Colton Lott hopes to fulfill his Olympic dreams with Team Matt Dunstone over the next 13 months. Team Dunstone, which consists of skip Matt Dunstone, second E.J. Harnden, lead Ryan Harnden, and Lott as third, is currently ranked number one in Canada and number four in the world.
At 29 years old, Lott, a Gimli native, has never competed in the Olympics, but with Team Dunstone’s excellent performance this season, his dreams have a genuine chance of becoming reality. To qualify for the Olympics, Team Dunstone must take several manageable steps based on their current performance.
The first step is to continue accumulating points in the Canadian Team Ranking System throughout the 2025 season. Currently, they have 288.875 points, which is over 21 points ahead of Team Brad Jacobs, who is in second place. They aim to remain among Canada’s top nine teams to qualify for the 2025 Canadian Curling Trials in November.
Once they qualify Team Dunstone will need to win the trials, which consist of a preliminary round, a playoff round, and a best-of-three championship round. If they succeed in all these stages, they will represent Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
“It would mean everything. It’s everybody’s dream. All the hard work we put in, both on and off the ice, makes this experience very significant,” said Lott. “Every year, there are chances at the Brier and representing Team Canada, but the Olympics only come around once every four years. We want to do everything we can to avoid any regrets.”
The team’s next major event before the Olympics is the 2025 Montana’s Brier, the Canadian National Men’s Curling Championship, which will take place in Kelowna from Feb. 28 to March 9. In preparation for the Brier, Team Dunstone will participate in various training camps to ensure they are ready to win. Victors at the Brier will earn a spot at the 2025 World Men’s Curling Championship in Moose Jaw from March 29 to April 6.
Lott has a busy few months ahead, but he is adapting to the demands of high-stakes events, particularly over the last year. In March 2024, he and his wife, mixed doubles teammate Kadriana, qualified for and won their first-ever Mixed Doubles Canadian Championship. After previously securing silver and bronze medals in earlier years, the couple finally celebrated their first Canadian gold together.
Although they were unable to win the 2025 mixed doubles event after being eliminated two weeks ago, it has still been a successful year in the development of their individual games. Lott is eager to build on this momentum as he prepares for what he hopes will be the most significant 13 months of his curling career.
“I’m right where I need to be; it’s about pulling all the pieces together now,” said Lott. “The past year has been about growth, and I’ve come a long way as an individual player. My experiences in mixed doubles and men’s team events are enhancing my overall curling skills. These are exciting times, and there’s a lot to look forward to in the future.”
