2026 Olympic Games: Canadians chase podium in moguls, snowboard, speed skating; play back-to-back hockey games
What to know about the Olympics today
Good morning, I’m Verity, a writer in Montreal. Day 6 has arrived and it’s going to be a big one, chock full of hardware opportunities.
But first, Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych is out of the Milano-Cortina Games after refusing a last-minute plea from the International Olympic Committee to use a helmet other than the one that honours athletes killed in his country’s war with Russia.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry was waiting for Heraskevych at the top of the track when he arrived earlier this morning, before the start of the men’s skeleton race.
Canada’s NHL stars return to the Olympics for the first time in a dozen years, the Canadian women’s hockey team closes out group play, and women’s curling favourite Rachel Homan opens her event.
Canada looks poised to break out with multiple medals. Three of Canada’s best athletes — short-track speed skater William Dandjinou, moguls skier Mikaël Kingsbury and snowboard cross rider Éliot Grondin — are favoured to win gold. Short-track star Courtney Sarault is a top medal contender, long tracker Isabelle Weidemann is a serious threat, and some other Canadians are poised to make a run at the podium, too.
There’s a lot to see. Here’s your guide for what to watch:
- Alpine skiing: Dual-sport star Ester Ledecká goes for another women’s super-G gold in finals at 5:30 a.m. ET.
- Freestyle skiing: Mikaël Kingsbury, Julien Viel in the men’s moguls finals at 6:15 a.m. ET.
- Women’s hockey: Canada vs. Finland at 8:30 a.m. ET.
- Snowboarding: Éliot Grondin in the men’s snowboard cross (final at 9:01 a.m. ET).
- Speed skating: Isabelle Weidemann in the women’s 5,000m at 10:30 a.m. ET.
- Men’s hockey: Canada vs. Czechia at 10:40 a.m. ET.
- Short-track speed skating: Will Dandjinou in the men’s 1,000m, Courtney Sarault, Kim Boutin in the women’s 500m (finals starting at 3:36 p.m. ET).
-With files from CBC’s Jesse Campigotto and The Associated Press
