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. In 2022/2023, Gill and Hewitt defended their National Championship, and performed well in Super Series events in Canada. At the 2023 World Mixed Double Championships, the pair finished in eighth place, narrowly missing out on advancing to the playoff round in Gangneung, Korea.. The team finished fourth in their group, finishing with a group record of five wins and four losses, just falling short of the top three needed to advance. Gill and Hewitt competed in a number of international events in Canada during the 2023-2024 Northern winter in the lead up to the 2024 World Championships. The reached finals in the Winnipeg Open Mixed Doubles Super Series at the Fort Rouge Curling Club in Manitoba, Canada and had a a fifth-place finish at the at the Rocky Mountain Mixed Doubles Classic last week in Banff-Canmore, Canada. The pair had a bronze medal performance at the North Bay Mixed Doubles Tournament in Ontario, Canada. At the Mixed Doubles Players Championship has taken place in Brantford, Ontario, Canada, with the 2022 Olympians finishing in equal second place in their pool group stage, and only narrowly missing advancing to finals in a tie-break. The 2024 World Mixed Doubles Curing Championships took place in Oestersund, Sweden, with Gill and Hewitt finishing with a record of three wins and six losses. These results placed them eighth in their group and a final ranking of 15th from a field of 20 teams who qualified to compete at the World Championships. Q & AChildhood Ambition:
To compete at the Olympics Proudest Moment: Qualifying for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games I began this sport .... When I was 5 years old Participation in other sports: Cricket and field hockey Favourite overseas competition and why: Tied between the Qualico Mixed Doubles Event in Banff/Canmore, Canada - it is amazing in the mountains and everyone treats us like family. Madtown DoubleDown in Madison, WI, USA - this is what curling is like at it's roots. It's highly competitive on the ice and extremely social off the ice. Famous relative: (if none leave blank) Steve Hewitt - 1992 Olympic Winter Games: Curling as a demonstration sport. Lynn Hewitt: 2017 & 2018 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championships Sports Hero: Roger Federer When I am not training/competing I am: Getting outdoors, watching sports and working as an Exercise Physiologist Highest level of education achieved: Master of Clinical Exercise Physiology Sponsors: BalancePlus LINKSOWIA News Search: Additional Links:
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