CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy – Three seasoned Canadian curlers are pursuing another Olympic gold medal, but they’re competing in a sport that has transformed significantly since their earlier triumphs.
Team Canada secured their spot in Saturday’s championship match after defeating Norway 5-4 in Thursday’s semifinal round. They’ll face world champion Britain for the ultimate prize.
Skip Brad Jacobs hasn’t competed in an Olympic final since 2014, while his teammates Marc Kennedy and Ben Hebert last reached this stage 16 years ago. Despite their experience, all three acknowledge the sport has evolved considerably.
Reflecting on the differences between now and his 2014 Sochi victory, Jacobs explained his changed perspective: “Back in Sochi, I really felt like we were going to win gold. We had worked our way through that event and got stronger and stronger and stronger. We became very dominant throughout the playoffs. This time, curling has changed, curling is a lot more difficult.”
“The game against Britain is a coin flip, 50-50. Either team could win that game. I’m grateful to have secured a medal and played as well as we have all week. Now we just have one opportunity to leave it all out in the ice and see what happens,” Jacobs added.
Hebert, now 42, captured gold on home soil in Vancouver during the 2010 Olympics when he was just 26 years old under skip Kevin Martin’s leadership.
“You go to the Olympics your very first time, you win Olympic gold in your home country undefeated, and you’re just, ‘I can do this every time’,” Hebert recalled.
“That’s not how it went in my career, and that’s not how it goes for anybody … There’s so many good teams and players that want to get here. The game’s changed a lot since 2010. The ice has changed, the way players throw it, how good everybody is …”
“Sometimes it’s tough to teach an old dog new tricks. But I’ve had guys like Brad and Marc come in and push me to new levels to continue to elevate my game, so that I can still be out here at 42,” Hebert said.
Kennedy, 44, stepped away from competitive curling following Canada’s disappointing fourth-place finish at the 2018 Olympics but found his way back to the sport.
“I semi-retired six years ago, so to be back here is pretty incredible, and to be with these guys – really proud of my team,” Kennedy stated.
“We lost the Olympics in 2018, we got fourth place, my hip was a mess, and I was exhausted. I was ready to step away from the game. Then an opportunity came up to play with Brad Jacobs the following year. Working a real job wasn’t as much fun as I thought, so it was time to get back on the ice,” he explained.
Kennedy has also been involved in controversy during these games after responding angrily to accusations of cheating.
