Canada’s Colton and Kadriana Lott opened the 2026 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship with a 6-4 victory over South Korea in Geneva, Switzerland, marking a strong start to their campaign for the nation’s first gold in the discipline.
The Canadian duo scored three points in the first end and maintained their lead despite a late surge by South Korea, which scored twice in the fifth end to narrow the gap to 5-3. Kadriana Lott responded with a decisive hit in the sixth end to secure a single point and extend Canada’s advantage to 6-3, ultimately holding on for the win.
“Usually, a big event like this, you’re nervous to start and nervous to see what the ice is going to do and feel like,” Kadriana Lott said after the match. “It was great to have a strong start.” She added that the team noticed areas for improvement but felt more comfortable understanding the ice conditions heading into Sunday’s matches against Finland and the United States.
Colton Lott praised his partner’s performance, noting that her shot in the sixth end was critical. “Kadriana’s shot in six was a very hard score,” he said. “To even get one point and not supply up a steal was hard to do. We were not even half an inch from giving up a steal.”
The victory continued Canada’s momentum following Matt Dunstone’s strong start at the men’s world curling championship, where he opened with a pair of wins. The Lott team, who won the Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Championship final in Calgary in March 2021, are aiming to capture Canada’s first world title in mixed doubles curling.
The 2026 ACE & Company World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship is being held at the Forum de Genève in Geneva, Switzerland. The tournament features teams from around the world competing in the fast-paced discipline that combines strategy, precision, and teamwork between two players—one male and one female—per team.
Mixed doubles curling, which became an Olympic medal event at the 2018 PyeongChang Games, involves each team throwing five stones per end, with one stone pre-placed at the start of each end. Games are typically eight ends long, making every shot critical and comebacks possible even in later stages.
Canada has historically been strong in traditional curling but has yet to win a world championship in the mixed doubles format. The Lott team’s opening win positions them favorably in the round-robin stage, where teams compete for placement in the playoff rounds.
The Canadians resumed tournament action on Sunday, April 26, 2026, facing Finland and the United States in back-to-back matches as they sought to build on their opening victory.
About the World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship
The World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship is an annual event organized by the World Curling Federation, bringing together national teams to compete in the mixed doubles discipline. The championship serves as a key qualifier for Olympic participation and highlights the growing popularity of the faster, more dynamic format of the sport.
Teams qualify through national championships or regional qualification events. The tournament typically features a round-robin format followed by playoffs, with medals awarded to the top three teams.
In recent years, nations such as Sweden, Switzerland, and Norway have been dominant in mixed doubles curling, making Canada’s pursuit of a first world title particularly significant for its curling program.
Canada’s Curling Legacy and Olympic Aspirations
Canada has a storied history in curling, having won numerous Olympic and world medals in men’s, women’s, and team disciplines. However, the mixed doubles format presents unique challenges due to its emphasis on individual skill and rapid decision-making within a two-player team.
The success of teams like Colton and Kadriana Lott reflects Canada’s ongoing investment in developing talent across all curling disciplines. Their performance at the 2026 championship contributes to the country’s broader goal of maintaining excellence in the sport on the international stage.
As the tournament progresses, fans and analysts will watch to see if the Lott siblings can sustain their early momentum and challenge for a medal, potentially delivering Canada its first world mixed doubles curling gold medal.
For updates on the 2026 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship, including schedules, results, and standings, fans can visit the official World Curling Federation website or follow broadcasts through licensed sports networks.
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