Curling Canada has overhauled its training methods with technical standardization and video analysis to reclaim Olympic glory after a decade without gold in men's and women's events. Led by Scottish expert David Murdoch since 2023, the program emphasizes consistent deliveries amid rising global competition. Three Canadian teams head to Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, hoping these changes yield medals.
A decade and a half ago, Nolan Thiessen, now Curling Canada's chief executive, helped win the world championship in Cortina d'Ampezzo with individualized styles—different positions, slides, and releases. Canadian curlers largely stuck to their ways until recently, even as European and Asian teams adopted modern techniques to surpass them internationally.
That shifted with David Murdoch's arrival in 2023 to head the high-performance program. He introduced technical training, video analysis, and uniform rock deliveries from the hack through the slide, making shots more predictable and easier to sweep and read. "It’s definitely an improvement for us as a nation, and it will continue to pay dividends," Thiessen says. Adapting to Canada's vast geography, the program includes early-season training camps, national coach access, and data-backed support for team coaches.
Murdoch stresses learning from every competition: "It’s easy to say we won or we lost a competition, but actually what did we learn?" Canada's teams benefit from targeted preparations: the mixed doubles pair was selected a year early; five-time champion Rachel Homan skipped the Scotties Tournament of Hearts to rest, heading to a staging camp in Brunico, Italy; and athletes will use mattress toppers for better recovery in the village.
Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant, the married mixed doubles duo, start competition Wednesday—two days before the opening ceremony. Peterman placed fifth in Beijing 2022, Gallant third. A key adjustment, moving the rock to the hack's center, aids straight-line delivery despite initial discomfort. "We’re a bit more squished," Peterman notes, crediting coach Scott Pfeifer's laser-guided video sessions. Gallant, joining Brad Jacobs' team later, says: "Canadian curling athletes have had to adopt a growth mindset... to get one per cent better."
Curling, dating to 1807 in Canada, returns to its Olympic roots in Cortina, where Canada last won worlds in Thiessen's era. No golds since 2014's Sochi sweep, Jacobs calls this the hardest bonspiel yet: "The sweeter victory feels."
