At the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, curling's nonstop competition has left athletes physically and mentally drained after 147 matches crammed into 18 days. Canadian curler Brad Jacobs described the event as the hardest on the planet, amid a demanding round-robin format that began before the opening ceremony. Players like Switzerland's Yannick Schwaller look forward to post-Games rest despite upcoming national competitions.
The Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics feature curling as the only sport played every day, starting on February 4—two days before the opening ceremony. This full round-robin schedule requires each men's team to play every other team before semifinals, unlike shorter formats in sports like hockey. By the end of the Games, 147 matches will have occurred over 18 days, contributing to curling's reputation as the Olympic event always on television.
Canadian skip Brad Jacobs, whose team finished the round-robin with a 7-2 record after an 8-6 loss to Norway on February 19, called the experience draining. His squad had played nine matches in eight days, facing additional pressure from a major controversy that led World Curling to alter—and then revert—rules midway through. “It’s quite draining,” Jacobs said after the loss. “I think the Olympics is the hardest curling event on the planet … It can certainly mess with the six inches between your ears if you allow it to.”
The physical demands include intense training for sweeping bursts, strong legs for the deep lunge when delivering stones, and mental sharpness for strategy in what is often called “chess on ice.” Fluctuating ice conditions require curlers to read the surface anew each match. Between games, athletes spend hours on strategy sessions, physiotherapy, refueling, and mental preparation.
Switzerland's Yannick Schwaller, undefeated in round-robin play, noted the grind continues post-Olympics with 12 matches at the Swiss championships starting Monday. “That’s going to be tough, but we’re not trying to think about that right now,” he said. “Of course it’s a grind. If we could choose, there would be a different schedule next week.” Schwaller, who competed in mixed doubles with his wife Briar Schwaller-Hürlimann, has logged more ice time than most.
Canada rested Ben Hebert by substituting alternate Tyler Tardi in their final round-robin game. Tardi, in his first Olympics, envied hockey's lighter preliminary schedule: “I kind of envy that, to be honest.” He anticipates a honeymoon in the Bahamas for relaxation. Schwaller plans a wellness retreat in Germany in May, while Italian Amos Mosaner, a mixed doubles bronze medalist, intends one or two weeks off. “It’s not only physically but also mentally you have to recover,” Mosaner said.
Canada's men's team advanced to the gold-medal final after a 5-4 extra-end semifinal win over Norway, set to face Great Britain on February 21.
