CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – Peter Gallant knows the Garlic Girls were the belles of the ball at the recent Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.
The Charlottetown native also knows as coach of the South Korean women’s team his group could flat out play – and the foursome proved it by winning a silver medal, losing just once in the round robin and beating Canada and Sweden along the way.
Peter Gallant (back row, 2nd from left) and the “Garlic Girls”
Gallant joined the Garlic Girls with the blessing of South Korean curling officials. The team was so named because all are from South Korea’s garlic producing region and now its curling hotbed.
“The girls became like daughters to me,” said Gallant, who joked as a coach he doesn’t get a medal.
Other familial rewards awaited later as he watched his sons Chris, second stone with Team P.E.I., and Brett, second with Team Canada skipped by Brad Gushue, compete at the recent Brier – where Brett and company won their second straight national men’s title.
His contract with the South Koreans ended after the Games so Gallant is a free agent. First, though, is a trip to the men’s world championship March 31-April 8 to watch Brett and Team Canada defend its title.
Then, Gallant’s shingle goes out again.
“I’ll look for opportunities. Something will come along,” he said. “We’ll see what comes my way.”