Norway's mixed doubles curling team finally broke their losing streak at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, defeating Sweden 9-0 on February 6. Magnus Nedregotten and Kristin Skaslien, who entered as medal favorites, had struggled with three initial losses. The victory brought much-needed relief to Nedregotten, who admitted to sleepless nights amid the poor start.
In Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, the Norwegian duo of Magnus Nedregotten and Kristin Skaslien secured their first win in the mixed doubles curling tournament at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. As medal contenders—having earned bronze in Pyeongchang 2018 and silver in Beijing 2022—they faced early setbacks, losing their opening matches to Britain, the United States, and Canada.
The breakthrough came against the 2024 world champions from Sweden, Isabella and Rasmus Wranaa. Norway dominated, stealing points in each of the first six ends, leading Sweden to concede with two ends remaining, resulting in a 9-0 shutout.
Reflecting on the performance, Nedregotten expressed surprise at facing two of the world's best players while maintaining high energy. "We decided that 'energy' is the key word... I haven't enjoyed it (the Games). I think this was the first time of real enjoyment for me," he said. He added that poor sleep and subpar form had plagued him, but this win offered hope: "This relief, it's hopefully the beginning of something good."
Skaslien emphasized an aggressive mindset: "In the mixed doubles, you just have to stay offensive in your head and just play the game, really. If you start to be defensive, then it's really dangerous... Offence is the best defence."
Looking ahead, Norway faces Estonia's Marie Kaldvee and Harri Lill in Saturday's afternoon session, followed by a rematch against Italy's Stefania Constantini and Amos Mosaner—reigning champions and their 2022 Olympic final opponents—later that day.
