Canada is back on top of the world in men’s curling.
Team Brad Jacobs beat Great Britain’s Bruce Mouat 9-6 on Saturday to give Canada its first Olympic men’s curling gold medal since 2014.
Jacobs, from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., also won that Olympic title with another rink in 2014.
It is Canada’s fifth gold medal at Milano Cortina 2026, one more than the country won in 2022. It’s also the 20th medal overall for Canada at these Games.
“Can’t put it into words, really can’t,” Jacobs told CBC Olympics. “We play for each other. I play for my teammates, I’ve said that my whole career. It’s just an honour to skip this team. I’m just proud of them. I’m proud of my guys, I’m proud of the way we were able to hang in there throughout that whole game.
“To see the looks on their faces at the end and celebrating that win is just special.”
Jacobs, Marc Kennedy, Brett Gallant and Ben Hebert exacted revenge on Mouat after losing to the Scottish rink in last year’s semifinals at the world championships. Mouat went on to win his second world championships while Jacobs took bronze in Moose, Jaw, Sask.
It is the second straight silver for Mouat at the Olympics. He barely qualified for the semifinals this year, getting help in the final draw to eke in with a 5-4 record.
Jacobs, who finished second in the round-robin at 7-2, is the first men’s skip to win two Olympic gold medals.
Not only did Canada have an Olympic drought in men’s curling, the country hadn’t won a gold at the world championship since 2017.
Hebert, the lead, also won his second Olympic curling gold. He took the title with a Kevin Martin-skipped rink in 2010.
“The feeling’s crazy,” Hebert told CBC Olympics. “There’s not many things in your life you can feel (like) that out there. Sixteen years ago, we did it (with a rink skipped by Kevin Martin) and did it again today. I can’t believe it.
“They played a heck of a game. We had to play real good. They’re the No. 1 team in the world for a reason. Games like that can go either way.”
Trailing 6-5, Jacobs scored three in a dominant ninth end to take command. He chipped out a Mouat stone on last rock for the three-ender.
Jacobs then left Mouat with an extremely tough double on last rock in the 10th. Mouat couldn’t make it, and the celebration was on for Canada.
Jacobs overcame early adversity in the tournament when Sweden accused Kennedy of double-touching on his release, leading to a profanity-laced dispute between Kennedy and his Swedish counterpart.
The controversy caused World Curling to change its umpiring set-up to further enforce the rule, leading to two double-touch calls in other games. Several curlers were livid about the calls, and World Curling eventually relented, going back to a more traditional umpiring set-up.
Earlier, Canada’s Team Rachel Homan won bronze in women’s curling.
