Brett Gallant and Jocelyn Peterman of Team Canada during the mixed doubles round robin match between Great Britain and Canada in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy on Saturday.Issei Kato/Reuters
Canada suffered its second loss in mixed doubles curling at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics on Saturday, 7-5 to Great Britain.
Jennifer Dodds and Bruce Mouat took a fast 3-0 lead on Brett Gallant and Jocelyn Peterman of Chestermere, Alta. in the first end, and never relinquished it in the round-robin win.
Canada falls to 3-2 in the mixed doubles round robin standings after suffering their first loss to the U.S. on Friday.
Team Great Britain improves to 6-0. The American team of Korey Dropkin and Cory Thiesse also remain undefeated.
Each team has nine games in the round robin, which continues into Monday at Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium. The top four teams in the 10-team field will advance to the medal round Tuesday.
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Mouat and Dodds adjusted better to changes that ice makers made to the rocks and the ice ahead of Saturday’s sessions. The ice played much faster and straighter than in previous days.
“It was kind of like going from your municipal golf course to the greens at the US Open,” said Gallant. “It was a much different speed and different surface, and it honestly just took us a little bit of time to adjust. It was a little bit straight, a little bit quicker … they got that little jump on us, and it was just, it was just a challenge.”
“I don’t know if we’ve ever played on ice that straight,” added. Peterman.
A big shot by Dodds in the first end put her team up by three and set Canada chasing.
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The Canadian husband and wife duo hit back with one in the second, before Team Great Britain added two more on a takeout by Dodds.
Peterman’s takeout in the fourth scored one, before the Brits added two more in the fifth.
The Canadians needed to score big in the sixth end, and looked like they had a chance for four, but Dodds made another great shot to hold Peterman and Gallant to one.
Canada produced a steal of two in the seventh to pull within two and stay in the game, but that’s as close as they would get.
“Bruce is arguably the best curler in the world right now, you know, the number one ranked men’s team for the last two, three years, and Jenn’s the reigning Olympic gold medalist,” said Gallant. “That’s a really tough team to play.”
Canada is right back at it in Saturday’s evening session, facing Estonia’s Marie Kaldvee and Harri Lill.