CORTINA D’AMPEZZO — Feeling refreshed after a rare off-day at the Winter Games, Canadian curler Brett Gallant has shifted focus from mixed doubles to four-player men’s team play.
Gallant, the first Canadian player to compete in both disciplines at the same Games, missed the playoffs with partner and wife Jocelyn Peterman at 4-5.
He reunited with the Calgary-based rink skipped by Brad Jacobs on Wednesday as the team held a morning training session at Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium.
“It’s kind of a fresh beginning,” Gallant said. “So I’m grateful for that.”
The Canadian men practised ahead of a night game against Germany’s Marc Muskatewitz.
The Ottawa-based women’s team skipped by Rachel Homan held a one-hour training session in the afternoon. That rink is preparing for Thursday’s opener against Denmark’s Madeleine Dupont.
“We’ve been training in Italy for a bit and now we’re beyond excited,” said Canadian women’s team coach Heather Nedohin. “To slide, get through practice, and get a game going. It was exceptional.”
Gallant and Peterman were eliminated from playoff contention Sunday and closed out their round-robin schedule Monday with an 8-4 victory over Switzerland.
Gallant caught up with his men’s teammates - Jacobs, Marc Kennedy, Ben Hebert and alternate Tyler Tardi - shortly after returning to the athletes’ village that day.
“They were there coming in and yeah, just full of piss and vinegar,” Gallant said. “Benny and (Jacobs), you know when they’re excited. You can see it and you can feel it. So it was nice and probably what I needed coming off a little bit of disappointment.”
Medal contenders
Both Canadian teams were expected to emerge from deep fields and be among the medal contenders.
In men’s play, Sweden’s Niklas Edin is back to defend his Olympic title. Top-ranked Bruce Mouat of Great Britain is looking to improve on the silver he earned at the Beijing Games.
Other headliners include Joel Retornaz of host Italy, Switzerland’s Yannick Schwaller and Norway’s Magnus Ramsfjell. American Daniel Casper is making his Olympic debut in a field that also includes Czechia’s Lukas Klima and China’s Xu Xiaoming.
“Sliding on Olympic ice is the absolute best,” said Jacobs, who won Olympic gold in 2014. “This is by far the best curling bonspiel in the world. And since we got here and entered the village, we’ve been smiling ear to ear everywhere we go.”
Homan’s side of Tracy Fleury, Emma Miskew, Sarah Wilkes and alternate Rachelle Brown is the top-ranked team in the world. The three-time world champion skip is competing at her third straight Olympics - once in four-player and once in mixed doubles - and is looking for her first podium finish at the Games.
Great Britain’s Eve Muirhead retired a few months after winning the 2022 Olympic women’s title. Sophie Jackson is skipping the Team GB entry this time on a rink that includes Jennifer Dodds, who was on Muirhead’s team four years ago.
Experienced women’s draw
There is plenty of Olympic experience in the women’s draw.
In addition to Homan, there’s also Anna Hasselborg of Sweden, Switzerland’s Silvana Tirinzoni, Italy’s Stefania Constantini, South Korea’s Eunji Gim, American Tabitha Peterson and China’s Wang Rui along with Japanese rookie Yoshimura Sayaka.
“I feel like the field is as tough as ever,” Homan said. “We’ve been playing them in the last (Olympic) cycle. We’re where we want to be and we’re as prepared as we can be.”
Canada hasn’t won team gold since sweeping the podium 12 years ago at the Sochi Games in Russia. Jacobs played with a different team that year and the retired Jennifer Jones took the women’s crown.
Kaitlyn Lawes and John Morris won gold when mixed doubles made its Olympic debut at the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Canada hasn’t been back to the playoffs in that discipline since.
“Mixed feelings in the mind, like there’s still some lingering disappointment,” Gallant said. “But there’s also a lot of excitement to hit the ice here. So you know that’s going to get better with each day.”
Gallant said he got “quite a bit of rest” on the off-day and spent time with family before getting to “put the feet up in the evening.”
“We believe we’re just a big hug for him,” said Canadian men’s team coach Paul Webster. “So he’s now with the boys and ready to refocus.”
Team competition continues through Feb. 22, the final day of the Games.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 11, 2026.
Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press
