Key Takeaways:
- Canada is the most successful country in curling since its return as an Olympic sport in 1998, with six gold medals and 12 overall medals.
- Despite being the world’s No. 1 producer of elite curlers, Canada has not won an Olympic men’s or women’s title since 2014.
- The Canadian teams for the upcoming Olympics in Italy are skipped by Brad Jacobs and Rachel Homan in the four-player events, and Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant in mixed doubles.
- According to Shoreview Sports Analytics, Canada has a 63.2% chance of winning at least one curling gold medal and a 58.7% chance of capturing its first four-player Olympic title since 2014.
- The women’s event is expected to be a two-horse race between Canada’s Rachel Homan and Switzerland’s Silvana Tirinzoni, while the men’s event is led by Great Britain’s Bruce Mouat.
- Mixed doubles is the hardest event to predict due to the limited number of results, with Italy’s Stefania Constantini and Amos Mosaner as the favorites.
Introduction to Canada’s Curling Dominance
Canada has been the most successful country in curling since its return as an Olympic sport in 1998, with six gold medals and 12 overall medals. However, despite being the world’s No. 1 producer of elite curlers, Canada has not won an Olympic men’s or women’s title since 2014. The country’s last Olympic title was won by Brad Jacobs and Jennifer Jones in the men’s and women’s events, respectively, at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Since then, Canada has struggled to replicate its past success, with its best finish being a bronze medal won by Brad Gushue in the men’s event at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
Women’s Curling Event
The women’s curling event is expected to be a two-horse race between Canada’s Rachel Homan and Switzerland’s Silvana Tirinzoni. Homan, who is the front-runner for the gold, has a strong team and a wealth of international experience. She has won five of the 10 Grand Slam tournaments over the last two seasons and has captured back-to-back world titles in 2024 and 2025. However, Homan has struggled in the Olympics, failing to advance to the playoffs in 2018 and losing in the mixed doubles event in 2022. Tirinzoni, on the other hand, has won four straight world championships and is currently ranked No. 1 in the world. According to Shoreview Sports Analytics, Homan has a 42.5% chance of winning the gold, while Tirinzoni has a 31.4% chance.
Men’s Curling Event
The men’s curling event is led by Great Britain’s Bruce Mouat, who is the reigning world champion and has won four of the five Grand Slam events last season. Canada’s Brad Jacobs, who won Olympic gold in 2014, is the second favorite, with a 24.1% chance of winning the gold. Jacobs has a solid team and has been in good form, winning the Brier and taking bronze at the world championship last spring. However, he has not won a Slam with his current teammates and has struggled in the Olympics, losing in the final of the Canadian trials in 2022. Other contenders for the gold include Switzerland’s Yannick Schwaller and Sweden’s Nik Edin, who has won a record seven world titles.
Mixed Doubles Event
Mixed doubles is the hardest event to predict due to the limited number of results. Italy’s Stefania Constantini and Amos Mosaner are the favorites, having won the Olympic and world championships last year. Canada’s Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant, who are married and have a strong team, have a 46% chance of winning a medal and an 11% chance of winning the gold. However, they have struggled in recent years, failing to win a medal at the world championship since 2019. Other contenders for the gold include Great Britain’s Bruce Mouat and Jennifer Dodds, and Americans Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin.
Conclusion and Predictions
In conclusion, Canada has a strong chance of winning at least one curling gold medal at the upcoming Olympics in Italy. The women’s event is expected to be a two-horse race between Homan and Tirinzoni, while the men’s event is led by Mouat. Mixed doubles is the hardest event to predict, but Italy’s Constantini and Mosaner are the favorites. According to Shoreview Sports Analytics, Canada has a 63.2% chance of winning at least one gold medal and a 58.7% chance of capturing its first four-player Olympic title since 2014. With a strong team and a wealth of international experience, Canada is well-positioned to regain its dominance in curling and bring home multiple medals from the Olympics.
