2026 Winter Olympics: Curling kicks off ahead of the opening ceremony

Lindsey Vonn in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, in January 2025. Mattia Radoni / NurPhoto via Getty Images file

Vonn is expected to compete in three events: the downhill (Sunday), the team combined (Tuesday) and the super-G (Feb 12). Yesterday, Vonn said that her “intention is to race everything” but that she would have to see how her knee held up after she takes some training runs, which begin tomorrow: “I’ll go as long and as far as I can take it.” 

Vonn has won three Olympic medals in her career (one gold, two bronze). At the 2010 Vancouver Games, she won gold in the downhill and bronze in the super-G. She also won a downhill bronze at the 2018 PyeongChang Games (her last Olympic appearance). 

Vonn made her Olympic debut at age 17, 24 years ago, at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. She is making her fifth Olympic appearance in Milan Cortina (2002, 2006, 2010, 2018). 

Star New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs had simple advice for Vonn: Just keep going forward and fast.

Diggs, who is preparing for Sunday's Super Bowl, sustained an injury similar to Vonn's and believes the American skiing great can bounce back in Italy.

"It's kind of like a weird injury [a torn ACL]. As long as you're not cutting and, like, [decelerating] I think she should be fine," Diggs told reporters.

"She's obviously amazing athlete. So shoutout to her, her mental toughness and whatever she's going through. Hopefully she can go out there [and] give her best, because as long as she doesn't have to stop [and decelerate], I think she'll be all right."

Mary Carillo will fill in for Savannah Guthrie as co-host of the opening ceremony alongside sportscaster Terry Gannon, NBC Sports announced this afternoon.

“Mary is one of the most experienced Olympic commentators ever and a master storyteller. She and Terry will lead the American audience through one of the world’s greatest global moments,” said Molly Solomon, the executive producer and president of NBC Olympics Production.

Guthrie will not be in Italy as planned for coverage of the Olympics as the search for her mother, Nancy Guthrie, continues in Arizona.

Gold medal favorite and reigning U.S. champion Ilia Malinin practices his free skate, leaving his jumps for later, at a Milan Cortina Olympic practice session.

Team USA’s Taylor Heise speaks about how it feels to play for the Professional Women's Hockey League's Minnesota Frost, the impact of winning the league’s first-ever championship and how her road of ups and downs has led her to where she is today.

After Emily Fischnaller broke her neck and back at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, she wasn’t sure whether she would ever take another luge run again. Now on her third Olympic Games, she hopes to bring home her first medal.

From left, Odd Martinsen, Franco Nones and Eero Mäntyranta on the podium for the 30-km cross-country event at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France. Keystone-France / Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images file

When Franco Nones won the 30-km cross-country gold at the 1968 Grenoble Winter Olympics, he did more than claim Italy’s first Olympic title in the sport — he cracked open a discipline long ruled by Scandinavians and the Soviet Union.

The former champion will once again step onto the Games stage Friday, carrying the Olympic flag in Cortina d’Ampezzo during the opening ceremony.

In a neat historical coincidence for Italian winter sports, the first Olympic cross-country competition in Val di Fiemme at the Milan Cortina 2026 Games will take place Saturday, the anniversary of his landmark gold medal. The Games come to his home valley exactly 58 years after that victory.

“It’s a great honor. I’m very pleased to have been chosen,” said Nones, who turned 85 on Sunday.

Nones will share the Cortina honor with Italian short-track skater Martina Valcepina.

American halfpipe freeskier Svea Irving details her competition routines and her journey as she prepares for her first Olympic Games.

Despite Estonia's incredible comeback to force an extra end, Switzerland wins its first curling match of this Olympics.

Yannick Schwaller and Briar Schwaller-Hürlimann, who are married and competing in their first Olympics, celebrated their victory with a quick kiss.

Britain beat Norway 8-6 in the eighth end after a contest that was fairly evenly matched throughout the last hour and a half.

Britain's Jennifer Dodds curls the stone past her partner, Bruce Mouat, as they compete against Norway today. Marco Bertorello / AFP - Getty Images

Estonia pulled off an incredible tie against Switzerland, which was leading their match, by scoring 4 points in the eighth end.

They enter an additional end with a 7-7 score.

Canada is the second team to win today, beating Czechia 10-5 in the seventh end.

Sweden and South Korea's match is over without the last two ends of the round-robin competition played.

With a 10-3 victory, Sweden is the first team to win in this year's curling tournament.

Rasmus Wranå and Isabella Wranå of Sweden celebrate their victory today. Mathias Bergeld / Sipa USA via AP

Sweden scored big in the last round and now leads South Korea 10-3, widening its lead considerably.

Canada is still leading Czechia 7-4, while Norway and Britain are tied again at 4-4. Estonia trails Switzerland 5-3.

Qualifying for the Olympics is already a dream come true, but for some of today's mixed doubles curlers the dream is even sweeter because of who they've made it to Milan with.

Three of the curling teams competing today are married couples: Norway's Kristin Skaslien and Magnus Nedregotten, Canada's Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant, and Switzerland's Yannick Schwaller and Briar Schwaller-Hürlimann.

Canada's and Norway's competitors have made the Olympics before, but this is the first Winter Games for the Schwallers.

Switzerland's Yannick Schwaller, left, and Briar Schwaller-Huerlimann compete today. Marco Bertorello / AFP - Getty Images

The fourth end has concluded for all of the teams, with at least two taking slightly wider leads as they near the halfway point of the competition today.

Canada leads Czechia 7-3, Switzerland leads Estonia 4-1, Sweden leads South Korea 5-3, and Britain takes a narrow 4-3 lead over Norway.

All four teams have completed their third end as they move quickly through the round-robin matches.

Switzerland leads Estonia 3-1, South Korea leads Sweden 3-2, and Britain is tied 3-3 with Norway.

Canada lost its very comfortable edge against Czechia after the European country scored big in the last round, but Canada is still up 5-3.

Britain pulled up from behind in the second end and now leads Norway 3-1, despite Norway's early victory in the first round.

Estonia pulled 1 point in the second end to tie 1-1 against Switzerland.

Canada has just pulled a major lead and is beginning the third end 5-0 against Czechia.

Sweden is now leading South Korea 2-1 as the teams begin their third end.

South Korea went into the last round with a lead of 1, but Sweden's mixed-double team rallied from behind.

Curlers are onto their second round already as the four simultaneous matches move swiftly.

Norway is leading Britain, while Canada is leading by 1 against Czechia. South Korea leads Sweden, and Switzerland leads Estonia.

Canada's Jocelyn Peterman guides Brett Gallant in the curling mixed doubles round-robin against Czechia today. Marco Bertorello / AFP - Getty Images

There was a partial power outage at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium, putting a pause on the four curling matches.

It was a brief pause as power went out in some of the stadium, but just minutes later, cheers erupted when the main lights were re-engaged.

The Games are back on!

Yannick Schwaller of Switzerland throws a stone during mixed doubles round-robin play against Estonia today. Carmen Mandato / Getty Images

And they're off to the ice!

The teams have entered the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium as four mixed-doubles competitions are set to occur simultaneously.

Competitions are about to begin in the Milan Cortina Games in the next 10 minutes as curling teams are set to face off in four round-robin matches.

Mixed-doubles teams from Canada, Britain, Switzerland, Sweden, South Korea, Estonia, Norway and Czechia will compete in simulteanous matches to start the first of nine round-robin games that determine who will advance to the semifinals.

Viewers can tune in to Peacock to watch the very first of the 2026 Winter Olympics tournament.

Over the next two weeks, athletes from around the world will fight for spots on the podiums in curling, skiing, snowboarding, figure skating, bobsledding and so much more. Women's hockey will also begin its group stage games tomorrow, ahead of Friday's opening ceremony.

Lindsey Vonn at the World Cup Women's Downhill in Crans Montana, Switzerland, on Jan. 30. Millo Moravski / Agence Zoom via Getty Images file

The International Skiing Federation announced today that the first official training for the women’s Alpine skiing downhill event at the 2026 Winter Olympics has been canceled. Poor weather was the impetus for the decision.

Tomorrow would have been the first opportunity for Lindsey Vonn to participate in a training session at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre in Cortina. The Olympic gold medalist announced yesterday that she “completely ruptured” the ACL in her left knee, but would still attempt to compete at the Games.

In order for her to do so, she must first complete at least one of the three scheduled trainings.

Her next opportunity is expected to come on Friday at 5:30 a.m. ET, weather permitting. 

Read the full story here.

Former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce and his wife, Kylie, put their athletic abilities to ice through curling in yesterday's special episode of "Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce."

The couple learned from Olympic gold medalist Tyler George, who taught the Kelces some finer points of pushing the stones to score. George instructed them that the more weight a player uses to throw the stone, the less it curls.

Both Kelces got to practice throwing stones and sweeping before going head-to-head. And of course, Olympians Becca and Matt Hamilton were there to help coach them.

“I can promise you I’m gonna wipe out at least three times,” Kylie Kelce told viewers at the start. “A minimum, I’m gonna eat s--- at least three times, I can feel it.”

Spoiler alert: She absolutely wiped out.

Want to know what racing the Alpine skiing downhill course in Bormio looks like for a Winter Olympian? Check out this GoPro first-person vantage point.

Italy says it has faced several low-level cyberattacks from a pro-Russia hacker group that sought to disrupt some websites of facilities with ties to the Olympics.

Antonio Tajani, Italy’s foreign minister, said today that several sites relevant to the Olympics, including a four-star hotel in Cortina, had been targeted by the Russian hacker group NoName.

The U.S. Justice Department called NoName a Russian state-sponsored hacking group when it arrested a member in December.

Shaun White joined the "Stifel Snow Show" to discuss the U.S. snowboarders, the progression of the sport, the Snow League and more.

Four members of Finland’s women’s Olympic ice hockey team have contracted stomach flu ahead of their opening match, a spokesperson for the Finnish Ice Hockey Association said today.

The illness caused the cancellation of Finland’s training session this afternoon at the Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena, where they face champions Canada in their opening Group A game tomorrow.

Finland, which won bronze at the last two Olympics, will also meet the U.S., Czech Republic and Switzerland in the preliminary round.

Spanish figure skater Tomàs Guarino Sabaté has been competing this entire season dressed as a “Despicable Me” minion and performing with music from the film. He ran into copyright issues for the Milan Cortina Olympics, but he announced yesterday that Universal Studios officially granted him the rights for this one special occasion.

Norway suffered a second blow this week as racer Fredrik Moeller was taken to the hospital after crashing in the men’s first downhill training run today.

Norway, which is usually among the top finishers in men’s Alpine skiing, already lost Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, who has not fully recovered in time.

The 25-year-old Moeller, with a Bormio gold in super-G under his belt from the 2024 World Cup, was taken to Sondalo with pain in his shoulder, a spokesperson for the Norway team said.

Kilde, who made his comeback from injury earlier this season after nearly two years on the sidelines, pulled out of the Olympics yesterday after failing to regain full fitness.

Fredrik Moeller is tended to by medics today. Dustin Satloff / Getty Images

The first of the Alpine skiing festivities in Milan Cortina is in the books, with American skier Ryan Cochran-Siegle posting the fastest time in a men’s downhill training run. He clocked in just under two minutes at 1:56.08.

The Olympic downhill trainings, of which there are three per gender (weather permitting), do not have medal ramifications. They hold no bearing on the start list for Saturday’s actual downhill event. They are dress rehearsals, an opportunity to gauge the Bormio course: where to look for speed, maximize aerodynamics, brace for the technical components. 

Still, finishing first among the world’s elite — on the biggest stage — can be a major confidence booster. 

Read the full article here.

Olympic competition begins today with mixed doubles curling, which will take place at Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium. It is one of three venues being used during these Games that also hosted events during the 1956 Cortina Winter Olympics. In 1956, the stadium hosted the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as hockey and figure skating. 

The mixed doubles event, which debuted eight years ago in PyeongChang, include 10 teams of one man and one woman. Each team plays nine games in a round-robin format, with the top four finishers advancing to the semifinals. 

Yannick Schwaller and Briar Schwaller-Huerlimann of Switzerland practice during a training session today. Carmen Mandato / Getty Images

Four round-robin matches will take place simultaneously today, with Norway’s Kristin Skaslien and Magnus Nedregotten taking on Britain’s Jennifer Dodds and Bruce Mouat in an early meeting between two of the sport’s top pairs. Skaslien and Nedregotten are the defending Olympic silver medalists, while childhood friends Dodds and Mouat finished second at the 2025 World Championships. 

The American pair of Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin will open play tomorrow, with matches against Norway and Switzerland. Thiesse, who works as a lab technician doing mercury testing outside of curling, will also play in the women’s event. Dropkin will only play mixed doubles. 

The mixed doubles medal matches will be held Tuesday.

Team USA’s first honorary coach Snoop Dogg has officially arrived. Some athletes were so excited to see him that even before the first medal is handed out, they decided to present him with one of their own.

Watch: Snoop Dogg arrives at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics

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Italy has 196 athletes competing at these Games, its largest delegation in Winter Olympic history, surpassing the 184 athletes who competed the last time it hosted the Winter Games in Torino in 2006.

As a participant, Italy has competed at every edition of the Winter Games. Italian athletes have won 141 medals to date, 11th-most all-time. Four years ago in Beijing, Italy won 17 total medals (tied for ninth-most), including two golds. 

While it's surprising that Lindsey Vonn will attempt to race with a ruptured ACL in her left knee, her coach says it's not unprecedented.

“It’s not the first time that someone would have tried to race at a high, high level without an ACL,” Chris Knight, Vonn's head coach, told NBC News.

Knight said the biggest factor is how Vonn feels physically, and so far, the signs have been encouraging. “The most important thing is that she feels really good. It’s very stable. There’s no pain, no swelling, as she’s mentioned,” he said.

Knight added that the team relies heavily on Vonn’s own judgment, noting, “We just trust her on that. She knows her body better than anyone.”

"I’m very confident she’ll make it to the starting gate. I’ve seen her in, you know, after other accidents and crashes, and she is super positive and determined right now," Knight said. "She’s got a smile on her face, and she’s not going to let this go. And that just gives me a lot of confidence as well, that we can just move forward like normal and make a plan day to day going into the race, and I’m 100% confident that she’ll be there on race day."

We're a few hours away from competitions beginning with mixed doubles in curling and here's a little clip to get you excited.

Some athletes were just Bjørn to win Olympic medals.

That certainly rings true for the three most-decorated Winter Olympians, all of whom are from Norway. 

Through 24 editions of the Winter Olympics, only 14 athletes have collected nine medals or more. A handful of those competitors have a chance to add to their total at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics and can climb the all-time leaderboard.

Here’s a look at the 14 Winter Olympians with the most medals, where they are from and which sports they competed in.

Read the full article here

Snoop Dogg was pictured today carrying the flame in Gallarate, a city in Milan's metropolitan area. The hip-hop icon was pictured wearing dark shades despite the gloomy weather.

This is not his first time carrying the torch. He carried it in a suburb north of Paris in 2024 for the Summer Olympics. Team USA posted images showing the rapper and TV personality arriving in Milan yesterday.

Three venues in Cortina were also used to host events at the 1956 Winter Games.

The Tofane Alpine Centre, the Cortina Sliding Centre and the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium are all making their second appearance at the Olympics.

The Alpine Centre is famous for its iconic “Olympia delle Tofane” slope and it is a regular stop on the FIS Women’s World Cup circuit. It hosted Alpine skiing previously and this time it will be the location for women's Alpine.

The Cortina Sliding Centre previously hosted bobsled and this time skeleton and luge will also take place there. The stadium hosted the opening and closing ceremonies in 1956, along with hockey and figure skating. This time, it will just be the location for curling.

Shane Hollander, played by Hudson Williams, in HBO's "Heated Rivarly," and Sean Hollander, a luge athlete for the U.S. Olympic Team. HBO; Getty Images

Shane Hollander, the fictional Canadian hockey player in “Heated Rivalry,” will not be competing at the Milan Cortina Games.

But Sean Hollander, a 25-year-old American luger headed to his second Olympics, will be competing — and he is ready for the attention his name’s similarity to the fictional athlete may bring amid the HBO Max and Crave show’s massive success.

“There’s a lot of Shane Hollander jokes going around,” Hollander told NBC News on Thursday.

Read the full story here.

Lindsey Vonn, 41, says she is doing “everything in my power” to return to Olympic skiing despite having ruptured the ACL in her left knee during a crash last week. 

Lindsey Vonn pushes toward Olympic return despite ACL injury

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