Great Britain's men's curling team suffered a 9-5 loss to Canada in the Winter Olympics round-robin stage, jeopardizing their semi-final hopes. The defeat, following a prior loss to Norway, leaves them in fifth place with one game remaining. They must beat the United States and rely on favorable results elsewhere to advance.
The Olympic curling tournament entered its critical phase as Great Britain's team, led by skip Bruce Mouat, faced Canada in a pivotal round-robin match on February 17, 2026. Despite a competitive effort, Team GB fell 9-5, marking their fourth defeat and placing them fifth in the standings. Italy's win over the United States tied them with Norway for third, while Canada and Switzerland hold the top four spots, each with games in hand against Italy and Norway.
The match unfolded with Canada building a lead through strategic plays. In one end, Canada's Brad Jacobs executed a forceful takeout, prompted by the call 'Give it a bomb on the nose!' Earlier, Mouat attempted a freeze on a yellow stone but missed, allowing Canada to score two. Bobby Lammie and Kyle Hardie contributed guards and draws for GB, but errors like an off-target takeout handed Canada additional points. Mouat assessed a late end by saying, 'We’re only getting two max,' highlighting the mounting pressure.
This loss compounds a shock defeat to Norway on Monday, leaving GB's medal aspirations hanging by a thread. To reach the semi-finals, they need a victory over the United States on Wednesday and for Switzerland and Canada to win both their remaining games against Italy and Norway. Such outcomes would allow GB to surpass Italy and Norway into the top four.
The tournament has also been marred by controversy. Sweden's Oskar Eriksson accused Canada's Marc Kennedy of cheating, leading to an expletive-filled response from Kennedy. Videos supported Eriksson's claim, prompting World Curling to introduce extra umpires, which briefly flagged issues with Canada's women's team and Britain's men before reverting to self-refereeing.
