It’s a real pleasure and a great honour, to me, to preside over the Organising Committee; I guarantee by now that we’ll make any effort to ensure that these events will achieve the greatest success possible.

The whole population of Cortina is keen to host the great “Family of Curling” and is eagerly looking forward the opportunity to share the magic spirit of curling with the athletes and their fans.

Cortina and Curling has been a winning combination for 101 years.

This fascinating sport was practised in Cortina since the early years of the last century and has grown and developed on the ice rinks of the prestigious Miramonti and Cristallo hotels, which have traditionally offered curling rinks to their guests.

Over the years these rinks have been trodden by personalities of the international jet set such as Alberto Sordi, David Niven and the beautiful Brigitte Bardot.

However the Cortina – Curling match does not only mean high society.
It is a tradition of friendships and a great and high competitive spirit: for the last half a century, in fact, every year in June Cortina hostes the International Summer Curling tournament “Città di Cortina”, a competition which witnessed and still witnesses the participation of teams from all over the world, formed of athletes who, in their career, have attained the highest level in international competitions.

A further corroboration of the Cortina – Curling couple is the long list of athletes, both men and women, who brought fame not only to our small town but to Italy itself, by wearing the shirt of the Italian national team in the top-level European and World sporting events.

The mixture of tradition and competitiveness but also of organising skills and, of course, great enthusiasm: these are the fundamental premises out of which arose the Organising Committee of the 2010 Men’s World Curling Championship, which has also organised the World Mixed Doubles Championship of 2009.

Massimo Antonelli
President of the Organising Committee of the 2010 World Curling Championship