The Canadian men’s curling team will bring a wealth of experience to the Winter Olympic Games in Milano Cortina. Skip Brad Jacobs won the gold medal with Canada at the 2014 games in Sochi. He’s confident about this group heading into these games. “I’m just excited to get going with the guys,” said Jacobs. “It’s all about being present and staying in the moment. The cliché thing is making one shot at a time, and I know this team is capable of stringing together all of the shots needed to win an Olympic gold medal.” Vice-skip Marc Kennedy has two Olympic medals. He won gold with lead Ben Hebert at the 2010 games in Vancouver-Whistler and also a bronze with second Brett Gallant at the last games in Beijing. Kennedy says these games will be a little different because the athletes from different sports will be so spread out. Kennedy feels that might be an advantage for the veteran Canadian rink. “Having been there before, I think we’re OK with knowing we’re a little bit separated from everybody and we just have a job to do, and that’s to go and compete and play well and really focus more on the curling as opposed to all of the other distractions that come with an Olympic Games,” he said. This will be Hebert’s third Winter Olympics, and the curler from Chestermere knows there’s a chance it could be his last. “We’ve been around for a long time,” said the 42-year-old. “A lot of veteran leadership on this team, and (have) played in every event it seems like a hundred times except for this one. Only the third time for me, so you don’t take it for granted, and I’m really excited. “There’s not too many things that get the old butterflies and nerves going these days for me in curling, but this is one of them, and (I’m) really stoked to go with the guys.” Gallant is also going for gold with his wife, Jocelyn Peterman, in mixed curling at the games.
