Canada mixed doubles curlers eliminated, Crosby named captain at Milan Cortina Games

Canada's Brett Gallant, left, and Jocelyn Peterman compete during the mixed doubles round robin phase of the curling competition against Estonia at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)

MILAN — Canada’s mixed doubles curling team was eliminated from medal contention with a fifth straight loss Sunday on Day 2 of the Milan Cortina Olympics.

Brett Gallant and Jocelyn Peterman, a husband-and-wife team from Chestermere, Alta., were assured of missing the top-four cut for the semifinals with a 9-5 loss to South Korea. Earlier Sunday, Canada was defeated 7-6 by Sweden.

The two losses dropped Gallant and Peterman to 3-5, and with just one more preliminary-round match remaining, the Canadians are out of runway to make it to the semifinals.

The Canadians made it a one-point game against the Koreans with a deuce in the sixth end. South Korea answered with a pair in the seventh and Canada missed a double-runback attempt for the tie in the eighth.

Gallant and Peterman finish their run at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium on Sunday against Switzerland.

Team Canada’s hopes for a medal Sunday also took a hit in figure skating, when pairs skaters Lia Pereira, of Milton, Ont., and Trennt Michaud, of Trenton, Ont., shattered their personal-best score with a stellar performance in the team event, but still finished fifth in the pairs free program.

The first-time Olympians scored 134.42 points to music from the film “Gladiator,” a revived routine from the 2023-24 season, pumping their fists in joy at Milano Ice Skating Arena after nailing every element except their throw triple loop.

Madeline Schizas of Oakville, Ont., followed with a fifth-place finish in the women’s free program as Canada fell to fifth place with 47 points -- five behind third-place Italy. Schizas scored 125.00 after falling on a triple lutz to open her “Butterfly Lovers” program.

Toronto’s Stephen Gogolev will compete in the men’s free program to end the competition after sending Canada into the final with an outstanding performance Saturday.

Meanwhile, Canada also missed the podium in the women’s big air snowboarding event on Sunday. With the top 12 of the qualifying round advancing to Monday’s finals, Laurie Blouin finished 14th with a score of 150.25 and Juliette Pelchat placed 16th with 148.00.

In hockey, Sidney Crosby was named the captain of the Canadian men’s team.

Defenceman Cale Makar and forward Connor McDavid will serve as alternate captains.

The team hits the ice today for their first official practice ahead of their tournament opener Feb. 12 against Czechia.

Elsewhere on the ice, Calgary speedskater Ted-Jan Bloemen fell short of the podium in the men’s 5,000 metres, finishing 13th place with a time of six minutes, 17.97 seconds. Norway’s Sander Eitrem won in an Olympic-record time of 6:03.95, followed by Metodej Jilek of Czechia (6:06.48) and Italy’s Riccardo Lorello (6:09.22).

All eyes were on American star Lindsey Vonn in the women’s downhill in Cortina, nine days after tearing the ACL in her left knee and racing with a heavy brace. But the 41-year-old crashed badly and was taken off the course in a helicopter.

Vonn had been chasing another Olympic medal against a deep field. American Breezy Johnson won the event ahead of Germany’s Emma Aicher and Italy’s Sofia Goggia.

Cassidy Gray, of Invermere, B.C., was the top Canadian in 26th place. Valerie Grenier, of St-Isidore, Ont., was disqualified after she originally finished her run sitting 17th with several skiers left to go.

Xavier McKeever of Canmore, Alta., finished 13th in the men’s skiathlon.

There was heartbreak for Canadian snowboarder Arnaud Gaudet, who missed out on the parallel giant slalom semifinal by three one-hundredths of a second to Bulgarian Tervel Zamfirov.

The Canadian Press