DEAN HEWITT
Olympic Winter Games Attended
BIOGRAPHY
Dean Hewitt and Tahli Gill were both destined to end up in curling, introduced to the sport at a young age by their parents.
At the 2019 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship held in April in Stavanger, Norway, Team Hewitt and Gill achieved a significant breakthrough performance, placing fourth in a field of 48 nations, the best-ever world championship finish, in any discipline, for an Australian team The team continued their strong form at the 2019 New Zealand Winter Games, taking home the silver medal in a strong international field, with another international medal also won in Saskatoon, Canada, with the team in second place at the Sutherland Mixed Doubles Curling Classic. Unfortunately, the 2020 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championships scheduled to take place in Kelowna, Canada, had to cancelled due to the COVID pandemic. COVID again had a significant impact on the preparations for Hewitt and Gill in 2020-2021, with closed borders in Australia and difficulty traveling overseas restricting the opportunities to train and compete. The team eventually was able to head overseas for a training block ahead of the 2021 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championships in Aberdeen, Scotland. In Aberdeen, the team finished the World Mixed Doubles Curling Championships in 13th place overall, missing out on advancing to the playoff stage with a record of 3 wins and 6 losses. The highlight was no doubt the 3 point win over curling powerhouse, Canada, with Hewitt and Gill emerging victorious 8-5. Wins were also recorded against Hungary and Spain. In December 2021, Hewitt and Gill made history earning Australia’s first ever Olympic quota spot in Curling, after winning the Mixed Doubles Olympic Qualification Event in Leeuwarden, Netherlands. The pair defeated Korea 6-5 in the final to cap off an incredible tournament, with the Australian pair winning seven matches from seven to earn one of the final two Beijing 2022 quotas. In January 2022, Hewitt and Gill were selected to the Australian Team to make their Olympic debuts in Beijing, China. At the Beijing Games, Hewitt and Gill got off to a very unlucky start at the Olympics, as four of their first five round-robin matches ended in a one-point defeat. Ahead of their last day of competition, still searching for a win at Beijing 2022, Gill returned a series of positive COVID-19 tests which threatened to cut the duo's campaign short. Further analysis of Gill's health allowed for her to compete safely, which meant a frantic dash back to the competition ensued for the last two matches. The pair played exceptionally well and closed out their campaign with back-to-back wins over Canada and Switzerland, the PyeongChang 2018 gold and silver medallists respectively. Q & AProudest moment:
Making the Semi-Finals of the 2019 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championships. I began my sport in ... 2000 when I was 5 years old. When I am not training or competing I am: Working as an Exercise Physiologist in workplace health or enjoying a little bit of travel alongside my overseas competitions. I enjoy my sport because ... It requires so much precision, power and strategy. The comradery and friendships you make with other players from around the world is so special and unique. The curling community is like one big family. Favourite international competition: World Mixed Doubles Curling Championships. Favourite Food: Ice-cream… (in moderation of course) Favourite Music: Pretty much anything from Rock, Pop or the Classics. Favourite other sport to watch or play: I used to play Cricket through my junior years and love to watch it as well as AFL. LINKSOWIA News Search: Additional Links:
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