MIXED DOUBLES GOLD

TEAM MANITOBA’S KADRIANA AND COLTON LOTT WIN NATIONAL MIXED DOUBLES GOLD

It couldn’t have been much closer. 

When two undefeated teams meet in a championship final, and that game is decided by a measurement following the last shot in the eighth end – and even that measurement was close enough to do twice – it’s obvious that there wasn’t much separating gold from silver. 

Such was the case at the Canadian Mixed Doubles Championship in Fredericton, N.B., where Gimli, Manitoba’s Kadriana and Colton Lott defeated Edmonton’s Laura Walker and Kirk Muyres 7-5 to claim the national title for the first time. 

After Walker’s last shot, an attempt at a triple takeout, just missed the mark, the remaining stones were measured twice, giving the Lotts the win, if only by a millimeter. 

“Before he put the stick to it, I was pretty confident,” said Colton Lott. “But then he put the stick to it, and it was really close. I thought it was us, but just barely… by less than a tick. I looked at Kadriana and gave her the ‘I think it’s us’ look – and then he went around again.” 

“I couldn’t even look,” said Kadriana. “I was standing back trying to keep myself busy. I didn’t even want to look at his expression. You’re either playing another end, or you’re winning.” 

As it turned out, they were winning. 

Walker and Muyres opened the game with two steals, jumping to a 3-0 lead. The Manitoba champs came back with a three-point end in the third, and then put together a great chance to steal in the fourth. 

“Being down three is okay in mixed doubles,” said Kadriana. “It’s mixed doubles, anything can happen. You’re always still in it. You can steal, you can score a bundle, you can tally up five. I knew we just had to stay in it and focus on making the shots.” 

After looking at what could have been a steal of two in the fourth end, Walker made an incredible runback double takeout to score a single. After trading singles in the fifth and sixth, Team Lott/Lott put the power play to good use in the seventh end and scored two, giving them a 6-5 lead. 

After Walker’s last triple attempt just missed in the eighth end, the measurement confirmed the victory for the Lotts, their first championship in their third trip to the national championship final. 

“This is an unbelievable feeling,” said Colton “To do it with Kadriana is just really special. Having falling short a couple times in the finals… It’s just special.” 

The win comes with a $35,000 payday and a trip to the World Championship in Ostersund, Sweden next month as Team Canada. The last time the Lott duo wore the Maple Leaf, they won the World Cup of Curling event, which was also held in Sweden. 

Walker and Muyres, who beat the Lotts in the final of the 2018 championship, took home $20,000 for their silver medal finish. Both teams, and bronze medalists Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant, will qualify for the Canadian Mixed Doubles Trials, which will crown Canada’s 2026 Olympic team.