Day 5 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics is off and running with some medal potential for Team Canada to look out for on Wednesday.
Most notably, Team Canada ice dance stars Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier are in bronze-medal position entering the free dance final, beginning at 1:30 p.m. EST/10:30 a.m. PST. As well, at 12:30 p.m. EST/9:30 a.m. PST, the men’s 1000-metre speed skating event goes with Canadians in contention.
Additionally, the men’s curling tournament gets started with Brad Jacobs back in the Olympics. His Canadian rink will begin round-robin play against Germany at 1:05 p.m. EST/10:05 a.m. PST.
Lastly, the men’s hockey tournament will finally get underway with a pair of Group B matches with Finland taking on Slovakia at 10:40 a.m. EST/7:40 a.m. PST and then Sweden facing off against Italy at 3:10 p.m. EST/12:10 p.m. PST. Canada begins its hockey tournament Thursday.
What to watch today for Team Canada
11:00 a.m. EST: Luge — Women’s doubles (run 1)
11:51 a.m. EST: Luge — Men’s doubles (run 1)
12:30 p.m. EST: Speed skating — Men’s 1000 M (medal event)
12:53 p.m. EST: Luge — Women’s doubles (run 2/medal event)
1:05 p.m. EST: Men’s curling — Canada vs. Germany (round robin)
1:30 p.m. EST: Figure skating — Ice dance (free dance/medal event)
1:44 p.m. EST: Luge — Men’s doubles (run 2/medal event)
Piper and Paul look to fulfill Olympic dream
Feb 9, 2026; Milan, Italy; Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Canada skate during ice dancing at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect / Reuters)
Top Canadian ice dance duo Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier are in good position to land on the podium.
Sitting in third place after recording a season’s best score of 86.18 in the rhythm dance Monday, they enter Wednesday’s free dance final with a medal very much within their grasp.
In their way is French pair Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron, who lead after a 90.18-scored performance in the rhythm dance, and American team Madison Chock and Evan Bates, who scored 89.72 to claim second. Also, hot on Gilles and Poirier’s tail in fourth is Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson of Great Britain, after they recorded an 85.47.
The free dance is a longer program, meaning there’s more opportunity to both score points and make mistakes. This season, Gilles and Poirier are performing to Govardo’s folk cover of Vincent originally by Don McLean.
Also skating in the free dance are fellow Canadians Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha, and Marie-Jade Lauriault and Romain Le Gac, who enter Wednesday in ninth and 15th place, respectively.
The ice dance final gets underway at 1:30 p.m. EST/10:30 a.m. PST.
Brad Jacobs’ Canadian rink begins their Olympic campaign
Curling – World Men’s Curling Championship – Mosaic Place, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada – April 6, 2025 Canada’s Brad Jacobs in action during their bronze medal match against China REUTERS/Todd Korol
(REUTERS / Reuters)
Though Canada’s mixed doubles team of Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant disappointed, there’s still hope for Canadian curling at the Olympics.
Brad Jacobs skips Canada’s men’s curling team, which begins action Wednesday with round-robin play against Germany at 1:05 p.m. EST/10:05 a.m. PST.
Unlike the mixed competition, the men’s contest — and women’s — is a proper 10-end match with all the positions on the ice (skip, third, second, lead and an alternate).
The 40-year-old Jacobs initially stepped away from curling in March 2022, but returned for the start of the 2023-24 curling season.
“I think I put too much pressure on myself for a lot of years,” Jacobs told the CBC. “When I stepped away, I wanted some perspective, I wanted to reconnect with why I love the sport so much.”
He enters the 2026 Games ranked No. 5 in the world, but has previous Olympic bona fides, having won gold in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.
Men’s hockey tournament gets underway
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN – MAY 24: William Nylander of Sweden in action during the 2025 Ice Hockey World Championship match between Sweden and USA at Avicii Arena on May 24, 2025 in Stockholm, Sweden. (Photo by Andrea Branca/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
(Eurasia Sport Images via Getty Images)
The marquee event of the winter Olympics begins Wednesday with the men’s hockey tournament finally dropping the puck.
It all starts with Finland vs. Slovakia in Group B play at 10:40 a.m. EST/7:40 a.m. PST, followed by Sweden taking on host Italy in another Group B showdown at 3:10 p.m. EST/12:10 p.m. PST.
All four teams feature NHL talent except for Italy. Finland and Sweden, obviously, come to the tournament with some serious star power with names like Mikael Granlund, Sebastian Aho, Mikko Rantanen, Victor Hedman, Erik Karlsson and William Nylander.
The highly-anticipated debut of Canada’s men’s hockey team awaits one more day when Canada faces Czechia Thursday at 10:40 a.m. EST/7:40 a.m. PST.
COC issues statement regarding Tumbler Ridge shootings
Vehicles are parked outside the Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, the site of a deadly mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Canada, February 10, 2026, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. Trent Ernst/Tumbler RidgeLines/via REUTERS
(Reuters / Reuters)
With word that 10 people died following a shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., Tuesday, the Canadian Olympic Committee issued the following statement:
“We are heartbroken by the news of the horrific school shooting that occurred in British Columbia. Our thoughts are with the families who have lost loved ones, those who are injured, and the entire Tumbler Ridge community. Team Canada stands with everyone affected as they navigate difficult days ahead.”
More Team Canada news on Day 5
Women’s halfpipe snowboard: Elizabeth Hosking was the lone Canadian to qualify for the women’s halfpipe snowboard competition final. She qualified with a score of 80.25, which she managed to put down in the second qualifying run, and will enter Thursday’s final in eighth. Fellow Canadians Felicity Geremia and Brooke Dhondt finished 17th and 23rd, respectively.
Women’s freestyle skiing moguls: Maïa Schwinghammer was the only Canadian to reach Final 2, but was unable to land on the podium, finishing fifth at in the women’s moguls event at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Laurianne Desmarais-Gilbert, Jessica Linton and Ashley Koehler all made it to the first final, but couldn’t reach the top-eight cut required to compete in the second final. Ultimately, the U.S.’s Elizabeth Lemley and Jaelin Kauf won gold and silver, while France’s Perrine Lafont took the bronze.
Men’s Super-G alpine skiing: Canada’s James Crawford, Cameron Alexander and Brodie Serger finished the men’s Super-G in 16th, 17th and 22nd Wednesday at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Riley Serger, Brodie’s younger brother, was unable to finish the course. Switzerland’s Franjo von Allmen and Marco Odermatt took the gold and bronze in the event, while the silver went to American Ryan Cochran-Siegle.
Women’s 15 KM individual biathlon: Pascale Paradis was the top Canadian finisher in the women’s 15-kilometre individual biathlon, Wednesday at the 2026 Olympics. She finished 24th. Nadia Moser and Shilo Rousseau finished 67th and 78th, respectively. Benita Peiffer, unfortunately, was unable to start her race. Winning gold and silver were France’s Julia Simon and Lou Jeanmonnot while the bronze was claimed by Lora Hristova of Bulgaria.