The mixed doubles curling competition at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games has delivered a rollercoaster of drama, heartbreak, and resilience, with every stone thrown carrying the weight of nations’ hopes. As the round robin phase barrels toward its conclusion, the standings are tight, playoff dreams hang by a thread for some, and others have already etched their names into the semifinals.
For Team Canada, the afternoon of February 8th brought a devastating blow. Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant, the husband-and-wife duo representing the maple leaf, suffered their fourth consecutive defeat, this time at the hands of Sweden’s sibling pair, Isabella and Rasmus Wranå. The 7-6 loss not only extended Canada’s losing streak but also plunged their playoff ambitions into serious jeopardy. Now sitting at 3-4 and sixth in the standings, the Canadians must win out and hope for some favorable results elsewhere if they’re to keep their Olympic medal hopes alive.
The match itself was a tense affair, with momentum swinging back and forth. Canada, wearing their black uniforms for the first time, found themselves in an early hole after Sweden stole two points in the opening end. Still, Peterman and Gallant fought back, tying the game in the second end and even snatching a brief lead after the sixth. But the seventh end proved their undoing, as Sweden capitalized on their power play to score three, a blow from which Canada could not recover. A desperate triple runback attempt in the final end fell short, sealing the 7-6 result.
Despite the loss, both Canadian curlers remained upbeat about their performance. "We have to reset and come out firing tonight," Gallant said post-game, reflecting on the narrow defeat. "I thought we played a hell of a game this afternoon so that is a good sign. We obviously need two wins and a little bit of help." Peterman echoed his optimism, noting, "We had a good debrief last night and chatted about how we wanted to make adjustments to our throws and how we were communicating and how to get the most out of the ice conditions. I thought we did that today. We were close on everything."
The loss, however, exposed Canada’s struggles with weight control throughout the tournament, a problem that has haunted them in several matches. Even so, both Peterman and Gallant delivered critical shots under pressure, and there were flashes of brilliance—like Peterman’s perfectly weighted draw to the button in the fourth end and their successful use of the power play to take the lead in the sixth. But the Swedes, led by Isabella Wranå in her Olympic debut, were just that little bit sharper when it mattered most.
Elsewhere in the standings, Great Britain’s Jennifer Dodds and Bruce Mouat have been the revelation of the tournament. The British pair secured their spot at the top of the round robin rankings by dispatching reigning Olympic and world champions Italy (Stefania Constantini and Amos Mosaner) 9-6 in a resounding performance. With eight wins from nine games, their only blemish a narrow 7-6 loss to Switzerland, Dodds and Mouat have guaranteed themselves the hammer—the all-important last stone advantage—heading into the playoffs.
"That was an amazing game tonight," Dodds remarked after the victory over Italy. "The crowd was amazing and we always knew it was almost going to be a third player for them and they didn't disappoint. I love playing in these environments and coming out with a win makes it even more special." Mouat added, "We take confidence from it and we want to play with the hammer which we had been saying all week. I now want to play Switzerland again because we can beat them this time. But whoever we get, we will be happy and we'll be playing well tomorrow."
The British duo’s dominance is a sharp contrast to their heartbreak four years ago in Beijing, where they were world champions and favorites but fell to Norway in the semifinals and then suffered a painful 9-3 defeat to Sweden in the bronze medal match. This time, with the hammer in hand and momentum on their side, they look poised to rewrite their Olympic story.
Italy, meanwhile, remains firmly in the playoff hunt despite the setback against Great Britain. As hosts and defending champions, Constantini and Mosaner have carried the hopes of a nation, especially with Constantini playing in her hometown of Cortina d’Ampezzo. The pressure has been immense, but Italy has shown composure, sitting tied with the United States at 5-2, with Sweden close behind at 5-3 and Switzerland at 4-3. The final round robin games will be crucial, with Italy set to face Great Britain and Sweden taking on the U.S.—matchups that could dramatically reshape the playoff picture.
For South Korea, the journey has been one of perseverance and, finally, breakthrough. After suffering five straight losses to some of the tournament’s toughest opponents—Sweden, Italy, Switzerland, Great Britain, and the Czech Republic—Kim Seonyoung and Jung Youngseok finally tasted victory in their sixth game, edging out the United States 6-5 in an extra end thriller. The win was particularly sweet, given that the American pair, Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin, entered the match as one of the top-ranked teams, having recently topped the 2023 World Championship.
The Koreans jumped out to an early lead, scoring in the first and second ends and maintaining their advantage for much of the match. Even during the U.S. power play in the seventh, Kim and Jung managed to steal a point, extending their lead to 5-2. But the Americans stormed back, scoring three in the eighth to force an extra end. In that decisive frame, Jung’s fourth stone cleared a cluster of U.S. rocks, and Kim’s final shot nestled close to the button, clinching the win.
After the match, Kim was visibly emotional, reflecting, "I wanted to do it at the end. I had confidence that I was good at it, and there are times when I am good and times when I am bad, but he drove me too far into the corner. Every time, I had a team member I trusted, so I focused. I also trusted (Jung) Young-seok and threw the last shot." Jung, for his part, shared, "I'm happy to win, but I also feel sorry for the delay in winning. Today's game was exactly how we pursued it. It is significant in that we showed good content against a team that can reach the playoffs."
Despite the victory, South Korea remains at the bottom of the standings with a 1-5 record, making a run to the semifinals all but impossible. Still, both players expressed a determination to finish strong and show their best curling in the remaining games. "I believe we are growing as we play," Kim said. "I want to show our curling without being intimidated in the rest of the game." Jung added, "I will show you a performance that allows you to feel proud of yourself regardless of the results."
As the round robin phase draws to a close, the field is narrowing and the pressure is mounting. For Great Britain, the semifinals beckon with the promise of redemption. For Canada, the margin for error has vanished—they must win out and hope for help. For teams like South Korea, the focus shifts from medals to pride and growth. One thing’s for sure: in the fast-paced world of Olympic mixed doubles curling, it’s never over until the final stone comes to rest.