At the Cortina Games in Milan in February, members of the Canadian curling team will not be afraid of the Olympic stage.
The presence of five Olympic rings can be unnerving for some athletes, especially those competing in the global sports spotlight for the first time.
All three Canadian teams – men's, women's and mixed doubles – have a wealth of experience.
Three of the four men's team members Brad Jacobs skipped had previously won Olympic gold, and another won bronze.
“They're just professional at everything they do,” said Tyler Tardy, who will serve as a team alternate at the Games. “The way they prepare, the way they train, the way they treat each other.
“This is the most professional team I have ever seen in every aspect of the game.”
Women's skip Rachel Homan will compete at the Olympic Games for the third time in a row. Team 2 Emma Miskew returns for a second time.
Brett Gallant will throw second stones at Jacobs and will also play mixed doubles with partner Jocelyn Peterman, who was on Jennifer Jones' team that played at the Beijing Games four years ago.
Trials and preliminary trials involving 30 men's and women's teams have selected the Canadian representatives expected to be among the contenders for the Olympic Curling Stadium in Cortina.
“The reality is we have three really strong teams that have experience but are also at the top of their game,” Curling Canada director of performance David Murdoch said.
Jacobs team leader Ben Hebert and vice president Mark Kennedy won Olympic gold at the 2010 Vancouver Games with skip Kevin Martin.
Jacobs skippered another team to Olympic gold in 2014 in Sochi, Russia. Hebert and Kennedy returned to the Olympics alongside Kevin Coe at the 2018 Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, but failed to make the podium.
Currently ranked third in the world, Jacobs defeated Matt Dunston in the final of the Montana Canadian Curling Competition last November in Halifax. Homan, the top seed in the women's final, defeated local favorite Christina Black.
Homan's Ottawa team includes Olympic newcomers Tracy Fleury (third) and Sarah Wilkes (leader). Peterman and Gallant, meanwhile, are ranked 23rd in the world in mixed doubles.
“The teams are showing real calm,” Murdoch said in a recent interview. “They feel like they've done a ton of preparation and understand what they need to do to win.
“It's a lot of dedication, showing a lot of resilience and making a lot of decisions in life dedicated to your craft. And I think it pays off.”
Homan, 36, led her team to back-to-back world titles but Olympic success remained elusive. She lost her first three games in her Winter Games debut in 2018 and missed out on the medal count.
Homan and John Morris were named mixed doubles representatives in 2022 but did not qualify for the playoffs. Peterman's women's team also missed the podium in Beijing, while Gallant took bronze on a team missed by Brad Gushue.
Peterman and Gallant won the mixed doubles event last January and then earned an Olympic berth at the world championships in May.
“I just feel like they're masters of the game,” mixed doubles coach Lane Peters said. “They're so calm and have such a great approach to the game. They work really well together.”
Sweden, Switzerland, Great Britain, Japan, South Korea and hosts Italy are also expected to be among the medal contenders in Cortina.
“You’re trying to achieve something that doesn’t happen very often,” Murdoch said. “And with that comes expectation, maybe some pressure, but at the same time it’s the opportunity of a lifetime to achieve one of your dreams.”
The Olympic program will begin with mixed doubles on February 4, two days before the opening ceremony. The men's team will begin play on February 11, one day before the women's team's schedule begins.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 1, 2026.
