Will Canada end its Olympic curling drought?

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Since curling returned as an official Olympic sport in 1998, Canada is the most successful country by the two most important measures, winning a global-high six of the 16 golds (two more than second-place Sweden) and 12 medals overall (also two ahead of the Swedes).

But, despite remaining the world's No. 1 producer of elite curlers, Canada has not won an Olympic men's or women's title since 2014, when the teams skipped by Brad Jacobs and Jennifer Jones swept the golds in Sochi.

In 2018, Canada's John Morris and Kaitlyn Lawes teamed up to win the inaugural mixed doubles gold, but their success was tempered by Kevin Koe's loss in the men's bronze game and Rachel Homan's failure to qualify for the women's playoffs.

The Beijing Olympics in 2022 seemed like a golden opportunity for Canada to rebound with a star-studded lineup featuring Homan and Morris in mixed doubles, Jones in the women's event and Brad Gushue in the men's. But Gushue was the only one to advance to the medal round, coming away with a bronze.

So, is this the new normal? Or can Canadian curling regain the dominance it enjoyed from 1998 to 2014, when it won five of the 10 Olympic gold medals and every single one of its teams came away with at least a bronze?

That will be in the hands of the four-person teams skipped by Jacobs and Homan, who return to the Olympics after winning the Canadian trials in late November, and the mixed doubles pairing of Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant, who won their trials in January 2025. Gallant will actually contend for two medals as he throws second stones for Jacobs.

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