Peterman, Gallant go undefeated to win Canadian mixed doubles Olympic trials
CBC
Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant left nothing to doubt at the Canadian mixed doubles Olympic curling trials, going undefeated throughout the entire event to capture gold and earn the chance to represent Canada at Milano 2026.
Peterman and Gallant defeated Rachel Homan and Brendan Bottcher 8-7 in the championship game on Saturday afternoon in Liverpool, N.S.
The married couple from Chestermere, Alta., were at the last Olympics for Canada in Beijing with their four-person teams — now they have the opportunity to get there together.
"Surreal. We put a lot into this. I'm obviously emotional and proud of the way we performed," said Gallant, fighting back tears.
"It means a lot to us. We have that experience of being at the Olympics at the same time but not together. To be able to do it on the same team, we know there's work left to do, but it's an honour to wear the maple leaf again."
With a capacity crowd of upwards of roughly 1,000 spectators inside Queens Place Emera Centre on Saturday afternoon, Peterman and Gallant put on a curling clinic, wowing the fans by making shot after shot.
Both teams came out firing early in the high stakes games, loading up the house with granite by playing delicate taps and draw shots.
Homan missed her final shot of the first end, however, opening up the opportunity for Peterman to make a tap for three and she didn't miss.
Peterman and Gallant kept rolling from there, adding to their lead in the second end by stealing a point after Homan hit the guard with her last stone. The early 4-0 lead would prove to be insurmountable.
At the fourth end break, Peterman and Gallant were in complete control leading 6-1. Homan and Bottcher tried to mount a comeback in the fifth end, scoring two with their power play and cutting the lead to 6-3. That's as close as they would get.
"We were just determined. Brett works harder than anyone I know and he had his mind set we were winning this," said Peterman.
"We had a great week and we fought for a lot of wins and I'm proud of it."
WATCH | Peterman, Gallant celebrate trials gold medal:
In some respects the work has only just begun for Peterman and Gallant, who are now tasked with representing Canada at the mixed doubles curling world championships set to take place in Fredericton in late-April and early May.
