The 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics began competitively with mixed doubles curling on February 4, ahead of the opening ceremony. Four round-robin matches unfolded at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium, featuring teams from Sweden, Canada, Great Britain, Norway, Switzerland, Estonia, South Korea and Czechia. Sweden and Canada secured decisive early victories, while Great Britain edged Norway and Switzerland prevailed in extra time against Estonia.
Although the official opening ceremony is set for Friday, February 6, the first medals of the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics will come from mixed doubles curling, which debuted as an Olympic event in 2018. On Wednesday, four simultaneous round-robin matches kicked off the tournament at the historic Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium, a venue that also hosted events during the 1956 Games.
Sweden started strongly, defeating South Korea 10-3 after just six ends. The match ended with a handshake after Sweden's dominant performance, having rallied from an early 3-2 deficit. Canada followed suit, beating Czechia 10-5 in seven ends. Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant, a married couple representing Canada, took an early 5-0 lead and never looked back, forcing another handshake. 'Canada's Team Peterman/Gallant has earned their first win together at the Olympics! 10-5 is the final against Czechia,' Curling Canada posted on social media.
Great Britain secured an 8-6 win over defending silver medalists Norway in a tight contest. Jennifer Dodds and Bruce Mouat, who finished second at the 2025 World Championships, led 7-4 into the final end and clinched victory without needing their last stone. Norway's Kristin Skaslien and Magnus Nedregotten, also married, stole a point early but couldn't maintain momentum.
The closest match saw Switzerland triumph 9-7 over Estonia in an extra end. Yannick Schwaller and Briar Schwaller-Hürlimann, competing in their first Olympics as a married pair, held the lead throughout until Estonia's four-point eighth end forced overtime. Play was briefly paused by a partial power outage at the stadium, but resumed quickly amid cheers.
These results mark the start of a nine-game round-robin for each of the 10 teams, with the top four advancing to semifinals on February 9. The event highlights family dynamics, with three married couples on the ice today.
