Curling Canada's mixed doubles trials for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics have been set in time to allow winners to play for men's or women's team too ©Getty Images

The trials to select Canada's mixed doubles curling team for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will take place 14 months in advance of the Games - with the winners having the chance to qualify also for the men's or women's rinks.

Curling Canada has confirmed that the 16-team trials will begin in late December 2024 and conclude a few days later, with official dates and location to be announced.

Canada's quest to qualify its teams for the 2026 Winter Olympics will begin this coming season with cumulative results at the 2024 and 2025 World Championships for men, women and mixed doubles teams determining most of the competing teams in Italy.

There also will be a last chance Olympic Qualifying Event in December 2025 to determine the final two qualifying countries in each of the three disciplines.

"These changes reflect the realities of mixed doubles curling today as well as what we all believe to be in the best interests of our athletes," said Curling Canada’s high performance director David Murdoch, who won two world titles for Scotland and silver for Britain at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics.

Britain's Sochi 2014 silver medallist David Murdoch, now high performance director for Curling Canada, says the new arrangement for the Olympic mixed doubles trials will work better for athletes and coaches ©Getty Images
Britain's Sochi 2014 silver medallist David Murdoch, now high performance director for Curling Canada, says the new arrangement for the Olympic mixed doubles trials will work better for athletes and coaches ©Getty Images

"For those athletes who choose, in consultation with their respective teams and coaches, to play in both disciplines, this schedule gives them better opportunities for success in both events.

"Making these changes creates a much better and more manageable schedule for athletes and coaches."

The changes were made in consultation with the Curling Canada Athletes' Council and national mixed doubles coach Scott Pfeifer.

"Ultimately, we want to put Canadian curling athletes in the best possible position to win medals on the world stage," said Pfeifer.

"The rest of the world is so competitive, as we’ve seen repeatedly, and we believe our updated process will keep us in contention for Olympic success."

The winners of the 2024-25 Mixed Doubles Olympic Trials will also represent Canada at the 2025 World Mixed Doubles Championship, while the winner of the 2025 and 2026 Canadian Mixed Doubles Championships will play at the 2026 and 2027 World Championships respectively.

Curling Canada will review this arrangement in time for the 2027 Canadian Mixed Doubles and 2028 World Mixed Doubles Championships.

The 16 teams that will contest the 2024-25 Mixed Doubles Olympic Trials will include the gold, silver and bronze medallists at the 2024 Canadian Mixed Doubles Championship.