Rebecca Mariani

Last updated
Rebecca Mariani
Curler
Born (2006-11-02) November 2, 2006 (age 19)
Pieve di Cadore, Italy [1]
Team
Curling club SC Pinerolo,
Pinerolo, ITA [2]
Skip Rebecca Mariani
Third Rachele Scalesse
Second Letizia Gaia Carlisano
Lead Giada Zambelli
Alternate Allegra Grande
Curling career Curling pictogram.svg
Member AssociationFlag of Italy.svg  Italy
World Championship
appearances		1 (2026)
World Junior Curling Championship
appearances		1 (2025)
Olympic
appearances		1 (2026)

Rebecca Mariani (born November 2, 2006 in Pieve di Cadore) is an Italian curler from Pinerolo. [3] She currently skips the Italian national junior women's curling team. She was controversially chosen as the alternate for the Italian women's team at the 2026 Winter Olympics. [4]

Contents

Career

Juniors

Mariani first joined the Italian national junior team for the 2022–23 season as third for Marta Lo Deserto. At the 2022 World Junior-B Curling Championships, the team just missed the playoffs after a 3–2 record in the round robin. [5] The following year, Lo Deserto aged out of juniors and Mariani was promoted to skip of the team. Competing at the 2023 World Junior-B Curling Championships, her team finished 5–1 in the round robin, advancing to the playoffs where they were defeated by Türkiye in the quarterfinals.

Because Italy hosted the 2025 World Junior Curling Championships as a preparation event for the 2026 Winter Olympics, the Italian women's team earned a direct spot at the championship as host. There, Mariani led her team to a 2–7 last place finish, however, managed a win over eventual bronze medalists Canada. [6] The next season, the team was back in the B Division after being relegated due to their poor result at the World Championship. [7] At the 2025 World Junior-B Curling Championships, Mariani led her team to a 5–2 round robin record before they were once again eliminated in the quarterfinals, this time by Scotland. [8]

Women's

While still in juniors, Mariani and her team went undefeated to win the 2024 Italian Women's Curling Championship, defeating the national women's team skipped by Stefania Constantini 6–4 in the final. The team also knocked off Constantini 7–3 in the round robin to earn a direct bye to the championship game. [9] The following season, the team won silver after losing 10–4 in the final to the women's team. [10]

During the 2025–26 season, Mariani spared for the national women's team at the 2025 Oslo Cup and the Mercure Perth Masters, reaching the semifinals at both events. [11] Later in the season, she was selected to be the alternate for the team at the 2026 Winter Olympics, replacing Angela Romei who had been on the team since 2017. [4] This decision sparked controversy as the technical director of the Italian program who made the decision is Mariani's father Marco, bringing nepotism claims into question. [3]

Mixed

Mariani competed at the 2023 European Youth Olympic Winter Festival as lead for the Italian team skipped by Andrea Gilli. There, the team finished with a 4–1 record in the round robin before dropping their quarterfinal game to eventual gold medalists Switzerland. [12] This same team later represented Italy at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics where they just missed out on the playoffs with a 4–3 record, losing out on head-to-head record. [13]

Personal life

As of 2024, Mariani lives in Pinerolo. [3] Her father Marco Mariani competed in the 2006 Winter Olympics as a member of Joël Retornaz's men's team. Her grandfather Lino Mariani was a founder of the historic Curling Club 66 Cortina and played for Italy at the 1973 and 1974 World Men's Curling Championships. [14] As of 2026, she was a student. [15]

Teams

SeasonSkipThirdSecondLeadAlternate
2022–23 [16] Marta Lo Deserto Rebecca Mariani Lucrezia Grande Camilla Gilberti Giada Zambelli
2023–24Rebecca Mariani Giorgia Maurino Camilla GilbertiLucrezia Grande Rachele Scalesse
2024–25Rebecca MarianiLucrezia Grande Letizia Gaia Carlisano Rachele ScalesseGiada Zambelli
2025–26Rebecca MarianiRachele ScalesseLetizia Gaia CarlisanoGiada Zambelli Allegra Grande

References

  1. ↑ "Rebecca MARIANI - Olympic Curling Athlete". Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics . Retrieved February 14, 2026.
  2. ↑ "Rebecca Mariani Biographical Information". Olympedia. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 "Italian Curling Furor as Winter Olympics Loom". The Curling News. January 22, 2026. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
  4. 1 2 Elvira Pollina (January 21, 2026). "Favoritism Furor Erupts After Top Coach's Daughter Named To Olympic Team". Huff Post. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
  5. ↑ "World Junior-B Curling Championships 2022". World Curling. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Semi-finals set at World Junior Curling Championships 2025". World Curling. April 19, 2025. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Women's Junior-B Curling: 22 teams eye 2026 World Junior qualification". World Curling. December 1, 2025. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
  8. ↑ "2025 World Junior-B Curling Championships". CurlingZone. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Sporting Club Pinerolo AF vs Dolomiti Constantini Almaviva Anno sportivo 2023-2024". Federazione Italiana Sport del Ghiaccio. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
  10. ↑ "The Dolomiti Constantini Almaviva Team Wins the Italian Women's Curling Championship". Almaviva. March 10, 2025. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
  11. ↑ "2026 Mercure Perth Masters". CurlingZone. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
  12. ↑ "European Youth Olympic Festival 2023". World Curling. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
  13. ↑ "'A dream come true' United States and Great Britain qualify for Youth Olympic play-offs". World Curling. January 23, 2024. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
  14. ↑ Alessandro Poggi (January 18, 2024). "Cortina's Rebecca Mariani on continuing family tradition in curling, following in the footsteps of Olympic champion Stefania Constantini". Olympics. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
  15. ↑ "2026 World Women's Curling Championship Media Guide" (PDF). Curling Canada. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Rebecca Mariani Past Teams". CurlingZone. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
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