By Jolene Latimer
Alina Pätz can trace her relationship with Sven Michel back to a single night in 2007, after Switzerland’s junior men had finished on the podium and the formal part of the week was finally over.
The World Junior Curling Championships had wrapped in Eveleth, Minnesota. Medals had been handed out. Teams scattered toward whatever passed for a celebration in a small curling town.
Pätz wasn’t part of the event on paper. She arrived as a plus-one, brought along by her teammate Marlene Albrecht. Michel’s team had just won bronze. Pätz’s brother was the alternate.
“After that bronze medal party, we talked almost every day for over a year,” Pätz said. Michel remembers it less as a moment than a shift. They had seen each other before, at junior competitions, moving through the same circles without much overlap.
After that night, they started texting. Frequently. Then constantly. They’ve been together since 2008.
“We were quite sure it was serious right from the start,” Pätz said. “Even though we were pretty young.”
Nearly two decades later, both are still on tour. Both are still competing at the highest level. Both are representing Switzerland at the Winter Olympic Games.
During the season, their weeks look less romantic than logistical. When both are at the same event, they usually stay inside their own team environments. Men’s team. Women’s team. Separate schedules. Separate prep.
“When we’re at a Grand Slam, we usually stay in our team bubble,” Pätz said. “We only see each other in between games for a short chat or go for dinner once in a while.”
Michel is often in the arena anyway. “Usually I’m at the stadium to watch her playing a final,” he said.
They text throughout the day, even when they don’t physically cross paths.
“We don’t like long phone calls,” Pätz said. “So we usually stay in contact the whole day and give updates on what’s happening.”
Michel agreed. “Phone calls take too much time. Texting is more convenient.”
That small detail says a lot about how their relationship works. There is no expectation of long debriefs or requirement to narrate everything. They check in, stay connected, then go back to work. Support, in their case, is practical.
“It’s not only about being the number one supporter,” Pätz said. “It’s also about sharing how my team handles different situations and what works for us.”
The exchange goes both ways. They compare how their teams approach pressure, strategy, and momentum. It gives each of them a second viewpoint without crossing into coaching.
“We can learn from each other,” Michel said. That understanding becomes more important after losses, when their reactions differ.
Pätz moves on quickly. Michel does not.
“I’m usually over tough losses quite fast,” Pätz said. “He usually needs some time for himself. It’s on me to accept that and give him the space he needs.”
Michel knows this about himself. It hasn’t changed much over the years. “I still need a few days without talking too much about it,” he said. “She handles it much better. Usually she’s already over it by the next day.”
There is no attempt to fix that difference. They’ve learned to work around it. When both are competing, their priorities are clear:Teams come first.
“When we are both competing, we usually focus on our own teams and stay in our respective bubbles,” Pätz said.
Outside of competition, the rules loosen. “Being in a relationship is always our top priority,” she added. “If one of us is not feeling well or something outside of curling is going on, that always comes first.”
Michel frames it more emotionally. “I always want her to win and to be happy in whatever she does,” he said. “Knowing she feels the same way about me is a great feeling.”
They’ve also learned to accept the difficult truth of elite sport: they won’t always succeed at the same time. “Over the years, we have learned to accept that,” Michel said.
“No matter what happens in competition, once we are back home together, everything is fine again.” That sense of home has helped make the sport sustainable.
“I love curling,” Pätz said. “Playing it, watching it, everything about it.”
What matters is that Michel feels the same way. “If he ever decided to stop, that would definitely change things for me,” she said. “But for now, we’re just enjoying the journey together.”
Michel sees it as shared motivation. “I love watching her compete and seeing her enjoy life on tour,” he said. “Sharing the same stage with her is a privilege.”
Longevity, for them, is less about planning and more about honesty. “We know our relationship also works outside of curling,” Pätz said. “So we play as long as we enjoy it.”
It helps that they are chasing the same goals. Following the Games, they’ll both represent the Alpine Curling Club during the first season of Rock League, April 6-12 at Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto.
“It’s definitely more fun if your partner is always around you,” Michel said. “Making a living out of the sport we both love is like living the dream.”
Lead photo by Anil Mungal/TCG
