Brett Gallant, doing curling double duty at Olympics, will provide valuable insight to Canada's teams

Brett Gallant will make history at the Milan Cortina Olympics when he becomes the first Canadian curler to compete in two disciplines at the same Winter Games.

It's a development that should also negate the advantage some other countries have enjoyed at previous Olympics when their athletes played in mixed doubles and four-player competitions.

Curling Canada changed its policy for this quadrennial to allow players to compete in both events. In addition to giving curlers an opportunity for two chances at the podium, it gives teams valuable insight into the ice, rocks and conditions in game scenarios.

"We would love to have our training camp on the Olympic ice ahead of the Olympics," said Team Jacobs coach Paul Webster. "Brett just gets to do that for us. So we're super excited."

Competition opens at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium with mixed doubles. Gallant and partner Jocelyn Peterman will begin play Feb. 4.

Gallant will then join his Canadian men's team skipped by Brad Jacobs for their opening game a week later. The Canadian women's team skipped by Rachel Homan starts Feb. 12.

"Rarely in any other sport would you have an advanced scout in the event ahead of you on the actual playing field, [in our case it's] ice conditions," Webster said. "Brett is an extremely intelligent player in terms of ice reading, strategy, rocks, all that stuff.

"Having [mixed doubles coaches] Scott Pfeifer and Laine Peters in their corner to help track [also helps]. So, we'll get some rock information, we'll get some ice [details]."

Jacobs guided his Calgary-based side to victory over Winnipeg's Matt Dunstone in the final at the Montana's Canadian Curling Trials last weekend. Homan, from Ottawa, beat hometown favourite Christina