Gimli’s Lotts capture bronze at world curling championship

Manitoba’s Colton Lott and Kadriana Lott delivered on their strong round-robin showing, earning a bronze medal for Canada at the 2026 ACE & Company World Mixed Doubles Championship.

The husband-and-wife duo from Gimli capped a breakthrough week with an emphatic 11-3 win over Italy in Saturday’s bronze-medal game, rebounding less than 24 hours after a narrow 6-4 semifinal loss to Sweden.

“Winning the bronze means everything for us,” the pair said. “It’s not the gold, but it just gives us even more fire to keep striving and trying to be the best team out there.”

Representing Canada, the Lotts were among the tournament’s most consistent teams, finishing first in their pool with an 8-1 record before advancing directly to the semifinals. Their only round-robin loss came against Scotland, but they responded with key wins down the stretch to secure top spot and a bye.

The semifinal defeat tested their resolve, but the pair remained focused heading into the bronze-medal game.

“It wasn’t easy after losing that semifinal, but we made sure to keep reminding one another that we still had a medal to play for and to leave it all out there for that last game,” they said.

In the medal game, Canada seized control early and never looked back, securing an 11-3 win in six ends. A four-point opening end set the tone, and the Lotts continued to apply pressure, adding a three-ender in the third and another four in the sixth to end the game early.

Canada’s performance was marked by precision and execution, finishing with 89 per cent shooting compared to Italy’s 65 per cent.

“We were very comfortable with both the rocks and the ice,” they said. “The trust we have in one another is very strong, and with that dynamic it brings out the best in one another. We managed the game really well and capitalized on pretty much every mistake that the Italian team made.”

For Kadriana, the result marked her first world championship medal, while Colton added to an already impressive season that included a silver medal at the world men’s championship.

“There’s no words that can describe this feeling right now,” Colton said. “Other than just gratitude… I’m super happy for her to get her first-ever world medal.”

The bronze caps the Lotts’ deepest run at worlds to date and represents Canada’s first podium finish in mixed doubles since 2019.

Their success also resonates strongly in Manitoba, where the pair has long been recognized as one of the province’s top curling teams. Their chemistry, built through years of playing together, was evident throughout the week in both tight games and dominant performances.

“There’s definitely some extra comfort with one another being a husband-and-wife duo,” they said. “We just always make sure to take whatever happened out on the ice and leave it out on the ice, while continuing to be a strong duo off the ice as well and not letting anything carry into our relationship.”

Support from back home was also top of mind as they stood on the podium.

“Having the whole nation, the province of Manitoba and everyone back in Gimli cheer us on and be by our side the whole way — we can’t thank everyone enough,” they said. “They’ve stuck with us through the highs and lows over the years. We’re so thrilled to be able to bring home a world medal to our community.”

While the bronze medal is a major milestone, the Lotts say it is also motivation for what comes next.

“This result just makes us want to work as hard as we can to get back to the world stage again and have another crack at winning a gold for Canada,” they said.

For the Interlake region, the result adds another proud chapter to its curling legacy — with Colton Lott capturing world silver with Team Dunstone and Kerri Einarson coming off a national title and world silver, underscoring the region’s strength on the global stage.