By Ben Hoppe
Only one draw remains of round robin play of the mixed doubles event at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
While final seeding has yet to be determined in the final draw on Monday morning, Canada’s game against Switzerland will carry no implications.
Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant’s final hopes of playoffs were dashed with their loss on Sunday evening in Cortina. Needing a win and a lot of results to go their way, Canada was unable to survive the relentless pressure put on by their Korean counterparts. Peterman and Gallant started the event strong by winning their first three matches, including ending Italy’s 22-game winning streak.
"It's still fresh, it's still disappointing. We wanted better this week," Gallant told CBC Olympics reporter Bryan Mudryk.
"We tried our best to just communicate the way that we know works well for us, and tried to support each other and get the most out of every shot," a teary-eyed Peterman added.
The momentum was short-lived and dissipated with their loss to the United States, kickstarting a four-game losing streak.
The Canadian duo’s struggles seemed to be exacerbated by the changing ice conditions halfway through the event. “It’s like taking a Honda Civic for a drive down the highway and then jumping into a Ferrari,” Gallant told reporters after their loss to Great Britain. “It’s just going to ride a little different.”
With their inability to claw themselves back into the playoff picture, Canada has now failed to make the playoffs in the two Winter Olympic Games since Kaitlyn Lawes and John Morris won gold in the discipline’s 2018 debut. The international curling superpower will have to wait another four years for a chance to return to the podium in mixed doubles.
United States Into Semi-Finals
Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin have already been on an emotional roller coaster in their Olympics debut. They won their first four games and lost a tight game against Great Britain and looked to be in a good position for the playoffs. Doubt started to creep in when Thiesse and Dropkin dropped a stunner to Korea to cast a shadow over their playoff hopes.
The rink from Duluth, Minn. bounced back with a stolen victory over Estonia and their best all-around performance of the week against Sweden. With their win on Sunday night, the United States clinched a spot in the playoffs by pushing Sweden to four losses.
It was the first game since the rock maintenance on Friday night where Thiesse and Dropkin appeared to have a strong grasp on how their rocks would behave. The game was one of the best mixed doubles games of the season with the two teams exchanging haymakers.
For every outstanding shot from Isabella Wranå, Cory Thiesse had an answer. Dropkin all but sealed the victory in the 8th end with a perfectly executed triple-takeout to remove every Sweden rock from play. Thiesse and Dropkin have been the best mixed doubles team in the United States, and one of the top in the world, since they teamed up four years ago. Now, they’re guaranteed to play for a medal and have their sights set on the top of the podium.
“It feels amazing. This is where we wanted to be. It's a journey to get here," Dropkin said to reporters on Sunday.
Playoff Field Finalized, Seeding TBD
Great Britain has been the class of the field in round robin play.
Jen Dodds and Bruce Mouat completed round robin play on Sunday with an 8-1 record, their lone loss coming in their penultimate game against Switzerland. The change in conditions appeared to favor Mouat, as he played some of his best games of the event beginning on Saturday. In their final game of round robin play, Mouat and Dodds defeated Italy in a 9-6 slugfest.
Great Britain will take the top seed into the semi-finals, and they will face either Italy or Sweden, depending on the final results of the final Monday morning draw.
The host country Italy have brought raucous crowds into the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium, often making it difficult for teams to communicate after any made shots from Stefania Constantini or Amos Mosaner.
They’ll have the opportunity to defend their gold medal, but who they play in the semi-final depends on Monday’s round robin game against the United States. An Italy win would create a rematch with Thiesse and Dropkin just a few hours later, and a loss to the Americans would pit the Italians against Great Britain.
Sweden will round out the semifinal and will be watching the result of the United States game to see who they play. It doesn’t matter if they face the United States or Great Britain, their opponents will be in for a tight battle against the brother-sister duo, especially if Isabella Wranå continues her impressive play.
Lead photo by Anil Mungal/TCG
