02/16/26 17:25Canada to play U.S. for gold after beating Swiss 2-1 in semifinal
– Grant Robertson
Canada’s Blayre Turnbull misses the net as Switzerland’s Andrea Braendli makes a save during the third period.Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
Canada’s women’s hockey team narrowly averted disaster against Switzerland tonight, winning their Olympic semifinal 2-1, in a game that was far closer on the scoreboard than it was on the ice.
In a game where Switzerland, overmatched and badly outshot, collapsed into a defensive shell from the start, Canada put a barrage of pucks on goaltender Andrea Braendli, but struggled to pull away.
With the game scoreless a few minutes into the second period, Marie Philip-Poulin, playing near the blueline, dropped to one knee and one-timed a pass from Sophie Jaques. The puck ricocheted off a Swiss defender and into the net, putting Canada up 1-0.
It was a historic marker, giving Poulin 19 career Olympic goals, one ahead of former teammate Hayley Wickenheiser. About seven minutes later, she struck again, snapping a Daryl Watts rebound past Braendli, giving Canada a two goal lead.
But the Swiss put a scare into the Canadian bench in the third period when Alina Muller forced a turnover behind Canada’s net and fed the puck to wide open Rahel Enzler, cutting the lead to 2-1.
A loss to the Swiss would have been nothing short of shocking for the defending Olympic champions. The win sets up another showdown in the final against the Americans.
02/16/26 17:17Canadian pairs miss figure-skating podiumOpen this photo in gallery:
Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud finished in 8th place.Amanda Perobelli/Reuters
Canadian champions Trennt Michaud and Lia Pereira were in third place after yesterday’s pairs figure-skating short program, but struggled in today’s free skate, posting a score of 125.06 to claim 8th place.
Fellow Canadians Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps rebounded from a disappointing performance in the short program to score 126.57 in the free skate, but finished in 11th place.
Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara handed Japan their first ever Olympic title in figure skating’s pairs event when they won gold with a total of 231.24 points.
Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava of Georgia won the silver medal with 221.75, while Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin of Germany won the bronze with 219.09.
– The Canadian Press and Reuters
02/16/26 17:09Lotholz overjoyed for monobob gold-medalist Meyers Taylor of U.S.
– Rachel Brady
Canada’s Melissa Lotholz came 6th but was teary with happiness for the three medalists.Julian Finney/Getty Images
Canadian bobsledder Melissa Lotholz stood clapping with tears filling her eyes as she watched from an athletes’ area in the finish house, watching fellow competitor American Elana Meyers Taylor race to a gold medal.
Lotholz finished sixth in the Olympic women’s monobob event in Cortina on Monday. But she was overjoyed to see the 41-year-old U.S bobsledder win her first gold medal in her fifth Olympic Games.
“Who’s not a fan of Alana Meyers Taylor? She’s an amazing athlete, amazing human, amazing mom,” said Lotholz. “She’s a mentor within our sport, she’s dominated for over a decade, yet she’d never won the Olympics. This is beautiful.”
Meyers Taylor topped the podium, while Germany’s Laura Nolte told silver, and reigning Olympic champion Kaillie Humphries Ambruster was bronze, the former Canadian slider who is now on the American team.
“It’s hard in the sense that she was competing for Canada, she now competes for the States. Yeah, me and her competed together for years, up and down story there,” said Lotholz. “I’m at peace with it, and hey, Kaillie lent me half a kilo for my bobsled today.”
Bobsled is a weighted sport, and Lotholz’s sled was coming in half a kilogram light for the race, and Canada’s team didn’t have handy a weight plate that small. They asked the U.S. team and Humphries Ambruster, now 41, and in her fifth Games, offered one up, before going on to win her fifth career Olympic medal.
02/16/26 16:47Skeleton racer Jane Channell reflects on turbulent Games
– Rachel Brady
Canadian tried to focus on training through a point-manipulation controversy that brought her coach under scrutiny.Annegret Hilse/Reuters
Skeleton racer Jane Channell had a lot to get off her chest. Speaking through tears after her final run at the Cortina Sliding Centre, the 37-year-old three-time Olympian shared thoughts she had shelved while preparing for the Games.
The native of North Vancouver tried to focus on training, but in the background a point-manipulation controversy swirled and the actions of her coach, Joe Cecchini, were under scrutiny.
“It’s been a lot, so these tears are just a release,” Channell told The Globe, still holding her helmet after the mixed team event where she finished 15th with teammate Josip Brusic.
The Canadian skeleton team made international news in January after U.S. slider Katie Uhlaender complained that a decision by Cecchini to pull four development team athletes from a women’s race in the lower-tier North American Cup was unfair because it reduced the ranking points available and lessened her chances of getting to a sixth Olympics.
The move helped assure Canada qualified two sleds and therefore protected Channell’s spot.
“Every other coach and every other nation would have done the same thing,” said Channell.
02/16/26 16:41Canada leads Swiss 2-0 after 2nd
– Chris O’Leary
Switzerland’s Andrea Braendli stops a shot by Emma Maltais in the second period.Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
Now it’s looking more like a Canadian women’s Olympic hockey game. Thanks to Marie-Philip Poulin’s pair of goals, Canada will take a 2-0 lead into the third period against Switzerland and is now out-shooting the Swiss 35-4.
Of course, Team USA awaits the winner of this game in the final on Thursday. The Americans rolled past Sweden 5-0 in this morning’s first semi-final game.
02/16/26 16:21Poulin nets 2 goals to break Olympic women’s scoring record
– Chris O’Leary
Marie-Philip Poulin celebrates with Sophie Jaques and Renata Fast.Carolyn Kaster/The Associated Press
If there’s a big stage in a hockey game, Marie-Philip Poulin is always there to show out on it. Poulin came through for Canada once again, scoring her 19th career Olympic goal (the most ever in women’s hockey at the Olympics) early in the second period.
She struck again shortly after, cleaning up a rebound with a diving effort in front of the Swiss net at 8:21 of the second period. Canada has doubled its lead, on the back of its legendary captain.
02/16/26 16:04Stellato Dudek and Deschamps end tumultuous Olympics on a high note
– Robyn Doolittle
Canada’s Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps salute the crowd after their free skate.Yara Nardi/Reuters
Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps hit their free program’s final pose so enthusiastically that their noses crashed.
Satisfied with the skate, but stinging with pain, Stellato-Dudek headed to the kiss and cry with tears in her eyes and blood about to dribble out of her nostril.
“Add it to the list,” she said afterwards with a chuckle in an allusion to her last two tumultuous — and injury heavy — weeks.
The former Canadian and world champions finished their Olympic journey tonight with a combined score of 192.61, which will be far off the podium.
However, just a week ago, it wasn’t clear that the pair would even get to compete in Milan. Days before they were set to the leave for the Games, Stellato-Dudek suffered a head injury at practice in Quebec. Skate Canada has provided few details about the incident, but it was serious enough that she had to pull out of the team event.
They final all-clear to compete in the individual pairs event came last week. The pair headed into tonight’s free program in 14th place after a fluke fall by Stellato-Dudek on the exit of their lift in their short program.
Tonight, Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps had a strong skate, landing both of their throw triple jumps, their triple twist and the lift that gave them problems during Sunday’s short.
02/16/26 15:58Oldham is golden in women’s big air, edging out Gu
– Eric Reguly
24-year-old wins Canada’s second gold medal of the Olympics.Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
Canadian freestyle skier Megan Oldham earned double redemption on a snowy Monday evening in Livigno, winning her second Olympic medal, this time in big air – and this time gold.
Not only did she place first, she humbled Eileen Gu, the American superstar athlete and global luxury brand ambassador who was competing for China. Gu finished with a silver, a disappointment for her after having picked up silver last week in slopestyle.
Oldham, 24, who is from Parry Sound, Ont., won bronze in slopestyle last week, handing Canada one of the first medals of the Games. In Beijing in 2022, she narrowly missed the podium in both slopestyle and big air. Relentless training and drive vaulted her onto the top of the podium in Milan Cortina.
02/16/26 15:44Canada vs. Switzerland scoreless after 1st period
– Chris O’Leary
Renata Fast controls the puck against Laure Meriguet.Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
After Canada flexed so much offence in its first meeting with Switzerland, the first period of the semi-final has been scoreless. Canada has controlled much of the play though, out-shooting the Swiss 13-1 through 20 minutes.
02/16/26 15:18Oldham in 2nd going into big air second runOpen this photo in gallery:
Megan Oldham of Team Canada competes in run one.Patrick Smith/Getty Images
Two Canadians remain in medal contention after the first run at the women’s freestyle skiing big air final.
Megan Oldham sits in second place with a score of 91.75, while Naomi Urness is fifth with an 86.75.
– The Canadian Press
02/16/26 15:10Canada vs. Switzerland semifinal begins as Olympic champs eye gold-medal game against U.S.
– Chris O’Leary
Marie-Philip Poulin is aiming to lead Canada to a 5th-straight gold-medal game against the U.S.Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
Canada is a win away from another chance to play for gold against the United States, but can’t look past Switzerland as today’s semifinal begins.
Ann Renee Desbiens is in net for Canada, and superstar centre Marie-Philip Poulin is playing in her second game after a leg injury took her out of action early in the tournament.
The Canadians topped Germany 5-1 on Saturday to make it to the semi, while the Swiss topped Finland 1-0 in their quarter-final on Saturday. Alina Müller had the game’s lone goal. Swiss goaltender Andrea Brändli had a 40-save shutout and will need another big game today against Canada.
These teams started their tournament play against one another and Canada had 55 shots on goal in a 4-0 win.
02/16/26 15:00Women’s big air final begins after snow delay
The women’s freestyle skiing big air final is underway in Livigno following a 75-minute snow delay.
Canadians Megan Oldham and Naomi Urness are competing, with Oldham posting the top score in qualifying.
– The Canadian Press
02/16/26 14:23Lotholz in 6th, Appiah in 16th heading into monobob final run
– Globe Staff
Melissa Lotholz arrives at the finish.Aijaz Rahi/The Associated Press
Two Canadian bobsledders are into the women’s monobob final run starting just after 3 p.m. ET
Canadian Melissa Lotholz sits in 6th place after run 3, just 1.34 seconds off leader Laura Nolte of Germany.
Teammate Cynthia Appiah is in 16th, 3.25 seconds behind the top spot.
02/16/26 14:00Pereira, Michaud are Canada’s unexpected top figure skating medal contenders
– Robyn Doolittle
Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud finished third in Sunday’s short program.Joosep Martinson/Getty Images
A Canadian team is entering tonight’s pairs free program sitting in third place — but it’s not the duo that people were expecting.
Canadian national champions Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud finished the short program in third after racking up a season’s best score of 74.60 points. While, the German pair of Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin are sitting in first with 80.01 and Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava of Georgia are in second with 75.46.
All three teams skated close-to-clean on Sunday night when many of the top medal contenders made bizarre mistakes.
For example, gold-favorites Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan struggled to press up into their lift and the element was dramatically downgraded. And Canadians Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps had a fluke fall on the exit of their lift. The pair ended up in 14th with 66.04 points.
However, the podium is still wide open. There is only a 16-point spread between the first and last placed team in tonight’s event.
Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps skate at 2:23 p.m. ET in the first group and Pereira and Trennt Michaud are on at 4:28 p.m. ET in the fourth group.
02/16/26 13:29Women’s big air skiing postponed by heavy snowOpen this photo in gallery:
Heavy snow in Livigno has delayed the women’s big air final until at least 3 p.m. ET.Hannah McKay/Reuters
A sudden snowstorm delayed the start of the women’s freeski big air final Monday at the Milan Cortina Olympics.
Organizers said the earliest the final would start was 3 p.m. ET, a delay of 90 minutes. In the meantime, workers used shovels and portable snowblowers to remove excess snow from the course at Livigno Snow Park
Canadians Megan Oldham and Naomi Urness were both in the final, with Oldham having topped qualifying.
– The Canadian Press
02/16/26 13:22Canada’s Oldham leads going into big air final; Gremaud withdraws due to injuryOpen this photo in gallery:
Megan Oldham warms up prior to the women’s big air final.Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
Megan Oldham is looking for another medal, this time in women’s big air, as the Canadian skier leads the standings heading into the final starting at 1:30 p.m. ET. The 24-year-old took bronze in slopestyle last week.
The Canadian’s path to the podium also got clearer as Mathilde Gremaud of Switzerland, one of the top medal contenders, pulled out just before the start of the race due to injury.
Gremaud and fellow Swiss finalist Anouk Andraska crashed during training and were injured, the Swiss team said in a statement. Andraska injured her wrist, Gremaud her hip.
Gremaud, 26, won gold in the freestyle slopestyle final on February 9 and came third in qualifiers for Monday’s competition. She is also the two-time reigning slopestyle World Champion.
Her withdrawal leaves Eileen Gu of China, outgoing big air Olympic champion and slopestyle silver medallist, and Oldham as today’s top-rated contenders. Canadian Naomi Urness is also competing in the final.
– Reuters
02/16/26 13:07U.S. into women’s hockey gold-medal game with 5-0 win over Sweden in semisOpen this photo in gallery:
Americans Abbey Murphy, Haley Winn and Caroline Harvey celebrate after Murphy scored a goal against Sweden.Carolyn Kaster/The Associated Press
The United States beat Sweden 5-0 in the women’s ice hockey semi-finals to reach the Winter Olympics gold medal game.
The Americans were the favourites heading into Milan and they put on another convincing performance at Santagiulia arena, where Cayla Barnes scored in the first period, while Taylor Heise, Abbey Murphy, veteran Kendall Coyne Schofield and Hayley Scamurra notched second-period goals.
They will play the winner of today’s semi-final between Canada, the defending Olympic champions, and Switzerland for the gold on Thursday.
Sweden, who won their last medal with the silver in 2006, beat Czech Republic in the quarter-finals but ran out of firepower against the world champions United States.
– Reuters
02/16/26 12:41Reigning champs Sweden on brink of elimination from men’s curling medal contentionOpen this photo in gallery:
Sweden’s Niklas Edin reacts after losing to Germany.Misper Apawu/The Associated Press
Olympic men’s curling champions Sweden suffered a crushing blow today, with their title defence on the verge of ending after a 7-3 defeat to Germany.
The Niklas Edin-led Swedish rink have just one win in six games at the Winter Olympics and will fail to qualify for the semi-finals, barring an extraordinary set of circumstances.
“We haven’t played terrible, it’s just too many half shots and a few guesses that are not good enough and a few calls that maybe are not the best calls and a few wrong sides of the inches and all that combined just created too many losses,” Edin said.
World champions Britain, who were also among the pre-tournament favourites, suffered a surprise 7-6 defeat to Norway – a second consecutive loss that dropped Bruce Mouat’s team to fifth in the standings. Britain need victories in their final two matches against top-four rivals Canada and the United States to guarantee their semi-final spot, though one victory could still prove sufficient.
Canada strengthened their position with an emphatic 8-2 victory over the Czech Republic, securing their fifth win of the round-robin stage to maintain second place behind unbeaten Switzerland.
– Reuters
02/16/26 12:12Olympic meltdown in slalomOpen this photo in gallery:
Norway’s Atle Lie McGrath walks off the course after skiing out during an alpine ski, men’s slalom race.John Locher/The Associated Press
Norway’s Atle Lie McGrath saw his gold-medal hopes slip away in the Olympic slalom and decided to send his ski poles sailing along with them.
After tossing each pole over the netting, he then climbed the fencing on the side of the Stelvio course to begin his long walk toward the wilderness. It was part of an Olympic meltdown that turned the men’s slalom into high-tragic theatre today.
McGrath, hoping to deliver gold in honour of his grandfather who died on the day of the opening ceremony, had a medal within his sights – until he straddled a gate and was out. He lost a medal and then control of his emotions in a race won by Loic Meillard of Switzerland.
Once McGrath reached the forest, he sat down in the snow and then fell back, breathing heavily. A medical person came over to check on him.
Several minutes later, still stewing, he was escorted back down to the finish area in a police Ski-Doo, storming off without talking.
– The Associated Press and Reuters
02/16/26 11:44How two U.S. bobsledders ended up barefoot post-runOpen this photo in gallery:
Frank Del Duca and Joshua Williamson during their bobsled run.Alessandra Tarantino/The Associated Press
Frank Del Duca and Joshua Williamson quickly began icing down after their first two runs of the two-man bobsled event at the Milan Cortina Games.
It was not in a recommended fashion. They didn’t even use ice.
The American bobsledders – who are fourth at the midway point of the two-man competition, just one-tenth of a second from a bronze medal spot – had one tiny problem after their second run today.
Well, four tiny problems, to be exact.
They lost their shoes.
So, they went through most of their 20-minute post-race media gamut outside, in subfreezing temperatures, on cold gray concrete – barefoot. They carried their racing spikes but didn’t want to wear them on the concrete in order to avoid damage.
“In between runs, we plan ahead,” Del Duca said. “We put our shoes in something called a down bag. We have layers to stay nice and warm and be comfortable. We pack a lot of stuff in that bag and then we normally don’t leave it at the top. “Today, we left it at the top.”
Sliders wear very little during their actual runs: super-thin speed suit, spikes and helmet are about it. Their jackets, warm-up gear, sneakers and big gloves tend to be kept in those “down” bags, named because they’re supposed to come “down” the mountain with someone while the sliders, you know, go down in their sled.
They tried to make the best of the situation Monday.
“We’re just trying to be tough,” Williamson insisted, though the smile on his face suggested otherwise.
“I’m telling everyone it was intentional,” Del Duca said. “We were taking an ice bath from the ground up.”
– The Associated Press
02/16/26 11:25Olympic hockey demonstrates how good the NHL could be, but isn’t
– Cathal Kelly
France’s Pierre Crinon and Canada’s Tom Wilson fight in the third period during the match on Sunday.Hassan Ammar/The Associated Press
In Canada’s last round-robin hockey game on Saturday, Tom Wilson got to live his Olympic wrestling dream with a French opponent.
Afterward, Wilson’s teammates came out and said NHL things about how adding an actual beating to an Olympic beating rallied the team.
“Nothing but respect for him,” said Connor McDavid. I’m guessing he’d be feeling something less than respect for Wilson if he ever had to face him in May.
In the rest of the world, the fight was the only news out of the game.
“‘That’s hockey’: Canada’s Wilson shuns Olympic tradition and brawls during win over France” was the Guardian’s headline. It was their top Olympic story.
Shuns tradition! Brawls! Between the soccer players, the curlers and the brawlers, you’re starting to get the sense that the rest of the world is developing an impression of us, and that it’s not everything we hoped.
From a homer perspective, the men’s hockey in Milan is eliciting a different feeling – resentment. Why can’t hockey be this much fun to watch all the time?
Olympic hockey with top pros makes clear to you that most nights, everyone in the NHL is going at maybe 70 per cent. Because you can see that here they’re all near a hundred, looking like someone poured Toradol in their granola. Even the Swiss and the Slovaks are magic to watch.
02/16/26 10:40Men’s curling team improves to 5-1 with victory over CzechiaOpen this photo in gallery:
Brett Gallant, Brad Jacobs, Tyler Tardi and Marc Kennedy of Canada celebrate winning their match against Czechia.Jennifer Lorenzini/Reuters
Canada’s Brad Jacobs guided his men’s curling team to an 8-2 victory over Czechia’s Lukas Klima today at the Winter Olympics.
Jacobs and his Calgary-based team of Marc Kennedy, Brett Gallant and Ben Hebert opened with four singles in a row and pulled away with a three-point sixth end.
Jacobs made a highlight-reel angle-raise to remove a Czech stone for the big score.
With the game in hand, Canadian alternate Tyler Tardi made his Olympic debut in the seventh end as a replacement for Hebert.
Tardi made back-to-back draws to the four-foot ring. Canada sealed the victory with a single in the eighth end.
The Canadians improved to 5-1 in round-robin play. They will play top-ranked Bruce Mouat of Great Britain on Tuesday night.
– The Canadian Press
02/16/26 10:15Ilia Malinin says Olympic pressure led to ‘inevitable crash’Open this photo in gallery:
Ilia Malinin of the United States during the men’s free skate program in figure skating on Friday.Ashley Landis/The Associated Press
Ilia Malinin said today his pressure-packed Olympic debut resulted in an “inevitable crash” and suggested he would release more details about his experience on Saturday, when he will reportedly participate in a skating exhibition in Milan.
The 21-year-old American figure skater came into the Milan Cortina Games surrounded by huge hype as the heavy favourite to win gold in the men’s event. That dream unravelled in spectacular fashion when he fell twice and struggled with his other jumps to finish a shocking eighth in one of the greatest upsets in Olympic figure skating history.
The two-time world champion posted a video on social media on Monday showing his happiest moments in competition set to gentle piano music interspersed with jarring cuts to a black-and-white shot of him with his head in his hands.
Malinin revealed he had been subjected to abuse online, writing: “On the world’s biggest stage, those who appear the strongest may still be fighting invisible battles on the inside.
“Even your happiest memories can end up tainted by the noise. Vile online hatred attacks the mind and fear lures it into the darkness, no matter how hard you try to stay sane through the endless insurmountable pressure,” he wrote.
“It all builds up as these moments flash before your eyes, resulting in an inevitable crash. This is that version of the story.
“Coming February 21, 2026.”
USA Today reported today that Malinin would take part in Saturday’s gala.
– Reuters
02/16/26 10:00Of the 96 entries in the Olympic slalom event, none was Canadian. Why the no-show in the snow?
– Eric Reguly
Loic Meillard won Switzerland’s first men’s slalom gold since 1948.FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images
In the men’s Olympic slalom event on Monday, in Bormio, there were 96 entrants. Not one of them was Canadian.
The entrants came from all over the global map. Besides the usual suspects from snowy countries such as Norway, the event included athletes from Morocco, Jamaica, Philippines, Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti and San Marino, a microstate surrounded by Italy.
But none from the biggest, snowiest country of them all (that would be Canada; the Russians athletes in the Milan Cortina Games are not allowed to compete under their flag). How can that be?
Blame the quota system. Also blame the lack of depth among Canadian men in the “technical” Alpine events – slalom and giant slalom – where turning ability through tightly spaced gates separates the men from the boys. The Canadian lads, among them Jack Crawford, are better at the flat-out speed events – downhill and super-G.
The bigger story is the Canadian men’s waning expertise in the Alpine technical races, partly the outcome of funding shortages.
02/16/26 09:12Men’s curling team faces Czechia Open this photo in gallery:
Canada’s Marc Kennedy, Brett Gallant and Ben Hebert compete during a men’s curling round robin match against Czechia.David J. Phillip/The Associated Press
The Canadian men’s curling team skipped by Brad Jacobs put its 4-1 record on the line today against Czechia’s Lukas Klima at the Winter Games. The Canadian side is looking to build for the playoffs after a wild weekend at Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium.
– The Canadian Press
02/16/26 08:46Frustrated Fontana made to wait for record medalOpen this photo in gallery:
Arianna Fontana of Team Italy says she would not allow the quest for the 14th medal to distract her.Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
Arianna Fontana said she had a “bitter taste in her mouth” after missing out on the chance to become Italy’s most decorated Olympian when she finished only fourth in the short track women’s 1,000-metres today.
Fontana, who has won a gold and a silver at the Milan Cortina Games, is tied with fencer Edoardo Mangiarotti, who won 13 medals between 1936 and 1960. The Italian felt that she had been barged by Chinese skater Gong Li during the final won by Dutchwoman Xandra Velzeboer.
“It makes me angry,” she told reporters.
“I’m disappointed because she threw away my race and didn’t really give me the chance to fight for the podium,” Fontana added. “You’re left with that bitter taste in your mouth.”
Fontana, 35, has another chance to break the record on Wednesday in the relay when Italy face South Korea, Canada and the Netherlands.
“I’ll try to turn this anger into extra fuel to add to the fire,” she said.
Fontana said she would not allow the quest for the 14th medal to distract her.
“You can’t think about the medal or the result – otherwise they will never come,” she said.
She made her Olympic debut when Italy hosted the 2006 Games in Turin, picking up the first medal of her glittering career there in the women’s relay.
– Reuters
02/16/26 08:26How Olympic curling alternates support their teams from behind the scenesOpen this photo in gallery:
Canada’s and Switzerland’s curling teams on Saturday. While alternates rarely get on the ice, it is always a possibility, and it is vital to be ready.Fatima Shbair/The Associated Press
At the Winter Games, a group of curlers exist in a strange paradox: officially Olympians yet uncertain whether they will set foot on the ice.
These are the alternates, the unsung fifths in a sport designed for four.
“My goal is to be always wanted or needed but unnoticed,” said Tyler Tardi, the alternate of a Canadian team led by 2014 Olympic champion Brad Jacobs.
“If I can be behind the scenes, but the guys know that I’m making their lives easier, that’s all I can do and that’s all I can want. It’s one of my personal traits I think, selflessness. It is a big goal of mine to put others ahead of myself. That fits this role pretty well.”
The 27-year-old is keen to learn as much as he can from his teammates, who have a wealth of Olympic experience.
“To finally be at the Olympics and to not be on the ice, I don’t take that as a negative,” he added. “It’s more so of a driving force for the future. We’re only a few days in and I already want to be back. This is super cool. I can’t wait to work hard and try to be on the main lineup in the future.”
One of the main responsibilities of an alternate is to throw rocks the day before a game and map out how each individual stone travels on the ice and while alternates rarely get on the ice, it is always a possibility, and it is vital to be ready.
– Reuters
02/16/26 07:57Winter Games ticket demand ramped up later than for other major sports eventsOpen this photo in gallery:
Canadian fans during the men’s curling round robin session on Sunday.Jennifer Lorenzini/Reuters
Demand for Winter Olympics tickets has risen later than for other major sports events, with fans committing after the holiday season and continuing purchases into the Games’ second week, On Location president Paul Caine said.
“With the Olympics, there’s a varying degree of when the desire begins,” Caine told Reuters on Saturday.
“In this particular Winter Games, it feels like the holidays came upon us and people started to decide they wanted to go after that.
“Even now, we’re halfway through the Games and people are still buying and then getting on planes to come here. So it’s interesting how the demand curve changes.”
Fans packed the streets around the Arco della Pace, where one of two Olympic cauldrons dazzled tourists and locals over the weekend as enthusiasm for the Games appeared to be surging.
The Games in Italy have so far gone off largely without a hitch, with ticket sales currently at 85 per cent, or 1.27 million sold as of Saturday.
Caine said differences in the timing of ticket and hospitality purchases for major international sporting events often reflect regional buying habits.
Americans typically purchase earlier while European and some Asian customers tend to decide later, a pattern he said can complicate planning for global events.
– Reuters
02/16/26 07:42Canadian speed skaters advance to quarterfinals in men’s 500mOpen this photo in gallery:
Canada’s William Dandjinou and Japan’s Kazuki Yoshinaga compete in the short track speed skating men’s 500m heats.GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images
Canadian short-track star William Dandjinou is through to the quarterfinal in men’s 500-metre speed skating at the Milan Cortina Games, along with fellow Canadians Steven Dubois and Maxime Laoun.
Dandjinou pulled ahead for an easy win after the three competitors in his heat went down in a crash.
The 24-year-old Montreal native arrived at the Games as the world’s top-ranked skater and a favourite for multiple gold medals.
Two events into his individual program, he is still searching for a podium finish. Dandjinou finished fifth Saturday in a chaotic men’s 1,500-metre final marked by heavy contact and constant position changes.
Canada will also fight for a podium spot in the men’s 5,000-metre speed skating relay after beating Italy and China in the semifinals.
Dandjinou, Dubois, Laoun and Félix Roussel secured their team’s spot following a dramatic race that saw several falls during one exchange.
Italy, South Korea and the Netherlands will join Canada to compete for the top spot in the finals.
– The Canadian Press
02/16/26 07:08Courtney Sarault wins silver in women’s 1,000m short track
– Cathal Kelly
Silver medalist Courtney Sarault celebrates on the podium during the medal ceremony for the women’s 1,000-metre short track.Yves Herman/Reuters
Canada’s Courtney Sarault won a silver medal in the women’s 1,000-metre short track event today. It is her third medal of these Games.
Sarault, 24, won both her heats, and led through most of the final. She was able to successfully box out Italian legend, Arianna Fontana. But in the final laps, Dutch skater Xandra Velzeboer, overtook her.
In a team and as an individual, Sarault represents 30 per cent of the medals Canada has won in Milan. She has a shot at one more in relay.
Earlier, Canada’s William Dandjinou – who’s had a disappointing Games – won his heat in qualifying for the men’s 500-metre race. The men’s 5,000-metre relay team did likewise. Those finals will take place on Wednesday and Friday night, respectively, Milan time.
02/16/26 06:37Carney congratulates Kingsbury on winning dual moguls gold02/16/26 06:00Homan ends three-game skid with curling win over ChinaOpen this photo in gallery:
Rachel Homan, Tracy Fleury, Sarah Wilkes and Emma Miskew after the women’s curling round robin session against China.Fatima Shbair/The Associated Press
Canada’s Rachel Homan ended a three-game losing skid in curling this morning with a 10-5 victory over China’s Rui Wang at the Winter Olympics.
Homan and her Ottawa-based team of Tracy Fleury, Emma Miskew and Sarah Wilkes scored four points in the fourth end and tacked on three more in the sixth.
The Canadians improved to 2-3 in round-robin play at Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium. China fell to 2-3.
Homan was scheduled to play Japan’s Sayaka Yoshimura (1-4) in the evening session. Round-robin play continues through Thursday afternoon and the medal games are set for the weekend.
It was the first draw in women’s play since World Curling reversed course on its umpire setup. Homan had a rock pulled in a loss to Switzerland on Saturday when an umpire monitoring the hog line called her for double-touching the stone.
The sport’s governing body said Sunday night that umpires would return to their regular setup of monitoring the delivery area only when requested by the opposing team.
– The Canadian Press
02/16/26 05:20Women’s hockey team takes on Switzerland in the semifinalsOpen this photo in gallery:
Canada’s Marie-Philip Poulin scores a goal during the quarterfinals against Germany on Saturday.Darko Bandic/Reuters
Canada’s women’s hockey team can clinch a medal and advance to the final with a win over Switzerland today.
The semifinal showdown is the second meeting between the two countries in the tournament, after Canada earned a 4-0 victory in its opening round-robin game. The winner this time will face either Sweden or the USA for gold.
Canada and the United States have met in four straight Olympic gold medal games, with Canada winning three. The Americans routed Canada 5-0 in their preliminary meeting last week.
– The Canadian Press
02/16/26 05:10Stellato-Dudek, Deschamps are jumping for a spot on the podiumOpen this photo in gallery:
Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps during the pairs figure skating short program on Sunday.Stephanie Scarbrough/The Associated Press
Pairs figure skating continues today with the free skate program, following Sunday’s short program.
Canada’s top contender is the pair of Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud, who are coming into the free skate ranked third.
Former world champions Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps are in 14th place after Stellato-Dudek fell during their short program. The skate marked their return to the ice after the duo withdrew from the team event earlier at the Games after Stellato-Dudek sustained a training injury on Jan. 30.
– The Canadian Press
02/16/26 05:00Curling teams return to action after recent controversyOpen this photo in gallery:
Canada’s Rachel Homan, Sarah Wilkes and Emma Miskew during a women’s curling round robin match.David J. Phillip/The Associated Press
Canada’s men’s and women’s curling squads are back in action after controversy for both in recent days.
The men’s team of Brad Jacobs, Marc Kennedy, Brett Gallant and Ben Hebert will face Czechia, while the women’s team of Rachel Homan, Tracy Fleury, Emma Miskew and Sarah Wilkes meet China and Japan.
On Saturday, Homan had a rock pulled in an 8-7 loss to Switzerland, claiming she was unfairly punished for a “double-touching” controversy involving Canada and Sweden in the men’s draw.
– The Canadian Press
02/16/26 05:00Today’s Olympic schedule and event start times
– Globe staff
It’s another packed day in Italy as the 2026 Winter Games enter their final week.
On the ice, figure-skating pair Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps are jumping for a spot on the podium in the medal-deciding free program. Courtney Sarault, Florence Brunelle and Kim Boutin are also racing for a chance at another short-track medal in the women’s 1000m.
Megan Oldham during the women’s freeski big air qualification on Saturday.Patrick Smith/Getty Images
On the slopes, Megan Oldham is looking for another medal in women’s skiing big air as China’s superstar Eileen Gu aims to defend her Olympic title.
Here are the events to watch for, and you can find the full schedule here.
3:05 a.m. – Canada vs. China women’s curling round-robin4 a.m. ET – Two-man bobsleigh (two Canadian teams competing)5 a.m. ET – Short track women’s 1000m quarterfinal (Canada’s Courtney Sarault, Florence Brunelle and Kim Boutin)8:05 a.m. ET – Canada vs. Czechia men’s curling round-robin1:05 p.m. – Canada vs. Japan women’s curling round-robin3:10 p.m – Canada vs. Switzerland women’s hockey semifinal
Medal events:
06:41 a.m. ET – Women’s 1000m short track7:30 a.m. ET – Men’s slalom1:30 p.m. ET – Freestyle skiing women’s big air (Canada’s Megan Oldham and Naomi Urness)2 p.m. ET – Pairs figure skating free program (Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps competing)2:20 p.m. ET – Ski jumping mens super team3:06 p.m. ET – Bobsleigh women’s monobob02/16/26 05:00Where 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.
02/16/26 05:00Your guide to the 2026 Winter Olympics
– Globe staff
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.
02/16/26 05:00Ask 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.