The mixed doubles curling event at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, starts its round-robin play on Wednesday, becoming the first sport underway before the opening ceremonies on Friday. With a highly competitive field featuring experienced international medalists, the discipline promises unpredictability due to its fast pace and limited prior matchups among teams. South Korea's pair opens the curling competition as one of the nations with significant season play.
The 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics officially open with ceremonies on February 6 at 8 p.m. local time in Milan, but curling's mixed doubles discipline jumps ahead, beginning round-robin action on Wednesday at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium. This renovated venue, host to the 1956 Olympics' ceremonies, features over 3,000 seats and wooden structures that could amplify crowd noise, presenting a unique challenge for the two-player teams.
Seven of the 10 competing teams have secured podium finishes at World Mixed Doubles Championships, including four golds: Italy in 2025, Sweden in 2024, the United States in 2023, and Great Britain in 2021. Norway's Kristin Skaslien and Magnus Nedregotten stand out with three world medals and two Olympic medals, having participated in every Winter Olympics since mixed doubles debuted in 2018.
Reigning Olympic and world champions Stefania Constantini and Amos Mosaner of Italy enter without any mixed doubles games this season, contrasting with Estonia's 63 games and South Korea's 59. The United States' Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin, along with Great Britain's Jennifer Dodds and Bruce Mouat, each hold 5-1 records against the field, while Norway's duo is 5-2. However, limited head-to-head matchups—such as Italy's zero and Canada's one—make predictions difficult, as top mixed doubles teams rarely convene in tour events.
The arena's intimacy may hinder communication, where four-person teams rely on non-verbal cues. Thiesse noted adjustments: "During her shots, instead of attempting to communicate the line from where her slide ended, she follows her rock more closely to ensure Dropkin can hear her sweep calls." Canada's Brett Gallant expressed confidence: "We have some hand signals. We know how to communicate nonverbally. We can be really loud when need be, too."
Success will hinge on adapting to pressure, noise, and variability in this fast-paced format with preplaced rocks and no early takeouts.
