By John Hodge
The Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 are underway, where many of the world’s best men’s curling teams look to win gold.
The athletes will compete at the Cortina Olympic Curling Stadium, with the men’s round robin beginning on Wednesday. The semifinals will occur on Feb. 19, followed by the bronze medal game on Feb. 20 and the gold medal game on Feb. 21.
The field includes 14 medal winners, eight of whom have won gold, making it arguably the best ever.
In Part 1, let's take a look at five of the 10 teams that will compete for gold.
CANADA
Lineup: Brad Jacobs (skip), Marc Kennedy (third), Brett Gallant (second), Ben Hebert (lead), Tyler Tardi (alternate)
World ranking: No. 4
The team out of the Glencoe Club in Calgary is one of the most experienced in the field, composed entirely of former Olympians.
Jacobs won gold in Sochi 2014, third Marc Kennedy won gold in Vancouver 2010 and bronze in Beijing 2022, second Brett Gallant won bronze in 2022 as well, and lead Ben Hebert won gold in 2010. Kennedy, the oldest of the bunch at 44, sees the team’s veteran savvy as an advantage heading into Italy.
“Age and experience, I think, gives you a different perspective on the fact that we're still just playing a game. I think when you're younger and you feel that pressure, it can be a little bit overwhelming, but we've been there, done that, and don't have anything to prove anymore,” he said.
“I have a great life at home, and I think that allows you to just go and remember that you're playing a game when you are feeling those pressure moments. I think that makes a big difference. I think that's why in our sport, especially as curlers get a little bit older, that's usually when they get into their prime because they're in their emotional prime, so I think that helps us being one of the older teams, for sure.”
Jacobs struggled at the recent Crown Royal Players’ Championship, finishing 1-4 in round-robin play, but they seem pleased with their progress heading into Italy. Hebert cited the regimented nature of individual practice sessions, the frequency with which the team practised together in person, and the amount of practice video they shared as reasons for their success.
“(Qualifying this time felt) different than the first couple times. The first time I went, I was (in my 20s), so it's like, ‘Oh, this is just kind of how it's gonna be, just gonna win all the time.’ Then you realize that's not the way it goes real quick and have some good perspective,” Hebert said.
“Everybody (who competed at the Olympic Trials) works hard, so we're the ones that worked hard, got the breaks, and performed at the right time to win,” Hebert added. “Knowing the guys that we had and our coach and our preparation, I would have been more surprised if we didn't win. Not to say we were an overwhelming favourite, but I would have been more surprised because I knew what we were doing and things that some other teams maybe weren't doing, which gave us the best chance and then it worked, but it doesn't always go that way.”
The gregarious lead also believes the team fits together seamlessly from a personality standpoint.
“Good team chemistry really is what it is, too,” he said. “The bond, friendship, camaraderie, culture we've created? I (expletive) love those guys.”
The squad’s only member without an Olympic gold medal is Gallant, who will get two chances to earn one in Milano Cortina. The 35-year-old native of Charlottetown qualified not only on the men’s side but also in mixed doubles alongside wife Jocelyn Peterman.
“It’s a dream, really. I’m looking forward to playing with (Jocelyn) and then obviously with the guys, too. It's just one after the other — it’s gonna be a lot of curling, but it's what I love to do, so it's pretty cool to get to do that at the Olympics. It’s unreal,” Gallant said.
“For me, the Olympic gold medal is kind of the one thing missing that I still want to check off. I don't think it's gonna change my career too much, I'm proud of my career — if it ended today, I'd be really proud of it — but it's one of those things that motivates you and one of those things you strive for and you want to accomplish.
"There's hundreds of athletes that want to accomplish that, but I'm one of them and it's on the bucket list of goals to check off.”
For Jacobs, the idea of winning a second Olympic gold medal would mean the world to him and his family.
“It would be pretty special. (My wife) Shauna and I have two kids, and I’d love to pass down two gold medals to our kids,” said the 40-year-old native of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.
“I know that there's going to be a lot of Canadians watching and people wearing the maple leaf very proud and cheering us on back home on Canadian soil. There’s gonna be a lot of people staying up in the middle of the night, dedicating hours to watching games and sleepless nights, because curling is important to Canadians and we very much know that.
“We don't take wearing the maple leaf lightly; we take it very seriously. We want to go out there and fight hard for ourselves, our family, our communities, and our country and see if we can get the job done.”
Kennedy added, “You try not to think about that too much, but (winning gold) would be amazing. We had a great run at the world championships last year. We came home with a bronze medal, but it was an amazing event, and we just want to go there and have a really good performance and make a lot of good shots.
“If we were lucky enough to win gold, it would cap a great career for all of us, so hopefully we can bring some hardware back for Canada."
CHINA
Lineup: Xu Xiaoming (skip), Fei Xueqing (third), Li Zhichao (second), Xu Jingtao (lead), Yang Bohao (alternate)
World ranking: No. 11
Based out of the Harbin Curling Club located in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang, Xu and his team have yet to reach the podium over eight trips to the World Men's Curling Championship, though they appear to be trending in the right direction.
Xu reached the playoffs of last year’s men's worlds, losing to Switzerland (Team Schwaller) in the semifinal before losing to Canada (Team Jacobs) in the bronze medal game. The team won gold at the Pan Continental Curling Championships in 2024 and also fared well at the recent Crown Royal Players’ Championship, qualifying for the semifinals with wins over Olympic rivals Daniel Casper, Schwaller, Bruce Mouat, Niklas Edin, and Joël Retornaz.
Men’s curling appears to be on the upswing in China, propelled at least in part by the up-and-coming young talent on Xu’s roster. This could be a dark-horse team to watch.
CZECHIA
Lineup: Lukas Klima (skip), Marek Cernovsky (third), Martin Jurík (second), Lukas Klipa (lead), Radek Bohac (alternate)
World ranking: No. 28
This marks the first time Czechia has qualified in four-player team curling at the Winter Olympics, having previously made one appearance in the mixed doubles in 2022.
Klima might be the underdog, but he’s seen plenty of top competition, having qualified for five world championships, including four straight from 2022-25. The 34-year-old’s squad has never made the playoffs, though his team wasn't far off the mark last year, finishing one spot short at 6-6.
Klima’s lone international medal came in the 2011 Winter Universiade in Erzurum, Turkiye, where he defeated Great Britain's Glen Muirhead in the bronze medal game.
GREAT BRITAIN
Lineup: Bruce Mouat (skip), Grant Hardie (third), Bobby Lammie (second), Hammy McMillan Jr. (lead), Kyle Waddell (alternate)
World ranking: No. 1
Based out of Stirling, Scotland, this is the consensus team to beat.
Mouat and his squad won silver in Beijing 2022 and have since won two world championships, including last year’s title in Moose Jaw, Sask. The 31-year-old skip isn’t shy about being this year’s favourite, nor the lofty goal he and his teammates set out to achieve many years ago.
“The first-ever meeting that we had together eight years ago, we talked about getting a gold medal at the Olympics," Mouat said during the recent Crown Royal Players' Championship in Steinbach, Man.
“It would be pretty cool for us to be the first men's team in 100 years to do it. I've got the mixed doubles as well — me and (Jennifer Dodds) have worked pretty hard at that, so two chances to hopefully bring back a gold medal. We would love to do one, if not two.”
Mouat believes the field at this year’s Winter Olympics is even tougher than the one he faced in 2022, an event that was played under strict COVID-19 restrictions.
One of the positives heading into Italy is the presence of family members and friends, who were unable to lend their support in Beijing.
“I think the game has come a long way in the last three years, and it's exciting to see all the teams going there, and it's going to be a tough field for sure," Mouat said.
“We’re over the moon to be going again and experience an Olympics that's not in a bubble, so it's fun for our families that get to come and watch. We're just excited to hopefully get another medal for Team G.B."
ITALY
Lineup: Joël Retornaz (skip), Amos Mosaner (third), Sebastiano Arman (second), Mattia Giovanella (lead), Alberto Pimpini (alternate)
World ranking: No. 7
This marks the second time Retornaz will be the home team for the Winter Olympics, though he’s entering Milano Cortina 2026 with a whole new set of expectations.
The veteran skip, who resides just over the Italian-Swiss border in Lugano, was only 22 when he skipped the first-ever Italian men’s Olympic curling team at Torino 2006. The squad upset Canada in an extra end during the round robin but finished well outside the playoffs at 4-5.
Times, however, have changed. Retornaz is now a three-time bronze medallist at the World Men's Curling Championship, and his country has seen success in Olympic curling, having won gold in the mixed doubles in 2022. The expectations are higher, Retornaz is a more accomplished curler, and he has an improved roster around him.
“I think it's great for us and for the sport of curling in Italy. It's a good chance to show our country what we are and what curling is. Representing your country as the home country for the Olympics is something amazing, so getting another chance at it, it's a privilege,” he said.
“(A gold medal) would mean the world to me, of course. It’s probably every athlete's dream to win a gold medal at the Olympics, so it's the same for me, and being able to maybe do it at home could be something very sweet.”
“It still comes down to making more shots than the opponents, but having some more experience may help in some pressure situations, especially when you're playing in front of your home crowds," he added. "It's just good to be back at the Olympics at home and 20 years later, maybe it’ll make the difference in the end.”
Stay tuned for part 2 tomorrow.
