Almida de Val
A Swedish engineering student who stone-sharpened her focus to become an Olympic gold medalist in the precise sport of curling.
Born 1997 (age 29)·Swedish curler·Birthday: September 12·Generation Z
Biography
Almida de Val represents a new generation of athlete, one who balances high-level sport with rigorous academic pursuit. Hailing from Sundbyberg, Sweden, she rose through the ranks of the country's strong curling program, making her mark as a precise shooter with a cool demeanor at third. While studying engineering at Stockholm's prestigious KTH Royal Institute of Technology, she helped lead her junior team, skipped by Isabella Wranå, to a world championship gold in 2017. That success was a precursor to her Olympic moment. At the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, de Val was the vice-skip for Team Sweden, delivering clutch shots under immense pressure. The team's victory over Great Britain secured the gold medal, fulfilling a lifelong dream. Her story is one of meticulous dual-track discipline, proving that the strategic thinking of a curler and an engineer are not so far apart.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Almida was born in 1997, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Almida Was Born
The biggest hits of 1997
#1 Movie
Titanic
Best Picture
Titanic
#1 TV Show
ER
Almida's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1997Born
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2002Started school
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2010Became a teenager
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2013Could drive
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2015Could vote
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2018Turned 21
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 29 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won a gold medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing as vice-skip for Team Sweden (skipped by Anna Hasselborg).
- Secured a World Junior Curling Championships gold medal in 2017 playing third for Team Isabella Wranå.
- Earned a master's degree in Engineering from the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.
Did You Know?
She completed her master's thesis in engineering while actively competing on the world curling tour.
Her team is nicknamed 'Team Panthera,' often using a panther head logo on their uniforms.
She comes from a sporting family; her brother is also a competitive curler.
“Every stone must be placed with a purpose; it's a game of millimeters.”
