STRAIGHT TO ITALY
HARBIN, China—The dream, now, has gone beyond winning here. It is now about proving the impossible can be achieved.
With a stunning 5-3 victory over world No. 7 South Korea, the Philippine men’s curling team—led by Marc Pfister, his brother Enrico, Alan Frei and Christian Haller—made history at the 9th Asian Winter Games, securing the country’s first-ever gold medal in any winter sports event.
But for Pfister, the true goal is still ahead: the Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina, Italy, in 2026.
“In the past, I played for Switzerland. When I got my Philippine passport, the idea was to try to go to the Olympics with the Philippine men’s curling team,” said Pfister, the team’s Swiss-based skip who has played in multiple World Curling Championships.
The Filipinos weren’t supposed to win.
Ranked 51st in the world, they entered the tournament as underdogs, competing in a sport foreign to their tropical homeland. Yet, they stunned the crowd inside Pingfang Curling Arena, outmaneuvering the Koreans in a tense final match.
‘Too good to be true’
Haller and Pfister erupted in celebration as South Korean skip Lee Jaebeom’s final stone veered off target in the last end, sealing the Philippines’ golden moment. The euphoric scene in the stands was just as electric, with Filipino officials, athletes and coaches—led by PH chef de mission Ricky Lim and Curling Pilipinas secretary general Jarryd Bello—witnessing history unfold.
“This is too good to be true,” said Philippine Olympic Committee president Bambol Tolentino, who was still trying to grasp the enormity of the feat. “Shocking, that’s the least I can say.”
Tolentino, under whose watch Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo (Tokyo 2020) and Carlos Yulo (Paris 2024) won Olympic golds, now believes the path is clearer for the Philippines to break through in the Winter Games.
“We did it in Tokyo and Paris, and it may not come in Italy next year, but I believe we’re on the right track,” he said. “I always believe the impossible can be achieved.”
But Pfister knows the grind is only beginning.
“The qualifiers for the Winter Olympics begin around September. That’s the project,” he said. “Once I go back to Switzerland, I’ll practice a lot, then go to Canada and play some tournaments.”
Beer, then back to work
According to Curling Pilipinas president Benjo Delarmente, the team has already secured a spot in the pre-Olympic qualification tournament in October. If they finish among the top three, they advance to the Olympic Qualification Tournament in December, where the final slots for Milano-Cortina 2026 will be determined.
With the best performance among Southeast Asian (SEA) nations, the Filipino squad’s success resonated beyond their own country. Thailand, the only other SEA nation to medal, claimed a single bronze in men’s freestyle skiing slopestyle.
As the celebrations continued, Pfister allowed himself a brief moment to savor the historic win.
“Tonight, I’ll grab a couple of beers and celebrate,” he said. “But after that, it’s back to work.”
