Swiss Curling Team Uses Multiple Languages to Win Olympic Bronze

Switzerland's men's curling team captured Olympic bronze by defeating Norway 9-1, using their multilingual communication as both entertainment and strategy. The team members speak French, German, and English on the ice, creating what they call a "word salad" that confuses opponents while keeping teammates connected.

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy – A Swiss men’s curling squad turned their multilingual background into Olympic success, capturing bronze after defeating Norway 9-1 on Friday at the Winter Olympics.

Led by Yannick Schwaller, the Swiss team secured third place after falling short of gold despite completing an undefeated round-robin performance. Their unique approach to on-ice communication became both a spectacle for viewers and a strategic advantage against competitors.

Team members hail from different Swiss regions and naturally speak different languages, creating what they describe as multilingual chaos during matches.

“(When we began) we promised ourselves to speak French on the ice,” explained Pablo Lachat-Couchepin, the team’s lead player from French-speaking Lausanne.

“I think the calls are being made in French, but everything else is a word salad. It’s fun, I think it’s very enjoyable to look at on TV. A lot of French, some English and some German — so everyone can understand a bit,” he shared with media.

Switzerland recognizes four official languages across its territory: German, French, Italian and Romansh, reflecting the country’s position in central Europe.

“Also for the opponents, sometimes it’s not easy to understand. So we like that we can switch to German whenever we play an English team, and we can switch to French whenever we play a Swiss-German team,” Lachat-Couchepin noted.

The squad, currently ranked second globally and silver medalists at last year’s world championships, formed their partnership in 2022.

“It’s been a lot of work. When we created the team, we met at the Zurich train station, because we all come from different parts of Switzerland,” Lachat-Couchepin recalled.

“That was the easiest way. We said the first objective of the team is to have fun, to play good curling … I think what we showcased this week is pretty much what we wanted to do the whole four years.

“We’ve had a ton of fun on tour. We’ve become more than teammates. We’re real friends … It was a rollercoaster, but a very positive rollercoaster. We’re happy. We don’t know what the future will bring, but I think we have reasons to want to continue that way.”