The 2026 Winter Olympics sports program opened with the first curling matches scheduled in Italy’s Cortina on Wednesday night, two days before the official opening ceremony.
Several hundred spectators watched as eight teams unpacked their equipment in the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium.
The matches had barely begun when a brief power outage blacked out the scoreboards for the matchups between Sweden and South Korea, Great Britain and Norway, Canada and the Czech Republic, and Estonia and Switzerland.
Curling players slide granite stones toward a circular target called the ‘house’ in an attempt to get closer to the center, or ‘button,’ than their opponentsImage: Jennifer Lorenzini/REUTERS
The officials paused the matches when the lights dimmed and flickered, and when the main lights and heat in the nearby media center went out.
However, the curlers continued sliding on the ice to stay ready, and the fans cheered when the bright lights returned soon after and play resumed.
The organizers acknowledged the brief interruption to the competition “due to an energy-related issue” and noted that it lasted approximately three minutes.
First Olympic results
The British pair of Bruce Mouat and Jennifer Dodds started their journey with an 8-6 victory over the Norwegians. Sweden, Canada, and Estonia also won their opening matches.
The reigning Olympic champions in the mixed doubles, Italy, will begin their bid for gold against South Korea on Thursday.
The Canadians won their opening match against the CzechsImage: Jennifer Lorenzini/REUTERS
The opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics on Friday will primarily take place at the San Siro football stadium in Milan. Three other venues will host the traditional parade of athletes, reflecting the widespread nature of this year’s Olympics.
The Games will use a variety of existing venues, stretching 350 kilometers (217 miles) across northern Italy from Cortina to Milan.
Edited by: Sean Sinico
