{"id":711207,"date":"2026-01-21T16:56:23","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T16:56:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/711207\/"},"modified":"2026-01-21T16:56:23","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T16:56:23","slug":"milano-cortina-2026-team-germany","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/711207\/","title":{"rendered":"Milano Cortina 2026: Team Germany"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

21 January 2026<\/p>\n

With just two weeks until the start of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, we take a look at all the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) set to compete. Next up: Team Germany<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Team Germany will be represented by one curling team: Team Muskatewitz (men\u2019s).<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nTeam Muskatewitz: Joining forces for success<\/p>\n

From a junior stand out to European champion, Germany\u2019s Benjamin Kapp reflects on a breakthrough season and now sets his sights on the Olympic stage.<\/p>\n

Two years ago, Benjamin Kapp was one of the brightest junior talents in curling. By the end of 2024, he had made his mark at senior level, helping Germany claim its first men\u2019s European title in two decades.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Although\u00a0their victory was considered a surprise, the rink\u2019s chemistry was anything but.\u00a0Kapp had been the skip of the junior team, which consisted of Felix\u00a0Messenzehl, Johannes\u00a0Scheuerl\u00a0and Mario\u00a0Trevisol. During the 2023\u20132024 season,\u00a0opportunity knocked when\u00a0five-time World Championship curler Marc\u00a0Muskatewitz\u00a0began searching for a new squad.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Muskatewitz\u2019s\u00a0tactical\u00a0expertise, paired with one of the most physically impressive quartets, created magic. Together, they beat Bruce Mouat\u2019s Scotland for the continental crown. It was a harmonious partnership, which suited both the skip and the former junior skip.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been great,\u201d said Kapp when reflecting on two years since\u00a0joining forces with\u00a0Muskatewitz\u00a0at the 2023 World Men\u2019s Curling Championship, where they\u00a0reached\u00a0the playoffs.<\/p>\n

\u201cMarc is\u00a0really good\u00a0at strategy and especially had already the previous years of experience in men\u2019s curling.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0mind stepping back from skipping because I also really enjoy playing third and just giving advice to Marc and then he can decide what he wants to play.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me that was great because now I really enjoy playing third and also get a bit of sweeping in and not just standing around the whole time.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Benjamin Kapp at the World Junior Curling Championships 2022 in Jonkoping, Sweden \u00a9 World Curling<\/p>\n

Building momentum to the European glory<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n

The European title was the culmination of steady progress, starting with a hard-fought win over Sixten\u00a0Totzek\u00a0in the national trials.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s so many small things that come together when you are winning such a big championship,\u201d said Kapp.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a good\u00a0feeling\u00a0and we took it game\u00a0by\u00a0game and then all of a sudden we\u2019re in the final and we just gave it our best go.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The victory carried extra significance for Kapp, who followed in the footsteps of his father Andy Kapp \u2014 one of Germany\u2019s greatest curlers. At the time of their win, Andy was coaching at a junior competition and could only celebrate with a picture of a drink from afar, with Benny saying he \u201cwas just really pumped up\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

After their first Grand Slam appearance, they finally returned home to a large reception from their family and friends, where Munich International Airport was \u201cturned into a fan club\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Team Muskatewitz win gold at the 2024 Le Gruy\u00e8re AOP Europeans \u00a9 World Curling \/ James Roberts<\/p>\n

Meet the team<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Team Muskatewitz<\/p>\n

Marc Muskatewitz (SKIP)<\/p>\n

Age: 30
Olympic Appearances: Debut
Fun fact: Marc is a keen Alpine and off-piste skier.<\/p>\n

Benjamin Kapp (THIRD)<\/p>\n

Age: 23
Olympic Appearances: Debut
Fun fact: Benny is a third-generation winning curler. His father and uncle Andy and Uli won five world medals and two European titles together. His grandfather Charlie won the European title in 1991 with Uli as alternate.<\/p>\n

Felix Messenzehl (SECOND)<\/p>\n

Age: 22
Olympic Appearances: Debut
Fun fact: When Felix won the 2024 European title, he was part of the first German men\u2019s team to win it in 20 years \u2013 his father Markus was part of Sebastian Stock\u2019s team to last win it.<\/p>\n

Johannes Scheuerl (LEAD)<\/p>\n

Age: 23
Olympic Appearances: Debut
Fun fact: Looks good with a headband.<\/p>\n

Mario Trevisiol (ALTERNATE)<\/p>\n

Age: 22
Olympic Appearances: Debut
Fun fact: He and three of his teammates are part of the Bundeswehr sport soldier programme, supporting his sporting career.<\/p>\n

QUALIFICATION<\/strong><\/p>\n

Team Muskatewitz qualified for Milano Cortina 2026 through their points earned at the 2024 and 2025 World Men\u2019s Curling Championships.<\/p>\n

They sit sixth on the Olympic rankings with a total of 15 points.<\/p>\n

TEAM STATS<\/strong><\/p>\n

2024 European Champions<\/p>\n

Navigating challenges and staying patient<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n

This season has\u00a0had its share of challenges, but there has been a notable improvement in their form since playing their first tournaments back in August.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

They missed the top four at the\u00a0Le Gruy\u00e8re AOP\u00a0European Curling Championships based on their head-to-head record, shortly after going 1-3 in Lake Tahoe. Importantly, all three defeats were by a single point against three of the top five-ranked teams in the world. Those fine margins continued at the Canadian Open,\u00a0where they reached\u00a0the\u00a0quarter-finals\u00a0before losing to eventual winners, Yannick Schwaller\u2019s Switzerland.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a bit of a bumpy season,\u201d\u00a0Kapp admitted.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cNot everything has worked out the way we wanted to, but we\u2019re still really confident because we know we just have to stay patient and keep doing what we\u2019re doing because eventually it will all pay off.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Patience\u00a0became a key\u00a0theme\u00a0when the team\u00a0invested in a sports psychologist\u00a0to help shift their mindset.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cStaying patient is key because especially this season so many games that we\u2019ve lost with a one-point difference or the last shot and I think it\u2019s not always bad because it shows that you\u2019re like right there with the top teams in the world,\u201d Kapp added.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to keep pushing against the barrier and then eventually you\u2019re\u00a0going to\u00a0break through and score the point that decides those games.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cIt\u2019s\u00a0so funny because once we started to play with Marc and got Ryan as a coach,\u00a0we\u00a0made\u00a0this WhatsApp\u00a0group\u00a0and the name of the group was \u2018Olympic Dream 2026\u2019 and now we changed it to \u2018Olympic Team 2026\u2019.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benny Kapp, Team Germany<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"Team Muskatewitz at the Le Gruy\u00e8re AOP Europeans 2025 \u00a9 World Curling \/ James Roberts<\/p>\n

Olympic Dream gets out of the group chat<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Despite the focus on staying grounded,\u00a0excitement is building for the 23-year-old as he prepares for Milano Cortina 2026.\u00a0Now he is ready to \u201cjust soak it all in\u201d,\u00a0even planning to attend the Opening Ceremony, then heading to Austria for a couple of days of training before returning to the Olympic Village for the start of the men\u2019s competition.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cNext week we get our clothing for Team Germany so that\u2019s going to be the first big event where it\u2019s actually getting real now,\u201d said Kapp.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s\u00a0so funny because once we started to play with Marc and got Ryan as a coach,\u00a0we\u00a0made\u00a0this WhatsApp\u00a0group\u00a0and the name of the group was \u2018Olympic Dream 2026\u2019 and now we changed it to \u2018Olympic Team 2026\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s so many cool things that just make you feel like you\u2019ve achieved one of the big goals and essentially now you can just enjoy the ride and reward yourself for your hard work.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Team Olympic stats<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Team Germany first appeared in curling when it became an official Olympic curling event at the Nagano 1998 Olympic Winter Games<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Best Results<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fifth (Women: 2002), Sixth (Men: 2002, 2010)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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Olympic Moments<\/strong><\/p>\n

Winners in 1992 when curling was a demonstration sport.<\/p>\n

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