Team GB's top-ranked men's curling team suffered their first defeat of the 2026 Winter Olympics, falling 9-7 to hosts Italy in Cortina. A disastrous opening end saw Italy steal four points, but Bruce Mouat's rink mounted a strong fightback before falling short in the final end. The loss leaves the British side still well-positioned in the round-robin stage.
In a tense match at the Cortina Curling Stadium, Team GB's men's curlers faced a raucous home crowd during their round-robin encounter against Italy on 13 February 2026. The British team, led by skip Bruce Mouat and the world's top-ranked rink, entered the game in strong form after victories in their opening two matches, including one against Sweden—the team that defeated them in the gold-medal match four years prior.
The contest began disastrously for GB, with a poor first end allowing Italy to steal four points after an unfortunate kiss on the final stone left no British reds in the house and four Italian yellows positioned favorably. Trailing significantly, the Scottish quartet—featuring lead Hammy McMillan, second Bobby Lammie, third Grant Hardie, and skip Mouat—refused to unravel. They traded singles in subsequent ends and pulled within two points by the break, thanks to a precise Mouat throw in the third end that secured two points.
GB continued their resurgence, forcing a steal in the fourth end through a team effort involving Mouat's throw, Hardie's judgement, and vigorous sweeping by McMillan and Lammie. Italy responded with two points in the seventh to regain a lead, but the British side leveled the score in the ninth end with another steal. However, in the decisive 10th end, the Italians held firm to claim a 9-7 victory amid thunderous crowd noise, including horns, bells, and whistles.
"We had to dig deep and we played nine really good ends and controlled it from there, but we just couldn't do enough to get the win," McMillan told BBC Sport. He added, "It's pretty surreal, pretty cool. It's not a typical curling crowd—it's more like a football one. But it's an amazing atmosphere to play in and we're going to have to get used to it and enjoy it."
Despite the setback, seven wins from nine round-robin matches will secure a semi-final spot, and fewer may suffice. Team GB faces the Czech Republic next on Saturday at 13:05 GMT.
