Canadian Curlers Peterman and Gallant's Olympic Mixed Doubles Win: A Tale of Resilience and Adaptability
CORTINA D'AMPEZZO — The Canadian mixed doubles curling team of Brett Gallant and Jocelyn Peterman faced an unusual challenge in their opening match at the Olympics. Despite the unexpected obstacles, they emerged victorious with a 10-5 win over the Czech Republic.
The game began with a power outage, plunging the arena into darkness for a brief moment. In the third end, a dead fly's blood stained the ice, requiring a re-throw after a pre-placed stone was incorrectly positioned in the fourth end. These setbacks could have easily frustrated the team, but Gallant and Peterman remained composed and adaptable.
"When things are beyond our control, it's easy to feel frustrated," Gallant said. "But we've been in this game long enough to know that it's not helpful. I'm proud of how we handled these challenges."
The couple from Chestermere, Alberta, demonstrated their prowess by scoring four points in the second end, taking an early 5-0 lead. The Czech team, Julie Zelingrova and Vit Chabicovsky, responded with three points in the third end, but Canada quickly regained control in the fourth end.
Peterman showcased her skill in the sixth end, making a soft tap for three points. The game concluded with a measure confirming a Czech single in the seventh end, leading to a handshake between the players.
"It was a dream start," Gallant remarked. "However, in doubles, one can't afford to get too comfortable. We're glad we maintained our focus throughout the game."
The match, held at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium, took place two days before the opening ceremony of the Games. The women's and men's teams will commence their competitions on February 11th, with Rachel Homan's Ottawa-based team representing Canada and Brad Jacobs leading the Calgary-based men's team.
Peterman and Gallant secured their Olympic spot by winning the Canadian Trials a year ago and finishing sixth at the world mixed doubles championship last spring. The Czech team, on the other hand, qualified in December at the Olympic Qualifying Event in Kelowna, British Columbia.
A decent crowd filled the 3,450-seat arena, which also hosted the Cortina Games in 1956, offering a stark contrast to the 2022 Beijing curling experience, where spectators were prohibited due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The arena experienced a brief power outage during the first end, causing a gasp throughout the rink. However, Peterman and Gallant remained calm, laughing it off and discussing their next move.
In the third end, Peterman noticed a fly on the ice and acted swiftly to prevent any potential disruption during Gallant's throw. She gently squished the fly, resulting in a small amount of blood that she carefully smeared across the ice.
"I smeared the blood, and I thought, 'Oh, he'll have to draw here, but it was fine,'" Peterman recalled.
Chabicovsky admitted to a mistake in the fourth end, setting a pre-placed stone in the wrong position. The umpire intervened, allowing Zelingrova to re-throw the rock. Peterman's precise freeze set the stage for an eventual deuce.
"It was an honest mistake," Gallant acknowledged. "I've made similar errors before, but not at the Olympics. I'm glad there were officials to catch it."
Chabicovsky attributed the mistake to zoning out, placing the rock on position No. 2 instead of No. 1. He humorously recalled a previous game where their opponent made the same error five times.
Canada's exceptional performance was evident with a shooting percentage of 88%, surpassing the Czechs' 59%.
Other notable matches included Great Britain's Bruce Mouat and Jennifer Dodds defeating Norway's Kristin Skaslien and Magnus Nedregotten 8-6, and Sweden's Isabella Wrana and Rasmus Wrana triumphing over South Korea's Yeongseok Jeong and Seonyeong Kim with a 10-3 score. Switzerland's Yannick Schwaller and Briar Schwaller-Huerlimann emerged victorious against Estonia's Marie Kaldvee and Harri Lill with a 9-7 win.
Canada's John Morris and Kaitlyn Lawes claimed mixed doubles gold in 2018, when the discipline made its Olympic debut in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Morris and Homan, however, missed the playoffs in 2022.
Curling will be a featured event every day until the Games' conclusion on February 22nd.
This report by The Canadian Press was initially published on February 4, 2026, by Gregory Strong.
