2026 Winter Olympics open in Cortina with curling, power glitch

Mixed Doubles Curling Launches 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina

The 2026 Winter Olympics officially began Wednesday in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, with mixed doubles curling taking the ice two full days before Friday’s opening ceremony at Milan’s San Siro Stadium. Four matches opened competition at the historic Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium, though a brief power outage momentarily paused the action in the venue built for the 1956 Winter Games.clickorlando

Sweden, Great Britain, Canada, and Switzerland all claimed victories in the first round-robin session. Swedish siblings Isabella and Rasmus Wrana, the reigning world champions, cruised past South Korea 10-3, while Canada’s Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant dominated Czech Republic 10-5. Great Britain’s Jennifer Dodds and Bruce Mouat overcame Norway 8-6, avenging their 2022 semifinal loss to the same opponents. Switzerland’s Briar Schwaller-Hürlimann and Yannick Schwaller needed an extra end to edge Estonia’s historic Olympic curling debut team 9-7.bbc

Power Glitch Marks Unusual Start

The opening night was briefly interrupted when the arena lights dimmed and flickered during the first end, prompting officials to pause competition while athletes kept sliding on the ice to stay ready. Fans cheered when power was restored approximately five minutes later, allowing matches to resume. Venue officials said they were investigating the cause of the technical problem.usnews

Canada’s Peterman and Gallant, a married couple representing the first athletes named to Canada’s Olympic roster, opened with a point in the first end before stealing four in the second to build an early advantage. Despite falling behind 5-0, Czech Republic’s Julie Zelingrová and Vít Chabičovský fought back but could not close the gap, as Canada extended their lead in the sixth end to close out the match.cbc

Defending Champions Await Opening Match

Italy’s Stefania Constantini and Amos Mosaner, the defending Olympic and world champions in mixed doubles, will begin their title defense later in the round-robin. Constantini, a native of Cortina, expressed the emotional weight of competing at home. “It’s incredibly thrilling. This is also my first experience on the ice at the Olympics, so the emotions are intense and beautiful,” she told Olympics.com.olympics

The mixed doubles round-robin continues through Monday, February 9, with the semifinals that evening. The bronze and gold medal matches are scheduled for Tuesday, February 10. Ten nations are competing, with the top four advancing to the knockout rounds. The opening ceremony at San Siro Stadium on Friday will feature performances by Mariah Carey, Andrea Bocelli, and Laura Pausini.olympics