Canada's Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant suffered back-to-back defeats in mixed doubles curling at the 2026 Winter Olympics, falling 7-5 to Great Britain and 8-6 to Estonia. The losses, following a defeat to the United States on Friday, dropped their record to 3-3 and jeopardized their playoff hopes. Changing ice conditions proved challenging for the Canadian duo.
At the Cortina d'Ampezzo curling venue during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, Canada's mixed doubles team faced a tough Saturday, February 7, 2026. The husband-and-wife pair of Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant, who started the tournament with wins over Italy and Norway, lost their morning draw 7-5 to undefeated Great Britain, represented by Bruce Mouat and Jennifer Dodds. Later, they fell 8-6 to debutant Estonia, marking the Baltic nation's first Olympic appearance in the sport.
The defeats came after a 7-5 loss to the United States' Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin on Friday, leaving Canada tied with Switzerland and Sweden at three losses each in the race for the fourth playoff spot among 10 teams. Great Britain improved to 7-0, securing the first playoff berth.
Ice conditions shifted dramatically overnight, becoming faster and straighter, which disrupted play. Gallant compared the adjustment to "taking a Honda Civic for a drive down the highway and then jumping in a Ferrari." He added, "It’s not an excuse. The team that adjusts to the changes better will get the advantage, so that’s on us. They adjusted quicker than we did."
Despite the setbacks, Gallant remained optimistic: "We’re in the thick of it... But we’re still in control. We got to come in on the right foot tomorrow. We’re still in the mix."
Estonian curler Marie Kaldvee celebrated the upset, calling victories over Canada "kinda our thing," and noted the disparity in facilities: "We have one curling club and three sheets of ice and Canada probably has, times ten thousands at least."
Mouat praised his team's adaptation: "I think we’re in a really good spot. We’re communicating very well and we now know what the ice is gonna do for the rest of the event."
CBC reporter Devin Heroux observed the broader shift: "For a long time in Canada, there was this feeling that the country produced the best rock hurlers in the world. Now they are realizing that the world has not just caught up with them, it has surpassed them."
Canada, historic curling powerhouses with just one bronze from Beijing 2022, face Sweden and South Korea next, needing wins to advance to playoffs on February 9.
