Stefania Constantini and Amos Mosaner, Italy's gold medal winners from the 2022 Beijing Olympics, are set to compete on home ice in Cortina d'Ampezzo for the 2026 Winter Games. The mixed doubles curling tournament begins on February 5, with the Italians aiming to repeat their undefeated run from Beijing and the 2025 World Championships. Teams from the United States and Canada are among the challengers facing high expectations.
The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina will feature mixed doubles curling starting early on February 5 in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. Italy's Stefania Constantini and Amos Mosaner captured global attention four years ago by winning gold in Beijing, going undefeated in 11 matches despite Italy's lack of traditional strength in the sport. Constantini, now 26 and leading Italy's women's team in its first Olympics since 2006, handled the pressure shots with remarkable poise as a 22-year-old newcomer. Mosaner, 30, complements her charisma with steady power and silence on the ice.
The duo enters as favorites, having repeated their unbeaten streak at the 2025 World Championships. Competing at home adds both support from crowds and intense pressure, but Constantini appears unfazed. Their tournament kicks off against the United States on February 9.
Representing the U.S. are Duluth's Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin, who secured their spots with a fifth-place finish at the 2025 mixed doubles world championships and a sweep of the Olympic Trials. Dropkin, who has dreamed of this for 20 years after moving to the University of Minnesota Duluth, emphasized focusing on fun amid the spotlight: "We know that we’re playing our best when we’re having fun as a team and not taking ourselves too seriously." Thiesse, an alternate in 2018, will also play on the women's foursome starting February 12. The U.S. faces Norway first on February 5 at 3:05 a.m. Central time.
Canada fields married couple Brett Gallant and Jocelyn Peterman in mixed doubles, starting February 4. Gallant joins Brad Jacobs' men's rink with Ben Hebert as lead and Marc Kennedy as vice-skip. Hebert brings 2010 gold experience, Gallant a 2022 bronze, and Peterman her 2022 debut. Alberta celebrates five Olympians, including Kennedy.
Rivals include Norway's Kristin Skaslien and Magnus Nedregotten, who medaled in 2018 and 2022. The intimate nature of mixed doubles, with just four athletes per match, promises close-up drama and strategy visible to viewers worldwide.
