen it.'He expresses hope that increased ice time and dedicated curling spaces will allow for greater promotion of the sport, attracting even more Australians to the unique and challenging world of curling
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