02\/14\/26 10:55Canadian men\u2019s curling team suffers first round-robin defeat<\/p>\n
Switzerland\u2019s Yannick Schwaller defeated Canada\u2019s Brad Jacobs<\/a> 9-5 on Saturday afternoon at the Winter Olympics.<\/p>\n It was the first loss of round-robin play for the Calgary-based team of Jacobs, Marc Kennedy, Brett Gallant and Ben Hebert.<\/p>\n It was Canada\u2019s first game since World Curling issued a verbal warning<\/a> to team officials about inappropriate behaviour.<\/p>\n \u2013 The Canadian Press<\/p>\n 02\/14\/26 10:45Women\u2019s hockey quarterfinal against Germany begins<\/p>\n – Globe staff<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Brianne Jenner of Canada scores past Sandra Abstreiter of Germany in the Olympic quarterfinal match Saturday.David W Cerny\/Reuters<\/p>\n Canada\u2019s women\u2019s hockey team kicked off its quarterfinal match against Germany Saturday with captain Marie-Philip Poulin back in the lineup.<\/p>\n Poulin missed Canada\u2019s last two round-robin games after an injury sustained during the team\u2019s match with Czechia on Monday.<\/p>\n Canada started strong with a goal early in the first period.<\/p>\n 02\/14\/26 09:32Marie-Philip Poulin to play quarterfinal against GermanyOpen this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Marie-Philip Poulin gathers with teammates before a preliminary round match of women’s ice hockey against Czechia on Feb. 9.Carolyn Kaster\/The Associated Press<\/p>\n Captain Marie-Philip Poulin is back in the lineup<\/a> for Canada\u2019s women\u2019s hockey quarterfinal against Germany.<\/p>\n Poulin missed Canada\u2019s last two round-robin games with an injury.<\/p>\n She was hurt after taking an awkward hit into the boards during Canada\u2019s 5-1 preliminary round victory over Czechia on Monday.<\/p>\n \u2013 The Canadian Press<\/p>\n 02\/14\/26 09:02Free condoms for Olympic athletes in short supplyOpen this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Competitors make their way through the athletes village in Cortina d’Ampezzo.Carmen Mandato\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Athletes at the Winter Games seem to have embraced Valentine\u2019s week with their trademark Olympic intensity, racing through their free condom supply to leave dispensers empty before the big day itself.<\/p>\n Some 10,000 prophylactics were distributed across the city and mountain accommodation sites by organizers, continuing a longstanding Olympic practice aimed at promoting safe relationships among mostly young, healthy and energetic competitors living in close quarters.<\/p>\n By Saturday the stock had run out, however, with just over a week of the sporting bonanza still to go, adding Milan to a long list of Games where demand has comfortably outstripped supply, a now almost-routine Olympic sub-plot.<\/p>\n \u201cClearly this shows Valentine\u2019s Day is in full swing at the village,\u201d International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams told a press conference on Saturday. \u201cTen thousand have been used \u2013 2,800 athletes \u2013 you can go figure, as they say.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is rule 62 of the Olympic Charter that we have to have a condoms story. Faster, higher, stronger, together,\u201d Adams joked.<\/p>\n While athletes are provided with free condoms at every Games, the rush in Milan has left even the athletes themselves stunned.<\/p>\n \u201cI just saw that this morning. I was, like, shocked as everyone else,\u201d Mexican figure skater Donovan Carrillo said.<\/p>\n Mialitiana Clerc, an alpine skier representing Madagascar, said there was nothing left in her accommodation.<\/p>\n \u201cThere were a lot of boxes at the entrance of every building where we were staying and every day, everything had gone from the box,\u201d said Clerc. \u201cI already know that a lot of people are using condoms, or giving them to their friends outside of the Olympics because it\u2019s a kind of gift for them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2013 Reuters<\/p>\n 02\/14\/26 08:54Valentine\u2019s Day at the Winter OlympicsOpen this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Laura Stacey and Marie-Philip Poulin of Team Canada celebrate after defeating Switzerland on day one of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. The married couple are playing Germany on Saturday in the quarterfinals.Sarah Stier\/Getty Images<\/p>\n At the Milan Cortina Olympic Games, winning medals isn\u2019t the only thing making hearts swell. From the ice rinks to the snowy hills, love is in the frozen air.<\/p>\n Valentine\u2019s Day is the finals for the women\u2019s skeleton event. That means that Kim Meylemans of Belgium and Nicole Rocha Silveira of Brazil \u2013 an international couple who play for their separate national teams \u2013 will be too busy for a romantic dinner. They told The Associated Press they didn\u2019t even bring gifts to exchange.<\/p>\n But since they are together all the time, \u201cIt\u2019s always a bit of a Valentine\u2019s Day,\u201d Meylemans said. \u201cIt is part of our sport every day, our love.\u201d <\/p>\n Canadian hockey forward Laura Stacey and her wife, team captain Marie-Philip Poulin, have a different kind of date: playing Germany\u2019s team in the quarterfinals in Milan.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have a game, we have a big game, so spending it together. We\u2019re pretty lucky,\u201d Stacey said. \u201cMost people don\u2019t get to do what they love, chasing their dreams together, and we do. So I think on February 14th, I think it\u2019s important for us to just appreciate that and not take it for granted.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2013 The Associated Press<\/p>\n Read more about what Valentine\u2019s Day looks like for athletes and attendees at the Games. <\/a><\/p>\n 02\/14\/26 08:30South African latecomer Matt Smith hopes to inspire others<\/p>\n Three years ago, Matt Smith had never strapped on a pair of cross-country skis. On Friday, the South African lined up alongside the world\u2019s best at the Winter Olympics, driven by a belief that it is never too late to do something you love and a desire to put the sport on the map back home.<\/p>\n The 35-year-old only took up the sport after moving to Norway three years ago, navigating unfamiliar snow and skis during long hours of training. Now competing on the biggest stage, Smith hopes his unlikely journey can inspire others in a country with little Winter Olympic tradition.<\/p>\n \u201cIt sounds crazy when you say it out loud, but three years ago I couldn\u2019t ski at all,\u201d Smith told Reuters. \u201cIf my story shows anything, it\u2019s that you don\u2019t have to start young to take something seriously if you really care about it.\u201d<\/p>\n Smith finished 108th in the men\u2019s 10-kilometre freestyle, but the result mattered less than the moment. Beaming with confidence and humour, he said that simply reaching the start line felt like a victory, and that his ambitions extend beyond his own racing.<\/p>\n \u201cThe art of being an athlete today is also being an educator and an entertainer,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n \u201cI take that responsibility seriously. If I can help people understand the sport and get excited about it, then I\u2019ve done something worthwhile.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2013 Reuters<\/p>\n 02\/14\/26 07:38Cross-country skiers finish eighth in women\u2019s 4×7.5km relayOpen this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Canada’s Liliane Gagnon competes during the women’s 4×7.5-kilometre cross-country relay on Saturday.Maddie Meyer\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Canada\u2019s cross-country ski team has finished eighth in the women\u2019s 4×7.5-kilometre relay.<\/p>\n The team of Alison Mackie, Jasmine Drolet, Liliane Gagnon and Sonjaa Schmidt combined to produce the top-10 finish.<\/p>\n The Norwegian team won the gold medal, followed by Sweden in silver and Finland in bronze. <\/p>\n \u2013 The Canadian Press<\/p>\n 02\/14\/26 07:15Opinion: Malinin\u2019s epic choke could be the start of a great Olympic story<\/p>\n – Cathal Kelly<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Ilia Malinin reacts after competing during the men’s free skate program in Milan on Friday. The U.S. skater broke a 14-competition winning streak, coming in eighth.Francisco Seco\/The Associated Press<\/p>\n Ilia Malinin came to Italy to make the quad look easy. He couldn\u2019t even make it look hard<\/a>. He missed some jumps and bailed on others. The crowd had been so primed to witness greatness that they cheered his successful landings right as he was in the middle of blowing them.<\/p>\n Just getting to the end of his program was a kind of victory. Lesser competitors might have given up. Malinin finished eightth.<\/p>\n The good news for Malinin is that the possibilities of his complete sporting career are suddenly much richer.<\/p>\n There\u2019s something tedious about someone who is the unquestioned best at something. After a while, they render whatever they do inert. Usain Bolt did that to sprinting. Why bother watching if you know to an absolute certainty how it\u2019s going to turn out?<\/p>\n Malinin was headed for Bolt status \u2013 which is not a bad thing. It would have made him a lot more money.<\/p>\n Now he\u2019s something very different. Now he\u2019s the hero on a quest.<\/p>\n Read more here.<\/a><\/p>\n 02\/14\/26 06:22Australia takes gold in women\u2019s dual moguls<\/p>\n – Eric Reguly<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Maia Schwinghammer of Canada in action during the women’s dual moguls finals.Gonzalo Fuentes\/Reuters<\/p>\n The dual moguls competition made its Olympic debut Saturday and it wasn\u2019t kind to the Canadian women. None of the four in the competition \u2013 Maia Schwinghammer, Laurianne Desmarais-Gilbert, Jessica Linton and Ashley Koehler \u2013 made it far in a highly competitive field that began with 32 competitors.<\/p>\n Among them, Quebec\u2019s Koehler, 22, had the best run. She lost to American Elizabeth Lemley, who had won Olympic gold in the single moguls earlier in the week, in the 1\/8 final. Lemley went on to win bronze. Jakara Anthony of Australia won gold to become the first ever Olympic dual moguls champion. Jaelin Kauf of the U.S. took silver.<\/p>\n The conditions were tough. It snowed during the event, hurting visibility; there were several crashes.<\/p>\n While the dual moguls looks like a drag race, with two athletes competing head-to-head on a parallel course, only 20 per cent of the score goes to speed. Another 20 per cent goes to air (height and distance, known as amplitude) and 60 per cent to turning skills. Each duel consists of one run. The competitors make two jumps that are judged on their degree of difficulty.<\/p>\n With the Canadian women medal-less in the two moguls competitions, all eyes are on the Canadian men, who compete in the dual moguls on Sunday.<\/p>\n It will be the last Olympic event for Quebec\u2019s Mika\u00ebl Kingsbury, who won silver in the single moguls on Thursday<\/a>, taking his Olympic freestyle medal haul to four, one of them gold, over four Games. He has also won a record 100 World Cups. <\/p>\n Julien Viel and Elliot Vaillancourt are the other two Canadians in the event.<\/p>\n 02\/14\/26 06:09Women\u2019s curling team drops to Great BritainOpen this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Tracy Fleury and Sarah Wilkes during their match against Great Britain Saturday.Issei Kato\/Reuters<\/p>\n Canada\u2019s Rachel Homan dropped a 7-6 decision<\/a> to Great Britain\u2019s Sophie Jackson on Saturday morning at the Winter Olympics.<\/p>\n It was the second straight round-robin loss for Homan and teammates Tracy Fleury, Emma Miskew and Sarah Wilkes.<\/p>\n Canada gave up a three-point end in the third. Homan missed a double-takeout and British fourth Rebecca Morrison made a double-tap.<\/p>\n \u2013 The Canadian Press <\/p>\n 02\/14\/26 05:00Today\u2019s Olympic schedule and event start times<\/p>\n – Globe staff<\/p>\n It\u2019s another packed day in Italy with Canada\u2019s women\u2019s hockey team playing their first knockout game and several other Olympians taking shots at this country\u2019s first gold medal of the Winter Games.<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Kristin O’Neill scores during a preliminary round match against Finland in Milan on Thursday.Hassan Ammar\/The Associated Press<\/p>\n On the ice, medal-favourite William Dandjinou is racing for another chance at the short track podium in the men\u2019s 1500m after coming fourth in the 1000m. Four Canadians are also racing for the men\u2019s 500m speed skating podium.<\/p>\n Ma\u00efa Schwinghammer has another run at a moguls medal as she teams up with Laurianne Desmarais-Gilbert in the women\u2019s dual event, and Team Canada is also racing in the cross-country women\u2019s 4×7.5km relay final.<\/p>\n Here are the events to watch for, and you can find the full schedule here<\/a>.<\/p>\n 4:57 a.m. ET – Women\u2019s dual moguls 1\/16 finals (Ma\u00efa Schwinghammer and Laurianne Desmarais-Gilbert among Canadians competing)8:05 a.m. ET – Men\u2019s curling (Canada vs. Switzerland)10 a.m. ET – Speed skating women\u2019s team pursuit quarterfinal (Canada competing)10:40 a.m. ET – Canada vs. Germany women\u2019s hockey quarterfinal1:05 p.m. ET – Women\u2019s curling (Canada vs. Switzerland)2:15 p.m. ET – Short track men\u2019s 1500m quarterfinals (William Dandjinou among Canadians competing)3:49 p.m. ET – Short track men\u2019s 1500m semifinals3:15 p.m. ET – Short track women\u2019s 1000m heats (Courtney Sarault, Kim Boutin and Florence Brunelle)4 p.m. ET \u2013 Short track women\u2019s 3000m relay semifinal (Canada competing)<\/p>\n Medal events:<\/p>\n 5:46 a.m. ET – Women\u2019s dual moguls6 a.m. ET – Cross-country women\u2019s 4×7.5km relay (Canada competing)7:30 a.m. Men\u2019s giant slalom8:45 a.m. ET – Biathlon women\u2019s 7.5km sprint (Nadia Moser and Shilo Rousseau among Canadians competing)11:00 a.m. ET – Speed skating men\u2019s 500m (Laurent Dubreuil among Canadians competing)1:35 p.m. ET – Skeleton women\u2019s singles1:57 p.m. ET – Ski jumping men\u2019s large hill4:35 p.m. ET – Short track men\u2019s 1500m02\/14\/26 05:00Where to watch the Olympics in Canada<\/p>\n – Globe staff<\/p>\n CBC is Canada\u2019s 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n You can also follow The Globe and Mail\u2019s live coverage<\/a> of all the latest news and analysis of the Games, on our website<\/a> or mobile app.<\/p>\n 02\/14\/26 05:00Your guide to the 2026 Winter Olympics<\/p>\n – Globe staff<\/p>\n The Milan Cortina Winter Olympics<\/a> have begun and are poised to be historic in more ways than one, as Team Canada and the world\u2019s best athletes converge in northern Italy.<\/p>\n 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<\/a> edition of the Winter Games ever, international tensions \u2013 particularly toward the United States \u2013 will also be on full display.<\/p>\n