CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — The 2026 Winter Olympics Wednesday evening the competition opened with the first curling competitions only on the schedule in Cortina because the action was briefly stopped due to a power failure.
Officials stopped the games in the historic curling stadium as the lights dimmed and flickered and the main lights and heat went out in a nearby media center. Curlers continued to slide across the ice to stay ready and fans cheered when the bright lights returned shortly afterwards and play resumed.
Olympic organizers acknowledged the “brief interruption of the competition due to an energy-related issue,” noting that it lasted approximately three minutes. In Cortina it snowed steadily all day, with more than 20.32 centimeters in some places. The start of the opening training for men’s singles was also postponed by half an hour due to the disruption.
The eight mixed doubles teams opened the long curling tournament two full days before the opening ceremony the Milan Cortina Games 2026. American curler Korey Dropkin said he has been waiting for this moment for a long time.
“Being among the best, it’s a really cool atmosphere to be a part of,” said Dropkin, a first-time Olympian who begins the competition Thursday. “We look forward to being ready to compete and pour our hearts out on the ice.”
The opening night at this mountain resort was just the first of mixed doubles curling’s round robin matches, pitting one-woman and one-man teams against each other.
Cortina, which is located in this 400 kilometers (250 miles) from Milan distant Olympic Gamessees more fans and many were in the curling center. They clapped, rang bells and sang for their country and favorite curlers when their teams scored or there was a break in the action. Some in the crowd held large flags of the Czech Republic, whose team was competing against Canada. Canadian fans carried red waving portable flags.
Bernard Benoit traveled from Ontario, Canada, to root for his home team before meeting his daughter in Milan. Although he has been a fan of curling for a long time, this is his first time at the Olympics. He said he has come a long way to see the best in the world because he loves how curling is a “blend of athleticism and intellect” and a game of strategy.
Benoit cheers for the Canadian couple Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant, who compete in the mixed doubles. Three of the teams are married couples and one is a sibling team. Marie Kaldvee and Harri Lill are the first ever to compete for Estonia in curling.
Italian duo Stefania Constantini, who comes from Cortinaand Amos Mosaner are the defending world and Olympic mixed doubles champions.
Stephanie Kahn is a volunteer at the curling center and is interested in learning what curling is all about how difficult it is. Kahn is from the United States and moved to Spain after her retirement. She aspired to compete in swimming at the Olympics at a young age.
“That’s what makes it so special to me. Being an athlete and knowing that being at the top of your sport, no matter what that sport is, is such a commitment,” she said. “So I’m just excited to be in the presence of these athletes.”
AP sports writer Andrew Dampf in Cortina and AP writer Julia Frankel in Jerusalem contributed to this report.
AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
