Curling at the 2006 Winter Olympics was held in the town of Pinerolo, Italy from February 13 to February 24. It proved to be the sleeper hit in terms of television ratings in Italy. According to a CBC feature, curling at the 2006 Winter Games drew 5 million viewers, eclipsing ice hockey and figure skating. This, and the success of the Italian men's curling team created a surge of interest in curling within Italy, where there was no previous tradition of the sport and only a few hundred players.
Mirjam Ott is a retired Swiss curler who lives in Laax, Switzerland. She is the 2012 World Curling Champion skip. She is the skip (captain) of the Swiss Olympic Curling Team. She has participated in several Olympic Games contests and has won numerous awards in many other curling events worldwide.
Ralph Stöckli is a Swiss curler from Lucerne.
Andreas "Andi" Schwaller is a Swiss curler.
Damian Grichting is a Swiss curler.
Markus Eggler is a retired Swiss curler from Münchenstein.
Laurence Bidaud is a Swiss curler and Olympic medalist. She received a silver medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
Tanya Frei is a Swiss curler and Olympic medalist. She received a silver medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
Luzia Ebnöther is a Swiss curler and Olympic medalist. She received a silver medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
Nadia Röthlisberger-Raspe was a Swiss curler and Olympic medalist. She received a silver medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
Julie Lynn Skinner is a retired Canadian curler and Olympic medallist from Victoria, British Columbia. She received a bronze medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. She is also a former world champion from 2000.
Cheryl Noble is a Canadian curler, world champion and Olympic medallist. She received a bronze medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
Fiona MacDonald MBE is a Scottish curler and Olympic champion, born in Paisley. She received a gold medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
Janice Rankin MBE is a Scottish curler and Olympic champion. She received a gold medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, with team mates Rhona Martin (skip), Deborah Knox, Fiona MacDonald and Margaret Morton.
Margaret Morton MBE is a Scottish curler and Olympic champion. She received a gold medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City with teammates Rhona Martin (skip), Deborah Knox, Fiona MacDonald, and Janice Rankin.
Kenneth Tralnberg is a Canadian curler and Olympic medallist. He received a silver medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. He lives in St. Albert, Alberta.
Christof Schwaller is a Swiss curler and Olympic medalist. He received a bronze medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
Robert Hürlimann is a Swiss curler.
Heike Schwaller is a German-Swiss curler.
Benoît François Dominique Schwarz-van Berkel is a Swiss curler. He currently throws fourth stones for skip Yannick Schwaller. He won a gold medal with the Swiss team at the 2013 European Curling Championships in Stavanger and a bronze medal at the 2014 World Men's Curling Championship in Beijing. He competed at the 2012 and 2013 World Curling Championships, and at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi as an alternate.
