Canada ousted at mixed doubles worlds, but Olympic spot still in sight

FREDERICTON - Canada's mixed doubles team of Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant are returning to the Olympics, despite a disappointing finish at the world championships.

Peterman and Gallant suffered a pair of losses Friday at Willie O’Ree Place in Fredericton – first, a 7-5 setback to Estonia’s Marie Kaldvee and Harri Lill in the quarterfinal, and then an 8-4 loss to Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin of the United States in a game that decided fifth and sixth place. But their main objective was to clinch a berth for Canada in the 2026 Winter Olympics mixed doubles competition, and while it won’t be made official until the world mixed doubles is complete, that job was completed on Friday.

“Accomplishing that Olympic berth, it was definitely a big goal for us,” said Peterman. “But at the end of the day, it was a world championship. We wanted to be on the podium. So it's a little bittersweet right now.”

World Curling is expected to officially announce on Saturday that Canada will indeed be one of the competing countries in Italy.

Peterman and Gallant will be nominated to the Canadian Olympic Committee and the official announcement of Peterman and Gallant as the first members of the Canadian Olympic team will be made Monday in Toronto by the COC.

“Our first mission was to qualify for the Olympics; we accomplished that,” said Gallant. “I’m proud of us for getting that done. And we battled today; we tried our hardest right till the very end. 

"The results didn't come today, but there's lots we can learn and that we can take to Italy next year.”

Host country Italy has an automatic Olympic berth, and it’s expected that Sweden, Estonia, Norway, Scotland (competing as Great Britain), Switzerland and the United States will also be announced in the Olympic field.

Countries that didn’t qualify in Fredericton will get one more shot at a berth for the Winter Games at the Olympic Qualification Event in December in Kelowna, B.C., where the final two competing countries will be decided.

“I’m super happy that Brett and Jocelyn have fulfilled that mission and are going to be great reps for us in Cortina,” said national mixed doubles coach Scott Pfeifer. “There's honestly 10 or 12 teams here that could have easily been one of those eight teams going to the Olympics. So we're just happy we're one of them. I know Jocelyn and Brett are going do everything they absolutely can to prepare for representing Canada in Cortina.”

The gold-medal game Saturday will feature reigning Olympic champs Stefania Constantini and Amos Mosaner of Italy against Jennifer Dodds and Bruce Mouat of Scotland after they prevailed in semifinals Friday night. Italy defeated Estonia 7-6 in an extra end, while Scotland turned back Tahli Gill and Dean Hewitt of Australia 9-6. Estonia and Australia will play for bronze on Saturday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 2, 2025.