Joël Retornaz
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox curler
Joël Thierry Retornaz (born 30 September 1983 in Chêne-Bougeries, Genève, Switzerland) is an Italian curler from Cembra. He was the skip of the Italian men's Olympic curling team in 2006,[1] 2018, and 2022.
Retornaz gained sudden renown in Italy during the 2006 Winter Olympics. Although Italy has little curling tradition, and the sport was practiced only by a few hundred amateurs, Retornaz led the semi-professional Italian team to several unexpected victories over strong teams, including Canada.[1] This breakthrough inspired a sudden national curiosity for curling, previously almost unknown in Italy.[2]
Retornaz returned to the Olympics in 2018, skipping the Italians again while throwing third rocks. The team finished 9th with a 3-6 record. The team finished 3–6 again at the 2022 Olympics, placing 9th again.
Retornaz has represented Italy in eleven World Curling Championships, in 2005, 2010, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 skipping the team in each event except 2005. They have twice won bronze medals at the 2022 and 2024 World Men's Curling Championship, Italy's first medals at the curling worlds of either gender.
Retornaz has competed for Italy in 16 European Curling Championships (as of 2024), finally winning a bronze medal in his 11th try in 2018, skipping the rink of Amos Mosaner, Sebastiano Arman, Simone Gonin and Fabio Ribotta. Retornaz won a second bronze in 2021 and a third in 2022.
Personal life
In addition to curling, Retornaz breeds and races quarter horses. He is employed as a businessman.[3] He is currently married and lives in Lugano, Switzerland.[4]
Grand Slam record
Retornaz won Italy's first Grand Slam championship at the 2022 Masters. Template:Curling GS key
| Event | 2021–22 | 2022–23 | 2023–24 | 2024–25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tour Challenge | N/A | QF | C | Q |
| Canadian Open | N/A | SF | QF | SF |
| The National | DNP | Q | C | QF |
| Masters | DNP | C | C | Q |
| Players' | Q | SF | F | Q |
| Champions Cup | DNP | Q | N/A | N/A |
References
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External links
- Template:World Curling
- Template:Olympics.com
- Template:Olympedia
- Joel Thierry Retornaz at the Italian Ice Sports Federation Template:In lang
- Joel Retornaz at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics (archived)
- Template:Instagram
Template:Footer Masters (curling) Champions (Men) Template:Footer Tour Challenge Champions (Men) Template:Footer National (curling) Champions (Men)
- Pages with script errors
- 1983 births
- Living people
- Italian male curlers
- Italian people of Swiss descent
- Italian expatriate sportspeople in Switzerland
- Olympic curlers for Italy
- Curlers at the 2006 Winter Olympics
- Curlers at the 2018 Winter Olympics
- Curlers at the 2022 Winter Olympics
- Sportspeople from the canton of Geneva
- Sportspeople from Trentino
- Sportspeople from Lugano
- 21st-century Italian sportsmen