Canada has reclaimed its position at the pinnacle of men's curling by securing a gold medal at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics. Led by skip Brad Jacobs, the Canadian team triumphed over Great Britain's Bruce Mouat with a final score of 9-6 on Saturday, marking Canada's first Olympic men’s curling gold medal since 2014.
Jacobs, hailing from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, previously clinched the Olympic title in 2014 with a different team. This victory signals a significant achievement for Canadian curling, bringing the country's total gold medals at the Milano Cortina Games to five, surpassing the four golds won in the 2022 Olympics. Overall, Canada has earned 20 medals during these Games.
The match against Mouat served as a chance for Jacobs and his team, comprising Marc Kennedy, Brett Gallant, and Ben Hebert, to avenge their previous loss to the Scottish rink in the semifinals at the world championships the year prior. Mouat had gone on to secure his second world title, while Jacobs finished with a bronze medal at the 2023 event held in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.
This Olympic competition has been a challenging journey for Mouat, as he faced his second consecutive silver medal at the Olympics. His pathway to the semifinals this year was precarious, relying on a favorable outcome in the final round-robin draw to advance with a 5-4 record.
With his latest win, Jacobs has made history by becoming the first men's skip to win two Olympic gold medals. The Canadian team finished the round-robin segment with a strong record of 7-2, positioning themselves well for the knockout stages. Their journey to gold was noteworthy, especially after a controversy early in the tournament involving an accusation from Team Sweden against Kennedy for double-touching during his stone release. This incident escalated into a heated dispute between Kennedy and the Swedish player, prompting World Curling to alter its umpiring procedures to more strictly enforce the rule against double-touching.
This change in officiating led to a series of stringent calls in subsequent matches, which stirred discontent among competitors, eventually prompting World Curling to revert back to a traditional umpiring setup.
In addition to the men's team's success, Canada's Team Rachel Homan achieved a commendable bronze medal in women's curling earlier in the event. This combination of accomplishments showcases Canada’s strong presence in the curling disciplines at the Olympic Games.
