Curling Canada unveils 16 mixed doubles teams vying for 2026 Olympic berth
The Olympic mixed doubles curling trials are set to take place in Liverpool, N.S., where 16 top Canadian teams will compete for the chance to represent their country at the 2026 Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina, Italy. This event will be crucial in determining which team will help qualify Canada for the Winter Games, with the world championship in Fredericton playing a key role in the selection process.
Mixed doubles curling made its Olympic debut in 2018, with Canada’s Kaitlyn Lawes and John Morris securing the first gold medal in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The upcoming trials will feature a star-studded lineup, including teams like Brendan Bottcher and reigning women’s world champion skip Rachel Homan, Lisa Weagle and John Epping, and Laura Walker and Kirk Muyres. Also in the mix are husband-and-wife duos Jennifer Jones and Brent Laing, as well as Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant, who were world championship silver medallists in 2019.
The field for the trials was determined through various qualifying events, including the 2024 world mixed doubles championship and the 2024 national mixed championship. The top eight teams were confirmed after the Rocky Mountain Classic, with the remaining eight teams earning their spots through last season’s Canadian rankings or direct-qualifying events.
The diverse lineup of teams competing in the trials includes familiar names like Nancy Martin and Steve Laycock, Brittany Tran and Rylan Kleiter, and the father-daughter duo of Jim Cotter and Jaelyn Cotter. These teams will face off in Halifax from Nov. 22-30, with the winner gaining valuable preparation time ahead of the 2026 Olympic Games.
Despite the high stakes of the trials, no title sponsor or broadcast partner has been announced yet. However, fans can still catch all the action by tuning into Curling Canada’s YouTube channel, where the games will be live-streamed for viewers to enjoy.
With so much talent and excitement surrounding the Olympic mixed doubles curling trials, Canadian curling fans are in for a thrilling competition as these top teams battle it out for the chance to represent their country on the world stage.
