Victor Pietrangelo has made Canadian curling history.
Pietrangelo and teammate Jessica Zheng of the University of Waterloo won Canada's first-ever medal in the inaugural mixed doubles event at the FISU (International University Sports Federation) World University Games.
The 2025 edition of the games is currently still happening in Torino Italy, with the mixed doubles curling competition having concluded on Tuesday, Jan. 14 after starting on Saturday, Jan. 11.
Pietrangelo and Zheng controlled the bronze medal match from start to finish, winning 8-3 in seven ends over Giulia Zardini Lacedelli and Francesco De Zanna from Team Italy.
"If you told me five years that we would be standing on the podium of an international competition, I wouldn't have believed you," Pietrangelo said. " It is unreal. It hasn't really sunk in yet, but I think it's going to feel pretty good tomorrow morning."
For the Canadian pair, it is a culmination of all the hours put in at the rink together.
"It was sheer joy and relief, for all the hard work we have done over the years," Zheng said. "We have played mixed doubles for seven or eight years, so everything has paid off. It is amazing to be on the podium."
The duo had to bounce back from a close 7-5 defeat from Germany's Kim Sutor and Klaudius Harsch in the semifinals earlier in the morning.
To get to the semifinal round, the duo finished with an impressive 6-1 record in round robin play which placed them second overall.
They earned decisive victories over Italy (10-4), Germany (9-4) Japan (7-3), Norway (9-4) and Switzerland (9-4) and their only loss was a close 7-6 decision against Great Britain, who would go on to win gold.
Their closest matchup in the round robin was against the team of Sara Olson and Coleman Thurston from the United States of America. In the eighth and final end, Canada was down 6-5 and scored two to take the victory.
Pietrangelo is thankful for the role the crowd played in his team's success throughout the tournament.
"The crowd was cheering so loud for Canada," he said. "It really pumped us up and made us play better. To everyone who came out, thank you so much."
Pietrangelo and Zheng clinched their spot at the World University Games and earned the right to represent Canada with a 6-5 victory over Wyatt Small and Jamie Smith of Wildfrid Laurier University at the FISU Curling Mixed Doubles Championship in Edmonton in November.
