Nine-time P.E.I. men’s champion, former Canadian mixed champion and Olympic curling coach Peter Gallant has been named Curl P.E.I.’s performance director.
P.E.I.’s Peter Gallant was supposed to be in South Korea this year, but COVID-19 had other plans. (Matt Rainnie/CBC)
Gallant’s role will be to guide the development and performance of young curling athletes and their coaches.
“Curl P.E.I. has done a great job of getting young people to start curling,” said Gallant.
“At some point in time, they just need a little more technical help and some help with the strategy to kind of keep them progressing to the point where they’re enjoying the game and they want to continue playing.
“If we can help improve their skill level, then they’re more likely to stay playing into their 20s and so on.”
Gallant guided the South Korean women’s team to a surprise silver medal in their home country during the 2018 Olympics, where he and the team became stars.
“The whole plan was for me to remain coaching in Korea right up to the Olympics and with the situation in the world today, with the coronavirus, that wasn’t going to happen this winter,” Gallant said, adding that he reached out to the organization when he knew he would be on the Island for some time.
“This kind of all fell into place.”