02/18/26 15:54
Dandjinou helps Canada win gold, but not for himself
– Cathal Kelly
Open this photo in gallery:
William Dandjinou comforts Dubois after the men’s final.Yara Nardi/Reuters
After failing to make the podium during a chaotic 1,500m final on Saturday, Canada’s William Dandjinou stopped in the mixed zone and said a version of the same thing to everyone he saw there.
“One day, I will be Olympic champion,” he said. “Mark my words.”
It wasn’t precisely a Joe Namath, but it was as close as Canada gets. Roughly 96 hours later, he made it happen, but not in the way he intended.
Dandjinou created the roadblock that allowed his teammate, Steven Dubois, the chance to go decisively into the lead. Dubois won gold. Dandjinou finished out of the medals, and was eventually disqualified.
02/18/26 15:46
Dubois wins gold in men’s 500m short track
– Globe Staff
Open this photo in gallery:
Canada’s Steven Dubois celebrates after winning gold.WANG ZHAO/AFP/Getty Images
Steven Dubois has won gold in men’s 500m short track. Canadian teammate William Dandjinou finished out of the medals, and was eventually disqualified.
The Netherlands claimed the other two podium spots, with Melle van ‘t Wout in silver and Jens van ‘t Wout in bronze.
Dubois’ gold is Canada’s fifth at these Games, and this country’s fifth medal in short-track speed skating so far in Milan.
02/18/26 15:26
Gold continues to elude Canada on short-track
– Cathal Kelly
The short-track program was meant to do great things here in Milan, but until now, gold has eluded them. Canada’s women’s 3,000m relay was undone by a slight wobble with five laps to go and couldn’t recover. They claimed bronze.
At 3:32 p.m. ET, Canada’s William Dandjinou and Steven Dubois will compete in the 500m final. Both men are medal contenders.
02/18/26 15:14
Canada takes short-track bronze in women’s 3,000m relay
– Robyn Doolittle
Open this photo in gallery:
Courtney Sarault, Danae Blais, Kim Boutin and Florence Brunelle react after winning bronze.Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
It’s bronze for Canada in the short-track women’s 3,000m relay.
The team of Courtney Sarault, Danae Blais, Florence Brunelle and Kim Boutin stayed on the podium after a tense race that saw the Netherlands wiped out half way through. The error almost took out the Canadian skater who briefly lost balance amidst the fray.
Canada was in the lead for much of the race, but dropped back to third in the final laps.
Team Korea won goal and Italy was silver.
02/18/26 14:53
Dandjinou, Dubois to race for men’s 500m short-track medal
– Robyn Doolittle
Open this photo in gallery:
William Dandjinou skated the second-fastest in the men’s 500m semis.Yara Nardi/Reuters
William Dandjinou and his teammate Steven Dubois have moved onto the final in the men’s 500m, but the other Canadians in the event, Maxime Laoun, has not advanced out of the semis. The final begins at 3:27 p.m. ET.
Towards the end of the race, Laoun made a move on Italy’s Pietro Sighel who seemed to shove him away. Both skaters ended up falling and the officials determined there was joint responsibility. Neither moved forward.
The women’s 3,000m relay gold final begins shortly.
02/18/26 14:42
Thénault disappointed after another 7th-place finish in aerials
Open this photo in gallery:
Canada’s Marion Thénault reacts after a costly mistake on her second jump.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
Canadian freestyle skier Marion Thénault finished seventh in the women’s aerials on Wednesday at the Milan Cortina Olympics, just like she did in Beijing 2022. This time, the result was a bitter pill to swallow.
“I wanted a medal,” said Thénault, whose usual wide smile had disappeared. “For sure, I’m disappointed.”
The 25-year-old from Sherbrooke, Que., just barely missed being within the top six that move forward to the super final. Her first finals jump was a back full-full-full that scored her 103.89 points — the same jump that vaulted her to the top of the qualifier earlier in the day.
She held on to the sixth and final spot until near the end, when American Kaila Kuhn, the reigning world champion, earned a 109.90 on the same jump, pushing the Canadian to seventh.
Thénault was last to go and launched into a back lay-full-full, but scored a 101.90 that was not enough to move her up the rankings.
“I’m clearly disappointed to not be in the super final,” Thénault said. “It’s hard, because I know I’m capable, but I landed too deep (on my skis) in the final. It’s my fault.”
– The Canadian Press
02/18/26 14:26
Dandjinou, Sarault looking for more medals in big night for short-track
– Robyn Doolittle
Open this photo in gallery:
William Dandjinou won his men’s 500m quarter-final.Sarah Stier/Getty Images
It’s a big night for short track at the Milano Ice Skating Arena. William Dandjinou — the world’s top-ranked male skater — will be looking to finally hit that gold in the men’s 500m after narrowly missing the podium twice earlier in the Games.
He and teammates Steven Dubois and Maxime Laoun are through to the semifinals at 2:44 p.m. ET.
Before that final takes place, we’ve got the women’s 3,000m relay final, where Canada will take on Korea, the Netherlands and Italy.
Canada already has three short track medals. Superstar Courtney Sarault took bronze in the women’s 500m and silver in the women’s 1,500m.
Six members of the close-knit Montreal-based team — including Sarault and Dandjinou — also snagged silver in the mixed team relay in short track’s first event.
The group came into this Olympics with the goal of winning more medals than ever before. That record was set in 2002 with 6 medals.
It’s a goal that is still within reach if Canadians medal in each event tonight. There are still two more medal opportunities in short track.
02/18/26 13:15
Marner wins it for Canada in overtime
– Grant Robertson
Open this photo in gallery:
Mitch Marner celebrates his game-winning overtime goal.Mike Segar/Reuters
Men’s Quarterfinals
FINAL/OT
CAN
4
CZE
3
Mitch Marner was the overtime hero for Team Canada today, scoring a top-shelf backhand goal to send them to the semi-finals at the Milan Cortina Olympics.
Canada beat Czechia 4-3 in overtime to advance, but the Czechs gave it its toughest game of the tournament so far. It was as tense, physical affair that left Canada playing without captain Sidney Crosby, who was injured by a heavy hit in the second period.
Ahead of Canada’s quarter-final game against Czechia, David Pastrnak called Team Canada one of the most talented rosters ever assembled.
But after being beaten 5-0 by Canada to open the tournament, Pastrnak suggested the Czechs show less reverence during today’s must-win quarter-final.
“This might be the best team ever,” Pastrnak said. “So maybe let’s put the respect aside a little bit and try to take their game to them.”
Before Marner’s winner, the game conjured the ghosts of 1998 at the Nagano Olympics, when the Czechs defeated Canada in a shootout to eliminate a team of NHL stars that included Wayne Gretzky and Eric Lindros.
Read the full story here.
02/18/26 12:41
Crosby won’t return to game after apparent injury
Open this photo in gallery:
Sidney Crosby sustained an apparent injury in the second period.Marton Monus/Reuters
Captain Sidney Crosby will not return for Canada’s men’s hockey quarterfinal against Czechia.
Crosby sustained an apparent leg injury in the second period.
He is playing in his third Olympics after helping Canada win gold in 2010 and 2014.
– The Canadian Press
02/18/26 12:18
Canada tied with Czechia after two periods in elimination quarterfinal
– Paul Attfield
Open this photo in gallery:
Nathan MacKinnon celebrates a goal against Czechia during the second period.DARRYL DYCK/The Canadian Press
Things appeared to go from bad to worse for Team Canada men for much of the second period of their Olympic quarterfinal on Wednesday.
Captain Sidney Crosby, who seemed to buckle his knee in a hit from Czechia’s Radko Gudas less than five minutes into the period, ultimately left the bench to go back to the dressing room with a trainer. He looked to be favouring his right leg as he made his way down the tunnel.
Head coach Jon Cooper consequently shuffled his lines, both to replace Crosby in the lineup and to try to generate some offence.
It worked, but only after Canada went back on the power play after Michal Kempny took an interference penalty with 8:36 remaining in the period. With Macklin Celebrini on the top power-play unit in place of Crosby, the teenager combined with McDavid to tee up Nathan MacKinnon, and the Colorado Avalanche star made no mistake, tying the game with 7:44 to play.
McDavid’s assist – his second of the game – was his 11th point of the tournament, pulling him into a tie with Finnish legends Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu for the most points in an NHL Olympics.
The period could have ended on a high too, with Nick Suzuki hitting a post – the second time Canada had hit the post in the period – as Canada looked to translate its 17-5 dominance in second-period shots on goal into something more concrete.
02/18/26 11:59
Sidney Crosby out of the game – for now
Open this photo in gallery:
Sidney Crosby is challenged by Radko Gudas of Team Czechia in the second period.Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
Captain Sidney Crosby has left Canada’s quarterfinal hockey game against Czechia with an injury.
Crosby left the ice about five minutes into the second period.
He was favouring his right leg.
– The Canadian Press
02/18/26 11:27
Team Canada men trail for first time in these Games
– Paul Attfield
Open this photo in gallery:
David Pastrnak of Team Czechia scores a goal past Jordan Binnington of Team Canada in the first period during the men’s quarterfinals.Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
Team Canada men find themselves in an unfamiliar – and uncomfortable – position after the first 20 minutes of their Olympic quarterfinal on Wednesday, trailing 2-1 against Czechia.
The game had gotten off to the ideal start, with Macklin Celebrini taking a drop pass from Connor McDavid and beating Lukas Dostal in the Czech net barely three minutes into the contest. It was a tournament-leading fifth goal for Celebrini, while the assist gave McDavid 10 points in four Olympic games, leaving him just one point back of tying Saku Koivu and Teemu Selanne for the most points in an Olympics involving NHLers.
But the period started to get away from Canada after that.
First, Radko Gudas and Roman Cervenka set up Lukas Sedlak to beat Jordan Binnington from in close at the 8:34 mark.
Then Celebrini took a penalty for interference just shy of the 14-minute mark. Cervenka almost scored on the resulting power play, hitting the post behind Binnington. But Czech star David Pastrnak made no mistake shortly after, one-timing a slap shot that beat Binnington over the shoulder.
Despite outshooting the Czechs 11-10, Team Canada men trail in an Olympic game featuring NHL players for the first time since the 2010 preliminaries in Vancouver, a stretch of more than 805 minutes.
02/18/26 10:50
Canada takes early control of quarterfinal against Czechia
– Paul Attfield
Open this photo in gallery:
Macklin Celebrini of Canada scores their first goal in game against Czechia.Mike Segar/Reuters
Unsurprisingly, given Canada’s offensive output of late, Team Canada men’s head coach Jon Cooper has done very little tinkering with his lineup ahead of Wednesday’s do-or-die quarterfinal against Czechia.
Fresh off his two goals against France in Monday’s 10-2 rout, Macklin Celebrini again teamed up with Connor McDavid and Tom Wilson on Canada’s top line. The 19-year-old wasted little time picking up where he left off, taking a pass from McDavid and beating Lukas Dostal just three minutes into the game for his tournament-leading fifth goal of these Olympics.
That left Nathan MacKinnon and Sidney Crosby to centre the second and third units. The only change that Cooper has made to his forward lineup is with Brad Marchand returning to the lineup, with reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner Sam Bennett dropping out.
On the blueline, Cooper has switched around his pairings somewhat. As a result, Drew Doughty will partner Thomas Harley against Czechia, with Colton Parayko playing alongside Travis Sanheim.
In goal, Jordan Binnington, who has conceded just two goals through 120 minutes of work in Milan, will again start for Canada, and will be hoping to reprise his earlier performance against Czechia. Binnington shut out the 1998 Olympic champions in Team Canada’s opener, turning aside all 26 shots he faced in a 5-0 victory.
02/18/26 10:20
Canada comes up short in Olympic freestyle events
– Eric Reguly
Open this photo in gallery:
Marion Thénault placed seventh overall in women’s aerials.Adam Pretty/Getty Images
Canadian athletes had a dud day in Livigno in three finals – men’s and women’s snowboard slopestyle and women’s freeski aerials.
Snowboarder Mark McMorris, in slopestyle, finished in eighth position, a crushing result for him. The three-time Olympic bronze medal winner was on course for a podium finish after qualifying third going into the final. But he skidded on his second run and fell on his third, killing his chances for a medal.
In women’s aerials, Marion Thénault, 25, of Sherbrooke, Que., did not make it into the final round of three; she placed seventh overall. Gold went to China’s Xu Mengtao, who, at 35, is one of the oldest athletes in the freestyle skiing events.
Later on Wednesday afternoon, both Canadians in slopestyle – Juliette Pelchat, 21, of Squamish, B.C., and Quebec’s Laurie Blouin, 29 – finished in the middle of the pack.
Slopestyle gold went to Mari Fukada, 19, of Japan, who is the current women’s snowboard big air champion.
02/18/26 10:13
Morrissey, Bennett scratched for quarterfinal against Czechia
Open this photo in gallery:
Josh Morrissey skates with the puck in the match against Czechia on Feb. 12.Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Canada defenceman Josh Morrissey and forward Sam Bennett will be scratched when the men’s hockey team takes on Czechia in today’s quarterfinal at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena.
Morrissey hasn’t played since exiting with an undisclosed injury early in the second period of Canada’s tournament-opening 5-0 win over Czechia. Bennett missed practice yesterday for maintenance. Both players skated this morning.
Forward Brad Marchand, who hasn’t played since Canada’s first game, will draw into the lineup for Bennett.
– The Canadian Press
02/18/26 10:05
Men’s curling team improves to 7-1 after victory over Italy
– Rachel Brady
Open this photo in gallery:
Canada’s men will finish round robin play versus Norway on Thursday before the semis begin.Jennifer Lorenzini/Reuters
Behind a big steal of four in the sixth end, the Canadian men’s curling team rallied back from an early three-point hole to frustrate and then defeat Italy 8-3 in front of their loud home crowd in Cortina.
Brad Jacobs’s Canadian rink, also comprising Ben Hebert, Brett Gallant and Marc Kennedy, jumped to 7-1 in the round robin standings. They also dropped Italy to 4-4, making the host nation’s road a little tougher to make the playoffs.
“Italy melted down,” said Jacobs after the seven-end game which saw Italy’s curlers slamming water bottles and sliders angrily as Canada grabbed momentum.
Italy, led by veteran skip Joel Retornaz, is among the teams still scrapping for a semifinal berth.
Of the 10 teams in the round robin, the best performing four advance to Thursday’s semis. Canada and Switzerland have already earned the top two spots.
Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium has been rocking throughout the Games, but especially when the host team plays. Italian fans, waving flags, blowing horns and sporting red and green wigs, have been bouncing and bellowing in the rafters. They rollicked Wednesday with every big shot for the home side, chanting “Italia!” But that didn’t last long.
Open this photo in gallery:
Marc Kennedy, Brett Gallant and Ben Hebert during the match against Italy.Jennifer Lorenzini/Reuters
Jacobs called out Retornaz for touching one of his own rocks slightly while both teams were trying to sweep in the second end. As the non-offending side, Canada got to remove the rock, as Jacobs felt Canada would have swept it from the house if it stayed untouched. Jacobs called it “no big deal” and said the two skips are friends.
Italy opened scoring in the second end, with a takeout to score one. Then the hosts also stole two in the third.
Down 3-0 but with the hammer in the fourth end, Jacobs roared back with a tap to score two.
Then out of nowhere, Canada got a lucky break. Retornaz was trying for a blank in the fifth, when he misfired his clearing shot, allowing a yellow Canadian rock to stick around the house and tie the game.
Then Italy got in big trouble in the sixth. Facing four, Retornaz attempted a tricky draw, but his stone couldn’t get around the guard and Canada scored four. Canadian flags waved while Italian fans fell quiet. Frustration was evident at Italy’s team bench.
“When the other team is showing their frustration, that’s when we kind of start to feel like we’ve got them,” said Jacobs.
Italy will need to refocus before their last round robin game Thursday, against 8-0 Switzerland.
While Canada had already earned its playoff spot on Tuesday, Wednesday’s win yielded something else for Team Jacobs.
“We knew this was a big game because [a win] would give us hammer in the playoffs,” said Gallant. “So that was kind of the next box we wanted to check off.”
Gallant, who throws second stones, celebrated his 36th birthday on Wednesday. Tiring of the eating the same food in the athletes’ village day after day, Team Jacobs was eager to get out and treat Gallant to dinner at a restaurant.
“It’ll be nice to get out together as a team,” said Jacobs. “Cheers some Coca Colas and get ready for tomorrow.”
The Canadian men will finish the round robin against Norway on Thursday (3 a.m. ET) before playing in the semifinals later that day (1 p.m. ET).
Canada’s women will also face Italy on Wednesday, still clawing to clinch their spot in the playoffs.
02/18/26 09:43
Sponsors are becoming more visible at the Winter Olympics
Open this photo in gallery:
Eileen Gu of Team People’s Republic of China after competing in the women’s freeski big air final.Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Eileen Gu and all the other freestyle skiers wait for their scores by a large Powerade-branded cooler, then glide away without taking a drink.
Bottles of the blue sports drink are stacked in hockey penalty boxes. Even the tissues in figure skating’s drama-packed “Kiss and Cry” area are branded.
One way the Olympics generally stand out is by the absence of advertising on courses, rinks and slopes. But increasingly at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, sponsors are creeping into the action.
“We continue to open up those opportunities for partners,” International Olympic Committee marketing director Anne-Sophie Voumard said Wednesday, noting sponsor products can now “organically be present” more widely.
The change has seemingly accelerated since French luxury goods maker LVMH prominently placed its Louis Vuitton brand at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
It’s all happening as sponsors eye fresh opportunities for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The IOC is looking to create extra value in its TOP program (for the biggest partners), which has been a financial success for the organization over four decades. There are 11 TOP sponsors in Milan, after peaking at 15 in Paris. Revenue in 2025 dropped a bit to US$560-million in cash and services compared to US$871-million in 2024.
– The Associated Press
02/18/26 08:55
Athlete stories can go untold due to shrinking media presence at Winter Olympics
Open this photo in gallery:
The Canadian media contingent is not what it used to be.Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images
When Canadian curling coach Scott Pfeifer was a member of the Ferbey Four, the curling team would use the large group of reporters at big bonspiels to fuel rivalries and hype the players and the sport.
“[We’d be] lobbing bombs across the alley to the other teams,” Pfeifer said with a laugh. “I don’t think you see that as much anymore.”
That’s an understatement.
The Canadian media contingent is not what it used to be at the curling rink or at the Winter Games. It’s even more noticeable this year with the Milan Cortina Games the most spread out in Olympic history.
In addition to impacting the depth and quality of reporting, fewer on-site journalists means many amateur athletes are unable to share their stories.
“They’re just not going to get that coverage that they got in previous Olympics and that is sad,” USA Today sports columnist Christine Brennan said Tuesday from Milan. “That’s sad because this is their moment.”
Brennan, who is covering the Olympics for the 22nd consecutive time, recalls how difficult it was to get near athletes in the mixed zone at previous Games over her career.
“The interview area would just be packed,” she said. “I mean, you’d have to elbow your way in.
“Well there’s none of that here. There’s plenty of room for all of us. And so that is certainly noticeable. That’s a big change.”
Rather than cover the Games in person, some outlets have reporters write stories after watching the competition remotely.
– The Canadian Press
02/18/26 08:30
Norway’s Klaebo extends Winter Olympics medal record
Open this photo in gallery:
Norway’s Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo has won every race he has entered at these Games.JAVIER SORIANO/AFP/Getty Images
Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo’s golden run at Milan Cortina continued as the Norwegian star secured his fifth gold at the Milan Cortina Olympics – and a record 10th overall – in the men’s team sprint.
Klaebo beat back a challenge from the United States to improve on his own record tally, racing with Einar Hedegart to win in 18 minutes, 28.9 seconds.
“It’s obviously very satisfying to make this happen,” the 29-year-old Klaebo said. “The team sprint is one of the most fun events, but also one of the hardest.”
Klaebo has won every race he has entered at these Games, breaking the Winter Olympics record in Sunday’s 4 x 7.5-kilometre relay.
His final race will be in the 50-kilometre mass start this weekend.
“There are so many strong teams and so many fast skiers, so it always comes down to tight battles,” Klaebo added. “That makes it even more rewarding.”
– The Associated Press
02/18/26 07:55
Natalie Spooner taste-testing her way through the Olympic Village
Open this photo in gallery:
Natalie Spooner has been sharing reviews on social media of some of the things she eats, ranging from chocolate pudding to pizza topped with potatoes.Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Natalie Spooner isn’t just at the Milan Cortina Olympics to bring home another medal.
The Toronto hockey player is determined to make the most of her time at the Olympic Village – one bite at a time.
When she’s not on the ice, the 35-year-old has made it her mission to taste-test her way through the Games and share reviews on social media of some of the things she eats, ranging from chocolate pudding to pizza topped with potatoes.
“Why is there potato on a pizza? I guess in Canada we say, ‘Does pineapple belong on pizza?’” Spooner says in one post, smiling as she takes a bite. “Here, it’s, ‘Does potato belong on pizza?’”
The food in the Olympic Village has gone viral in more ways than one. The IOC announced in October that it had created a special pasta noodle shaped like the five Olympic rings.
The limited-edition dish was later served to the athletes in the village, resulting in a flood of social media comments from fans calling for the pasta to be available for the public to buy.
But for Spooner, a self-proclaimed “chocolate monster,” the sweet treats are definitely the highlight of the Olympic Village cuisine.
“This might be the best thing yet that I’ve found,” Spooner says in one video where she tries an Italian chocolate spread with a croissant. “That’s really good.”
Another post shows Spooner trying a chocolate lava cake, something she says is “famous” around the village.
“This is what I’ve been waiting for,” she says with a smile. “It’s gooey, it’s chocolatey … this is like hitting the spot right now.”
But not every dessert gets a gold medal – in one video, Spooner tries a chocolate soufflé, which she rates three out of 10.
“I would say this is a hockey puck,” Spooner laughs.
– The Canadian Press
02/18/26 07:30
With a star turn at the Olympics, Celebrini is becoming a celebrity
– Grant Robertson
Open this photo in gallery:
Not just the breakout star of the Olympics, Macklin Celebrini has emerged as the heir apparent to a post-Crosby, post-McDavid world.Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Before Team Canada stepped on the ice for its first practice at the Milan Cortina Olympics last week, two players emerged from the arena tunnel early, ahead of everyone else.
And for a few minutes, the ice belonged to them.
There was Connor McDavid, the world’s best hockey player, stone-faced and business-like, testing out the fresh ice. And there was Macklin Celebrini, the 19-year-old NHL sophomore, snapping pucks off the crossbar.
At that moment, Celebrini was still a question.
In the midst of a remarkable second NHL season where he sits fourth in league points, Celebrini had played his way onto Canada’s roster at a precocious age. He wasn’t yet four years old when Sidney Crosby scored the golden goal to win the 2010 Winter Games, but here he was at a best-on-best Olympics. How would he fare on a roster of elite superstars?
Three games into the tournament, there is no question.
The ice once again belongs to McDavid and Celebrini with 15 points between them – nine for McDavid and six for Celebrini. But it’s the rise of the kid from North Vancouver that is commanding the most attention.
Not just the breakout star of the Olympics, he has emerged as the heir apparent to a post-Crosby, post-McDavid world. Hockey has seen the future, and it is Celebrini.
Read the full story here.
02/18/26 07:05
McMorris misses shot at podium in snowboard slopestyle
– Eric Reguly
Open this photo in gallery:
The three-time bronze medalist from Regina skidded on his second run and fell on his third.David Ramos/Getty Images
Mark McMorris’s quest for gold in his fourth Olympics did not go his way.
In the men’s snowboard slopestyle final in Livigno, the three-time Olympic bronze medalist from Regina skidded on his second run and fell on his third, putting him eighth overall among a field of 12 athletes.
He had gone into the final with high hopes for a podium finish, having qualified in third place going into Wednesday’s medal round.
“I’m feeling pretty beat up, mentally and physically, but proud of my efforts and really, really proud to have made it to my fourth Olympics,” he told reporters after the competition. “I worked my ass off to be here, I have the tricks to do so. But in sports, it doesn’t always go your way … This is really hard to swallow.”
He told reporters that, in spite of age – he’s 32 – and a 16-year snowboarding career, he wants to stay in the game. “I don’t plan to stop anytime soon,” he said.
When asked if Milan Cortina is his last Olympics, all he said was, “I don’t know.”
His colleague, Cameron Spalding, 20, of Peterborough, Ont., placed tenth in the slopestyle final.
Read the full story here.
02/18/26 06:55
Women’s, men’s cross-country skiers finish sixth
Open this photo in gallery:
Liliane Gagnon of Canada and Julie Bjervig Drivenes of Norway during the women’s team sprint free final.Stephanie Lecocq/Reuters
Canada’s cross-country skiers have finished sixth in the final of the women’s team sprint free.
The team of Liliane Gagnon and Alison Mackie finished in a time of 20 minutes, 49.43 seconds.
Sweden, Switzerland and Germany topped the podium.
Men’s cross-country skiers duplicated the women’s result, with a sixth in the men’s team sprint free.
Antoine Cyr and Xavier McKeever were Canada’s team.
Norway, the United States and Italy were first, second and third, respectively.
– The Canadian Press
02/18/26 06:45
Weidemann, Maltais signal changing of the guard after team pursuit triumph
Open this photo in gallery:
Ivanie Blondin, Valérie Maltais and Isabelle Weidemann secured Canada’s first speed skating gold of the Milano Cortina Games.Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images
Isabelle Weidemann and Valérie Maltais said they are ready to pass the torch to the next wave of Canadian talent in the team pursuit speed skating event after successfully defending the women’s Olympic title alongside Ivanie Blondin on Tuesday.
The trio – who also powered Canada to gold in Beijing 2022 – stopped the clock at two minutes 55.81 seconds, finishing 0.96 seconds ahead of the Netherlands to secure Canada’s first speed skating gold of the Milano Cortina Games.
“We skated together for eight years. I don’t think there are a lot of other teams that haven’t changed their team over the last eight years,” Weidemann, who also won silver in the 5,000-metre and bronze in the 3,000-metre at Beijing, said.
“Defending together meant a lot, but I also think we knew going in that we need to pass the torch a little bit. There’s another generation of Canadian speed skaters coming up and we’re really excited to watch them.
“We’ve done a lot for the team pursuit, the three of us. We’re ready to watch the next generation. I’m proud of where we’re leaving speed skating in Canada. We’ve paved the road a little bit with this team.”
Maltais, 35, agreed they would not be competing at the next Olympics.
“The future? I think we’re not going to be there in four years,” Maltais said with a laugh. “That’s the straight answer. Isabelle, at the end of the race, when we still had our skates on, she was like, ’so this is it?’”
While Blondin, also 35, has not confirmed whether she will continue competing after these Games, she said she plans to remain involved with Speed Skating Canada in some capacity.
– Reuters
02/18/26 06:33
Who let the dog out? Husky gatecrashes team sprint
Open this photo in gallery:
An Omega photofinish camera captures a dog crossing the finish line after it ran onto the cross-country course during the competition.Omega/via Reuters
A husky with lots of enthusiasm but no credentials gatecrashed a women’s team sprint cross-country race, giving an impromptu performance that had spectators howling with delight.
The dog wandered onto the stadium course in Tesero during the qualifying event, spotted a couple of athletes on the finishing straight and decided to join the action.
The canine sniffed around for a bit before racing across the line ahead of the skiers to wild cheers from a crowd clearly entertained by the unexpected addition to the field.
Officials eventually got hold of the tail-wagging interloper but not before timekeepers preparing for a photo-finish in the race captured an image of the dog crossing the line.
– Reuters
02/18/26 06:27
Marion Thénault advances to final in freestyle skiing aerials
Open this photo in gallery:
Marion Thénault was the only athlete to break 100 points with her jump.Patrick Smith/Getty Images
Canada’s Marion Thénault has topped the first qualifier in the women’s freestyle skiing aerials.
The 25-year-old was the only athlete to break 100 points with her jump, and has advanced straight to the final later today.
Thénault won a bronze medal with Miha Fontaine and Lewis Irving in the mixed team aerials event in Beijing 2022.
– The Canadian Press
02/18/26 06:14
Gold medal game a moment of truth for Canada’s women’s hockey roster
– Grant Robertson
Open this photo in gallery:
Canadian coach Troy Ryan’s database played a key role in the construction of the women’s roster for these Olympic Games. That gets put to the test in Thursday’s gold medal game against the U.S.AMBER SEARLS/Reuters
Troy Ryan keeps a massive database on his laptop computer that the head coach of Canada’s women’s hockey team uses to keep track of which players excel in different game situations.
Everything is tracked, colour-coded and codified: Five-on-five, short-handed, up a goal, down a goal, net front, shootouts, the last two minutes of a game, situations that call for physicality, moments that demand leadership. The list goes on and on.
“I think a lot of coaches think that way, but maybe don’t document it,” Ryan said in an interview before the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. “When you’re in tough decisions, you go back to it and you go, ‘We need someone that can play this role – has anything changed here?’”
The database approach helped Ryan and Team Canada general manager Gina Kingsbury select the women’s roster for Milan.
As Kingsbury describes it, Canada’s brain trust would go player-by-player and ask themselves bluntly: would we play this person in this situation – yes, no, maybe?
This week, that database is about to have its moment of truth.
On Thursday, Team Canada will face the United States in the gold medal game, and Canada’s roster construction will be put to the test.
Read the full story here.
02/18/26 05:40
Men’s and women’s curling teams face Italy
Open this photo in gallery:
Team Brad Jacobs improved to 6-1 and secured a spot in the playoffs.Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images
Canada’s men’s and women’s curling teams each face Italy in round-robin play.
Brad Jacobs’ rink improved to 6-1 and secured a spot in the playoffs with Tuesday’s 9-5 win over Great Britain.
Meanwhile, Rachel Homan’s side saw some early struggles with a three-game losing skid but snapped that with a trio of wins, including an 8-6 victory over previously unbeaten Sweden on Tuesday.
– The Canadian Press
02/18/26 05:34
Blouin looks to return to the podium, Pelchat makes Games debut
Open this photo in gallery:
Laurie Blouin, an Olympic silver medalist in 2018, is chasing another podium.JEFF PACHOUD/AFP/Getty Images
Weather delays reshuffled the schedule in Livigno, where Laurie Blouin and Juliette Pelchat are set for the postponed women’s snowboard slopestyle final.
Blouin, an Olympic silver medalist in 2018, is chasing another podium, while Pelchat is making her Games debut.
The women’s freestyle aerials competition was also pushed back after poor visibility halted qualifying.
– The Canadian Press
02/18/26 05:25
Canada men continue march for hockey gold
Open this photo in gallery:
The Canadians are set to face Czechia in the men’s hockey tournament in a rematch of their tournament opener.GEOFF BURKE/Reuters
Team Canada takes on Czechia in the quarterfinals of the men’s hockey tournament after earning a bye as the top seed.
The Canadians opened the tournament with a 5-0 win over the Czechs and finished undefeated in three Group A games, outscoring opponents 20-3.
There is some concern ahead of the knockout round, however, with Nathan MacKinnon and Sam Bennett missing Tuesday’s practice for what the team described as “maintenance days.”
– The Canadian Press
02/18/26 05:09
Sarault seeks fourth medal at Olympics
Open this photo in gallery:
Courtney Sarault durinng the women’s 1,000m short-track speed skating event on Saturday.Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
Moncton’s Courtney Sarault will be in pursuit of her fourth Olympic medal when she leads Canada into the women’s 3,000-metre short-track speedskating relay final.
The Canadians team, with Kim Boutin, Florence Brunelle and Danae Blais, finished second in their semifinal heat on Saturday to South Korea by 0.127 seconds. Italy and the Netherlands are also in the final.
William Dandjinou leads the Canadian contingent into the men’s 500 quarterfinals.
– The Canadian Press
02/18/26 05:06
McMorris looking for 4th-straight slopestyle medal
Open this photo in gallery:
Mark McMorris competes in run one of the men’s slopestyle final.Hannah Peters/Getty Images
Mark McMorris is aiming for a fourth-straight medal in the men’s snowboard slopestyle final starting at 5:20 a.m. ET. The 32-year-old from Regina was only cleared to compete last Thursday, but cruised through qualifiers on Sunday to finish third and advance.
His Feb. 4 training crash left him with a concussion, pelvic bone bruising and strained abdominal muscles after being stretchered off the course. McMorris has won bronze in this event each of the last three Olympics.
– The Canadian Press
02/18/26 05:00
Today’s Olympic schedule and event start times
– Globe staff
It’s another packed day in Italy as the men’s hockey team play Czechia in one of four quarterfinals happening today and more Canadian Olympians try to get on the podium.
On the slopes, Mark McMorris is snowboarding for his fourth-straight Olympic medal in men’s slopestyle, while Juliette Pelchat and Laurie Blouin are in the women’s final after it was rescheduled due to heavy snow yesterday.
Open this photo in gallery:
Juliette Pelchat in action during women’s snowboard slopestyle qualification on Feb. 15.Dylan Martinez/Reuters
On the ice, Courtney Sarault, Florence Brunelle and Kim Boutin are looking for another short-track medal, this time in the women’s 3,000m relay, and William Dandjinou is skating for a chance at his first Olympic podium in the men’s 500m.
Here are the events to watch for, and you can find the full schedule here.
- 3:45 a.m. ET – Cross-country women’s freestyle team sprint qualifying (Canada competing)
- 4 a.m. ET – Alpine skiing women’s slalom qualifying (Laurence St-Germain among Canadians)
- 4 a.m. ET – Freestyle skiing women’s aerials qualification (Canada’s Marion Thenault)
- 4:15 a.m. ET – Cross-country men’s freestyle team sprint (Canada competing)
- 8:05 a.m. ET – Canada vs. Italy men’s curling round-robin
- 10:40 a.m. ET – Canada vs. Czechia men’s hockey quarterfinal
- 1:05 p.m. ET – Canada vs. Italy women’s curling round-robin
- 2:15 p.m. ET – Short track men’s 500m quarterfinals (Canada’s William Dandjinou, Steven Dubois and Maxime Laoun)
- 3:10 p.m. ET – United States vs. Sweden men’s hockey quarterfinal
Medal events:
- 5:20 a.m. ET – Snowboard men’s slopestyle (Canada’s Mark McMorris and Cameron Spalding)
- 5:45 a.m. ET – Cross-country women’s freestyle team sprint
- 6:15 a.m. ET – Cross-country men’s freestyle team sprint
- 7:30 a.m. ET – Women’s alpine skiing slalom
- 8 a.m. ET – Freestyle skiing women’s aerials
- 8:30 a.m. ET – Snowboard women’s slopestyle (Canada’s Juliette Pelchat and Laurie Blouin)
- 8:45 a.m. ET – Biathlon women’s 4x6km relay (Canada competing)
- 2:51 p.m. ET – Short-track women’s 3000m relay (Canada competing)
- 3:27 p.m. ET – Short track men’s 500m
02/18/26 05:00
Where to watch the Olympics in Canada
– Globe staff
CBC is Canada’s official Olympic broadcaster. The 2026 Winter Games will be available to watch on CBC through your TV provider, or to stream for free on the CBC Gem app or at CBCGem.ca.
You can also follow The Globe and Mail’s live coverage of all the latest news and analysis of the Games, on our website or mobile app.
02/18/26 05:00
Your guide to the 2026 Winter Olympics
– Globe staff
Open this photo in gallery:
A spectator wears Olympic ring glasses at Milano Ice Skating Arena.Elsa/Getty Images
The Milan Cortina Winter Olympics have begun and are poised to be historic in more ways than one, as Team Canada and the world’s best athletes converge in northern Italy.
From hockey to figure skating and the debut of ski mountaineering, the competition will be nothing short of thrilling. But at the most geographically widespread edition of the Winter Games ever, international tensions – particularly toward the United States – will also be on full display.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Games.
02/18/26 05:00
Ask us your Olympics questions
– Globe staff
From how Canada is doing so far to what the energy is like in Italy, tell the The Globe’s Olympics team what you want to know about the Games. We’ll do our best to answer them.
Ask us your Olympics questions
What do you want to know about the 2026 Winter Games and Team Canada so far? Send us your questions, and The Globe’s journalists on the ground in Italy will try to answer them.
