Steven Dubois snags gold in men’s 500m short track speed skating in Italy

Men’s 500 m short track speed skating: Steven Dubois from Quebec (gold)

Women’s 3,000 m relay short track speed skating: Courtney Sarault, Kim Boutin, Florence Brunelle and Danaé Blais (bronze)

Women’s team pursuit speed skating: Ivanie Blondin, from Ontario, Valérie Maltais, from Québec, and Isabelle Weidemann, from Ontario (gold)

Women’s ski big air: Megan Oldham from Ontario (gold)

Women’s 1000 m short track speed skating: Courtney Sarault from New Brunswick (silver)

Men’s dual moguls: Mikaël Kingsbury from Québec (gold)

Men’s short-track speed skating, 500 m: Laurent Dubreuil from Quebec (bronze)

Women’s short-track speed skating, 500 m: Courtney Sarault from New Brunswick (bronze)

Snowboard cross: Éliot Grondin from Québec (silver)

Men’s moguls: Mikaël Kingsbury from Québec (silver)

Figure skating pairs’ ice dance: Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier from Ontario (bronze)

Women’s 3,000 m speed skating: Valérie Maltais from Québec (bronze)

Women’s ski slopestyle: Megan Oldham from Ontario (bronze)

Short track speed skating mixed relay: Kim Boutin, William Dandjinou, Félix Roussel and Courtney Sarault (silver)

Stars from Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan has six athletes as well as 10 coaches or officials at the 2026 Olympics.

The officials include Hockey Saskatchewan referees Cianna Murray (Cudworth), Michelle McKenna (Moose Jaw) and linespersons Alex Clarke (Drake) and Tarrington Wyonzek (Yorkton).

Coaches heading to Italy are Adam Burwell (Regina, Snowboard – Big Air/Slopestyle), William Dutton (Humboldt, Long Track Speedskating), and Lyndon Rush (Humboldt, Bobsleigh); while support or mission staff include Chris Dornan (Saskatoon, bobsleigh), Lisa Hoffart (Regina, Mental Health Lead Team Canada), Jodi Perras (North Battleford, massage therapist cross country skiing).

Here is some information about the Saskatchewan athletes competing:

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Emily Clark

Hometown: Saskatoon

Sport: Hockey, forward, currently playing for Ottawa in the PWHL

Age: 30

Previous results: Gold at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, silver at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics

Emily Clark will make it a hat trick of Olympic Games.

Clark has been named to the Canadian Olympic women’s hockey team for the 2026 games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.

“It means everything. Every time you get to be selected to a roster — let alone an Olympic roster — it is such a privilege and a dream come true,” Clark said.

“I can’t believe I am going to my third one but I am just as excited as my first one.”

While she has become a mainstay on the Canadian team — competing in a number of world championships as well — Clark said it’s still always a challenge to make the team.

“There’s no guarantees and you just want to do everything you can to be on that roster and fit the puzzle piece they believe will help us be successful at the Olympics,” she said.

“I’m just grateful I got the good news on that call and I can’t wait to get to Italy.”

This year, Clark is the only member of the team from Saskatchewan. Since the announcement, she has been feeling the love from the province.

“Being from Saskatchewan, you always root for people from Saskatchewan. You treat people as your own. Any time there has been other athletes from Saskatchewan representing our province on the international stage, you keep tabs and root for them,” said Clark, who plays for the PWHL’s Ottawa Charge.

“I know how I feel cheering on other people from Saskatchewan so I know people are feeling that way for me too whether they know me or they don’t, I can feel they are behind me so I just want to make everyone proud.”

At her first Olympics in 2018, she won a silver medal. In 2022, Canada bounced back to claim gold.

So where are those medals?

“Right now they are in mittens in a drawer in my parents’ house so keep them safe and sound. They aren’t out on display every day but it’s fun to get to share them with others,” Clark said.

Clark said this group is ready to defend that Olympic title.

“We’re ready. We’ve been preparing for these Olympics since the last one ended,” Clark said.

“People ask a lot about this season and the preparation but it’s a way bigger picture than that. The core of this group has been together for a long time and we have a lot of experience and have been through a lot together so that’s definitely a strength of ours going into these Olympics to defend gold for Canada.”

This year, the annual rivalry series between Canada and the U.S.A. Team went the way of the Americans, sweeping the four-game set.

“I think in an Olympic year with the rivalry series, you have to take them as experiment games,” Clark said.

“It didn’t go our way this season but it’s just part of the process. The Olympics are in February so we’re looking forward to that challenge and you just take those games as experiments and learn what you can from them and know that it’s just part of the process.”

While it can be expected Canada and the U.S. meet for gold, Clark said there’s a lot of top-end talent on other countries’ rosters as well.

“You have to treat every game like it’s a gold medal game and just keep building your game and set yourself up for success to be in that final game,” Clark said. “The competition at the world championship has just increased so much and no team is to be taken lightly.”

But while she’s a veteran on the international stage, it’s still a special time.

“I probably have more games in the Maple Leaf behind me than ahead of me. I’ve been fortunate to represent Canada for quite a few years now and every single time, it’s so special,” Clark said.

“You look at the roster that we have going to Italy and I have been able to play a lot of games with those girls so you just build such a strong connection that even practice days are really special to be there.

“Every single time you get to wear (the jersey), it’s special and a dream come true and I’ll never take it for granted.”

—by 980 CJME’s Britton Gray

Mark McMorris

Hometown: Regina

Sport: Slopestyle snowboarding

Age: 32

Previous results: Bronze in 2014 in Sochi, bronze in 2018 in PyeongChang, bronze in 2022 in Beijing

Regina’s Mark McMorris is considered one of the greatest snowboarders of all time.

But one thing that has eluded him so far is an Olympic gold medal. He has won bronze in slopestyle the previous three times he has competed at the games.

He will compete in his fourth Olympics this month in Milano Cortina.

“I just want to ride to the best of my ability. That’s always the goal. I mean, it’s a judge sport, so we’ll see. If I do ride to the best of my ability, I’m sure I can get some hardware. We’ll see where it lands me on the podium,” McMorris said.

“(Gold) would be amazing, but I don’t really focus on that, to be honest. I’m just trying to ride to the best of my ability. If I do that, I’m always satisfied and I don’t beat myself up about any shade of metal or anything. It’s just all about doing my very best, and usually when I do that I have a good chance it’s standing on the box, if not on top.”

His Olympics got off to a delayed start as he suffered an injury during a practice session for big air snowboarding on Wednesday. The crash caused him to pull out of that event.

McMorris has won a record 22 X Games medals and is coming into the Olympics in fine form after once again claiming gold at the 2026 X Games in Aspen.

He said he is riding for all the people who have supported him in his life.

“They’ve all stood behind me like no one else. I’ve received a ton of support from the province of Saskatchewan. There’s been major players in helping me reach the level I have and major players in my longevity, and I’m just super thankful to have all them in my life,” McMorris said.

“I ain’t going nowhere, but it’s definitely gonna be be a really special moment, like all Olympics are.”

With McMorris out of the of the big air contest, he will have some time to continue his recovery. The slopestyle qualifications begin on Monday, with the final on Wednesday.

— By Britton Gray, 980 CJME

Logan Pletz

Hometown: Lumsden

Sport: Biathlon

Age: 25

Previous results: This is his first Olympics

Logan Pletz will get a chance to live out his childhood dream in Italy.

The 25-year-old product of Lumsden, Sask. will wear the maple leaf at the 2026 Olympic Games for the first time after joining the biathlon team.

“It’s something I’ve had on my on my mind for a few years. I was not that close to qualifying in 2022, but I was on the B-tier circuit when the A-team went to Beijing,” Pletz said.

“I kind of assumed that this would be the end goal at some point.”

While Pletz grew up playing hockey, when his family moved to Regina his parents decided to put him into biathlon, a sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting.

“My parents weren’t that stoked on the Hockey Regina program, just because I wasn’t able to play with my friends every year,” Pletz said.

“I dropped out of hockey and I was always pretty good at cross-country running as an elementary school kid. It just felt like a natural transition. It doesn’t sound like that, since it’s a pretty obscure sport, but I was pretty good at it right from the get-go, so that obviously kept me in it.”

He trained in Saskatchewan until he was finished high school. He then moved to Whistler, B.C., to train at the Olympic venue with the high-performance program. He moved to Canmore once he made the national team, but now calls Cochrane, Alta. home.

He has competed in three consecutive IBU World Championships (2023-25), with the sport taking him all over the world.

“I didn’t set out with the intention of it as an 11-year-old, that’s for sure. It is pretty cool,” Pletz said.

“This is my fourth year from November to March that I have been overseas and between nine or 10 different venues all through Scandinavia, Norway, Sweden, Finland. More commonly Germany, Austria and Italy. I only have one more this year that I’m checking off the list – it’s Estonia which I have never been before. That will be after the Olympics is over.”

And he has been feeling the love from is home province.

“I’ve definitely gotten messages from a lot of those people that used to be a big part of my life and helped me as a 14 or 15 year old to be the best 14 or 15 year old that I could be,” Pletz said.

“That only has put me on the journey towards being the best 25 year old I can be.”

The biathlon events run from Sunday until Feb. 21.

— by 980 CJME’s Britton Gray

Ben Hebert

Hometown: Regina

Sport: Curling

Age: 42

Previous results: Gold in 2010 in Vancouver, fourth place in 2018 in Pyeongchang

Throughout his curling career, which spans more than 20 years, Ben Hebert has had two very different personalities when it comes to competition and regular life. It’s a split which has made him one of the most decorated curlers in the sport’s history.

“I’m a pretty nice guy off the ice, but when I get on that ice I’m a psychopath,” Hebert said. “I really want to win, and that’s what made me successful my whole career.”

For the third time in his career, the Regina-born lead will be donning the maple leaf at an Olympic Games, this time as part of Brad Jacobs’ rink in Milan. That gives Hebert, 42, an opportunity to win a second Olympic medal.

“There’s not too many things that get the old butterflies and nerves going these days for me in curling,” Hebert said, “but this is one of them.”

Hebert, skip Jacobs, third Marc Kennedy and second Brett Gallant all have previous experience at the Olympics and will be early favourites to win Canada’s first gold medal in men’s curling since Jacobs did so in 2014.

“We’ve been through it before and understand what to expect,” Hebert said. “But it certainly doesn’t take the little kid out of you and the excitement going to an Olympic games.”

Hebert’s Olympic debut in 2010 was about as storybook as it gets, winning a gold medal on home ice in Vancouver as part of Kevin Martin’s championship rink.

His second appearance on the Olympic stage didn’t end so joyously, as his 2018 rink skipped by Kevin Koe fell short of expectations and finished in a disappointing fourth place.That defeat has sat in the back of Hebert’s mind over the last eight years.

“We think we’re one of the favourites, but there’s probably three or four teams that think they’re the favourite,” Hebert said.

Combining for 16 Brier titles, five world championship gold medals and five medals at the Olympics, Team Jacobs will go down as one of the most decorated teams in the history of the sport.

Even with a roster full of future hall-of-fame-caliber curlers like himself, Hebert said the focus is on the next two weeks in Milan and not the legacies they’ve built on the ice.

“That’s not going to take away from the level of intensity, focus and desire. We have to come home with a medal for not just each other but, obviously, our country,” Hebert said. “The foot is going to be hard on the gas.”

While he’s called Alberta home since 2006, Hebert said he still looks back fondly on his first 22 years, growing up and discovering the game in Saskatchewan, and he knows the province be cheering him on as one of their own this month in Italy.

“There’s no better province for me that I could have chosen to grow up in,” Hebert said.

“I’m pretty lucky to be from there.”

Hebert and Team Canada will open the men’s curling event in Cortina d’Ampezzo on Feb. 11 against Germany.

—by 650 CKOM’s Scott Roblin

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Darcy Kuemper

Hometown: Saskatoon

Sport: Hockey, goalie, currently playing for Los Angeles Kings in the NHL

Age: 35

Previous results: This is his first Olympics

Darcy Kuemper was one of three goalies selected to the Olympic roster, and when he found out the news he quickly called his parents, Sharon and Brent Kuemper.

“He called right away,” Brent said. “We’re both excited. We were on a family group chat, and of course, the rest of the kids all chipped in and we were talking.”

Kuemper, who is in his 14th NHL season and already has a Stanley Cup under his belt. To represent Canada is a great honour said his mom, Sharon.

“We thought this was a nice cherry on top to represent your country,” she said. “Every hockey player wants to be on Team Canada when they’re growing up playing street hockey.”

This isn’t Kuemper’s first time wearing a Team Canada jersey, but it is his first time doing so at the Olympics, and it’s something his parents can’t wait to see.

“Just having the Olympic jersey, it’s going to be quite something for us parents to marvel about,” Brent said.

“We’ll be sitting pretty tall in those stands,” Sharon said.

The Kumpers said the Olympics are always an exciting time, but now that their son will be a part of it, that takes it to the next level.

“I get excited every two years when they come,” Brent said. “But when you have your own child in it, it’s pretty surreal.”

— by CKOM News

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Maïa Schwinghammer

Hometown: Saskatoon

Sport: Freestyle skiing, moguls

Age: 24

Previous results: This is her first Olympics

Schwinghammer is just the third skier from Saskatchewan to represent the province on the world’s biggest stage, joining Jim Hunter (alpine skiing, 1972 and 1976) and Andi Naude (moguls, 2018).

“It’s crazy. I’m still in awe of it, really. This whole journey has been so incredible,” Schwinghammer said.

“To be heading to the games after all these years of work and dedication and just having my family by my side and my friends … it’s just pretty cool to have my spot for the games and be able to go and experience that.”

Schwinghammer qualified for the Olympics with a fifth-place finish at the Freestyle Moguls World Cup in Finland.

She said she felt quite a bit of pressure this year as she was preparing for the Olympics.

“As the season was beginning, I was definitely getting a little bit nervous,” she said.

“It’s all starting to feel real, and the contests (during an) Olympic year, it’s crazy. Everybody’s still trying to qualify for the games, and tensions and pressure is definitely really high.”

The journey to the Olympics has been a long one for Schwinghammer, who started skiing when she was just two years old.

“The first time I was on skis I was towed behind a snowmobile on Christopher Lake,” she said.

“I learned how to ski at Mount Blackstrap with my parents, (but I) kind of caught the bug for it watching the Olympics in 2010. My dad was working the event there, so I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to go and watch as a very young kid, and that definitely gave me the inspiration.”

Schwinghammer said she has tried to reflect on the year she’s had and what’s in store for her in the near future, but said it still feels quite surreal.

“You think about something your whole entire life, and then it’s finally happening,” she said. “I think I really want to just experience everything and really enjoy the fact that I’ve put all this work in to get there.”

Schwinghammer said it’s been a whirlwind of a season so far.

“Without a doubt – a medal at world championships, winning the home event last season – it’s been a total ‘pinch-me’ year,” she said.

“It’s pretty cool to realize that I am living my childhood dreams right now, and it’s pretty special.”

Schwinghammer was training at Optimist Hill in Saskatoon during the holidays before heading out to more competitions.

“It’s a little different for sure. No mountains here in Saskatchewan, but I was lucky enough to have a crew build me a jump that’s similar to a mogul jump,” she said.

“For me to be able to stay fresh and stay on my toes and being able to work on my tricks here over the holidays, it’s definitely an edge I’ve got.”

— By Craig Silliphant, 650 CKOM

Day 11: Canada wins speed skating gold in women’s team pursuit

For the second Olympics in a row, Canada has won the gold medal in women’s team pursuit speed skating.

The Canadian team of Ivanie Blondin, Valerie Maltais and Isabelle Weidemann crossed the line with a time of 2:55.80 to defeat the Netherlands in the final on Tuesday morning.

The trio successfully defended their gold medal in the event from the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.

It’s Maltais’ second medal at the Olympics in Italy after winning bronze in the women’s 3000-metre event, while Blonin and Weidemann have earned their third and fourth career Olympic medals.

The medal on Tuesday is Canada’s third gold medal in as many days. Canada has won 12 total medals so far, which puts the nation 11th in the medal count.

—Scott Roblin, 650 CKOM

Day 10: Big air, big reward as Megan Oldham takes gold in Italy

Megan Oldham won Canada’s second gold medal and the country’s first Olympic medal in ski big air at Milano Cortina 2026 on Monday.

The start was delayed for more than an hour by snow and high winds in the three-run event, with the 24-year-old from Ontario earning enough points in her first two runs to seal the deal, beating out Eileen Gu from China and Italy’s Flora Tabanelli won bronze. Canada’s Naomi Urness was sixth in the event.

Oldham already won a bronze medal in the women’s slopestyle event in Italy.

Earlier, New Brunswick speed skater Courtney Sarault won her third medal of the Games, earning a silver in the women’s 1000m short track speed skating.

The 25-year-old from Moncton already skated to a silver in the mixed relay and took a bronze in the women’s 500m.

Sarault led the race for most of the nine-lap final before falling to second place behind eventual gold medal winner Xandra Velzeboer of the Netherlands. South Korea’s Kim Gilli took the bronze.

Canada’s medal total now sits at 10, with one gold, four silver and five bronze.

Short track speed skating star William Dandjinou of Montreal, who missed the podium in his first two events at Games, will be trying to earn a medal in the men’s 5,000m relay today. He, along with teammates Maxime Laoun and Steven Dubois will also skate in the men’s 500 heats.

In women’s hockey, defending Olympic champions Canada are one win away from a guaranteed medal but first must play play Switzerland again in today’s semifinals, with the winner facing either the United States or Sweden in the gold-medal game.

Canada’s women curlers were also back in action Monday, with skip Rachel Homan aiming to put a three-game losing streak behind her and climb back into contention.

They did just that with a decisive 10-5 win over China Monday morning. The Ottawa-based rink scored four in the fourth end and added three more in the sixth to move into a three-way tie at 2-and-3.

The women are scheduled to take on Japan later today, needing a win to qualify for the playoffs round. The top four teams at the end of round-robin play Thursday afternoon will advance to the semifinals on Friday. Medal games are scheduled for the weekend.

Brad Jacobs and Team Canada earned an 8-2 win over Czechia to head towards a playoff spot, bringing in in alternate Tyler Tardi in the seventh end to finish the game and give lead Regina’s Ben Hebert a break.

The win moved Canada to 5-1 and second place behind unbeaten Switzerland.

— CKOM News, with files from The Canadian Press and Canadian Olympic Committee

Day 9: Canada celebrates first gold medal of 2026 Olympics

Mikaël Kingsbury reminded the world why he’s the most decorated freestyle skier in history as he won a gold for Canada in the men’s dual moguls event at Milano Cortina 2026 on Sunday.

The the 33-year-old from Quebec, who had earlier confirmed he was skiing in his final Games took the top spot gold ahead of silver medallist Horishima Ikuma of Japan, with Matt Graham of Australia winning bronze.

Kingsbury has 100 career World Cup wins and now has two gold and three silver Olympic medals.

The event is new to the Olympics, and features athletes who ski side-by-side in a knockout competition, with the winner chosen by judges looking at both speed and style.

Kingsbury is one of the sport’s all-time greats, with 100 career World Cup wins and his Olympic medal tally now sitting at two gold and three silver.

It was also good news for Saskatchewan Olympic fans as Regina’s Mark McMorris looked to have overcome his Feb. 4 injury to qualify in third position for the men’s slopestyle final.

Qualifying rounds were moved forward to early Sunday from the scheduled Monday timeslot because of impending bad weather.

McMorris, 32, dropped out of big air qualifying after he crashed in training and suffered a concussion, bone bruising near his pelvis and an abdominal strain.

McMorris has won the bronze medal in slopestyle at the past three Olympics. Canadian Cameron Spalding will also compete in Wednesday’s final after qualifying fifth.

Saskatchewan’s Logan Pletz also took 53rd place in the men’s 12.5k pursuit biathlon

The men’s curling team — skip Brad Jacobs, third Marc Kennedy, second Brett Gallant, lead Regina’s Ben Hebert — was back on the ice today to face China and won 6-3.

They played Switzerland yesterday, losing 9-5 to earn their first loss of the competition, and are now 4-1 in the standings and face Czechia tomorrow morning.

Hockey men undefeated

In a lopsided final preliminary round match against France on Sunday, nine Canadian players scored to beat France 10-2.

Macklin Celebrini scored two goals in the game, with Tom Wilson, Devon Toews, Mark Stone, Cale Makar, Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Bo Horvat and Brandon Hagel also putting one each in the net. Goalie Jordan Binnington made 12 saves.

Canada has earned a bye through to the quarterfinals on Wednesday. The three group winners and the next best team earn automatic spots in the quarterfinals while the remaining teams will have to play in Tuesday’s qualifying round.

— CKOM News, with files from The Canadian Press and International Olympic Committee

Day 8: Laurent Dubreuil wins Olympic bronze medal for Canada

Canadian speed skater Dubreuil Laurent delivered Canada’s outstanding Olympic performance at Milano Cortina 2026 on Saturday, earning a bronze medal in the men’s 500m final to bring the country’s medal total to eight.

Dubreuil briefly held an Olympic record in the morning race, before losing it to eventual gold medal winner American Jordan Stolz. Netherlands skater Jenning De Boo took the silver.

Stolz was widely picked to win after finishing in first place in the 500m in five of the nine World Cup races in the 2025-26 speed skating season.

Fellow Canadians Cédrick Brunet and Anders Johnson also skated in the distance, with Johnson finishing in 16th place and Brunet in 23rd.

Short-track speed skater William Dandjinou from Quebec, who was expected to deliver Canada’s first gold medal in the men’s 1,500m short-track speed skating, finished the race in fifth position. Team Netherlands skater Jens van’T Wout earned the gold, Hwang Daeheon of South Korea took the silver and Latvia’s Roberts Kruzbergs won the bronze.

Another Quebecer, Steven Dubois, also skated in the 1,500m A final after crashing out in qualifying for the 1,000m as the reigning world champion. He won a silver in the 1,500m in Beijing 2022 but fell and finished sixth on Saturday.

Felix Roussel, who skated with Dandjinou in the mixed relay final, did not qualify for either the A or B final.

The 24-year-old Dandjinou, who has been skating since he was six and made his Olympic debut at the 2026 Games, won his second straight Crystal Globe during the 2025-26 season, after finishing top of the 500m and 1500m standings and winning three of the four World Tour events in both distances.

Also earlier, reigning speed skating women’s team pursuit Olympic champions — Ivanie Blondin, Valérie Maltais, and Isabelle Weidemann — advanced to the semifinals, qualifying in first place. The semifinals are on Tuesday.

Hockey women advance to semifinals

In Olympic hockey, captain Marie-Philip Poulin was back in the lineup for Canada’s women’s hockey elimination quarterfinal game against Germany.

Poulin injured her right knee when she was checked into the boards by Kristyna Kaltounkova midway through the first period of Canada’s 5-1 win over Czechia on Monday.

But the captain was in good form Saturday, and tied Saskatchewan hockey great Hayley Wickenheiser as Canada’s all-time Olympic leading goal scorer on the way to the team’s 5-1 win.

Poulin, Brianne Jenner, Claire Thompson, Sarah Fillier and Blayre Turnbull all scored for Canada, while goalie Emerance Maschmeyer stopped 10 shots.

Canada will face either Finland or Switzerland in Monday’s semifinals, with the U.S. and Sweden the other semifinal matchup.

The men’s hockey team beat Switzerland 5-1 on Friday, and face France on Sunday morning to finish the preliminary round.

In alpine events, Saskatoon freestyle skier Maia Schwinghammer competed in women’s dual moguls after finishing fifth in the individual event earlier in the week, but did not advance.

Canadian curlers notch up losses

In curling, Team Canada — skip Rachel Homan, third Tracy Fleury, second Emma Miskew, lead Sarah Wilkes — took on Great Britain in a tight game which ended in a 7-6 loss in the women’s tournament before regrouping to take on Switzerland, where they lost 8-7 in extras. The team is now 1-3 at the Games.

The men’s team — skip Brad Jacobs, third Marc Kennedy, second Brett Gallant, lead Ben Hebert — also faced Switzerland today and earned the first loss of the competition 9-5. The team is back on the ice tomorrow against China. It was Switzerland’s fourth consecutive win in the tournament, and they are the sole unbeaten team.

After a fiery exchange during the men’s game against Sweden yesterday, World Curling issued a statement to say that official protocol was followed after a complaint about double-touching the stone. The 8-6 victory for Canada has received considerable social media attention after profane language was broadcast via player microphones.

— CKOM News, with files from The Canadian Press, Canadian Olympic Committee and Curling Canada

Day 7: Team Canada undefeated in men’s curling, men’s hockey

Canada’s men’s hockey team is now 2-0 after a 5-1 win over Switzerland at the Milano Cortina Games on Friday.

Macklin Celebrini, Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid, Thomas Harley and Sidney Crosby all scored in the game, with goaltender Logan Thompson making 24 saves.

Switzerland scored on a first-period power play goal by Pius Suter.

The team beat Czechia 5-0 in their tournament opener, securing top spot in Group A, and will play their final game of the preliminary round on Sunday against France.

Meanwhile, Team Canada scored four in the eighth end for an 8-6 win over Sweden in a strategic men’s curling on Friday.

Team Canada finished with a solid shooting percentage of 88, with skip Brad Jacobs leading the way with 91 per cent.

Canada’s next game is tomorrow against Switzerland.

After four draws, Canada and Switzerland sit at the top of the standings at 3-0 followed by Great Britain, Germany, Italy, and Norway all at 2-1, the United States at 1-2 and China, Czechia, and Sweden all winless in three games.

The 10 teams each play nine round-robin games with the top four teams then advancing to the semifinals.

Regina’s Mark McMorris ready to compete after crash in training session

Regina’s Mark McMorris is ready to hit the slopes at the Winter Olympics in Italy after a crash that saw him removed from the hill on a stretcher last week.

The Saskatchewan-born snowboarding star has been cleared to compete after taking a scary fall during a training session for the big air event on Feb. 4, according to Team Canada. The crash, which left him with a concussion, bone bruising and an abdominal strain, forced him to drop out of the big air event, but he was back out on the hill on Friday ahead of the slopestyle events.

“Feeling really good, feeling thankful to be boarding again. Had a lot of fun today,” McMorris said, quoted on Team Canada’s official website. “It’s awesome that we have so many days of practice.

Qualifying for slopestyle begins on Monday, with the final set for Wednesday.

He described the concussion testing he underwent as “very repetitive and rigorous,” but noted that there’s no such thing as being too careful when it comes to potential head injuries. He also thanked the medical team that cared for him after the crash.

McMorris won bronze Olympic medals in slopestyle events in 2014, 2018 and 2022.

— with files from CKOM News and Canadian Olympic Committee

Day 6: Courtney Sarault takes home bronze

Add a third medal to Canada’s Thursday haul at the 2026 Olympics, this time in short-track speed skating.

In the women’s 500 metre event, Canada’s Courtney Sarault was able to extend her leg to cross the finish line in third place to win bronze.

It’s Sarault’s second medal won in Milan, as she was part of Canada’s mixed relay team which earned silver on Tuesday.

This comes after silver medals on Thursday won in men’s moguls and men’s snowboard cross for Canada, earned by Mikaël Kingsbury and Éliot Grondin.

Canada is now up to seven total medals at the Milan Olympics — three silver and four bronze.

Éliot Grondin wins silver in snowboard cross

Quebec’s Éliot Grondin has claimed the silver medal in snowboard cross at the Winter Olympics in Italy.

Grondin won every heat ahead of the final, but lost to Austrian snowboarder Alessandro Haemmerle by 0.03 seconds. Jakob Dusek, another Austrian, finished third to claim the bronze.

This is the third Olympic medal for the 24-year-old Grondin, following a bronze in mixed team snowboard cross and a silver in snowboard cross in 2022.

Grondin’s second-place finish marked Canada’s sixth medal of the 2026 Olympics, following a silver-medal performance in men’s moguls earlier on Thursday morning by skier Mikaël Kingsbury.

Emily Clark scores twice as women’s hockey team advances

Canada’s women’s hockey team wrapped up round-robin play at the Olympics with a win, thanks in part to a big performance from Saskatoon’s Emily Clark.

Scoring two goals in the third period, Clark helped lead Team Canada to a 5-0 shutout victory over Finland on Thursday morning to cap off their group stage play.

Thursday’s game was delayed by a week following a norovirus outbreak which tore through the Finland dressing room.

Finishing the round-robin with a 3-1 record, the Canadians will now advance to take on Germany in quarter-final action on Saturday at 9:40 a.m.

–Scott Roblin, 650 CKOM

Kingsbury wins silver in men’s moguls

Skier Mikaël Kingsbury, who served as one of Canada’s flag bearers during the opening ceremony of the Olympic games in Italy, has claimed a silver medal in men’s moguls.

Kingsbury earned a score of 83.71 in the super final as the second-last skier on the course, but the drama ramped up as Australian skier Cooper Woods tied his score. Cooper claimed gold due to tie-breaker rules, with a turns score of 48.4, slightly better than Kingsbury’s 47.7.

According to the Team Canada website, the silver medal is the fourth Olympic medal Kingsbury can add to his trophy cabinet, after winning gold in 2018 and silver in both 2014 and 2022.

Day 5: Canada takes home bronze in pairs ice skating

Ontario’s Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier have clinched the bronze medal in ice dance. This was their third Olympic appearance together.

Reigning world champions from France, Laurence Fournier Beaudry (formerly from Montreal) and Guillaume Cizeron took gold while Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates earned silver.

Ben Hebert off to winning start in curling

It took an extra end, but Regina’s Ben Hebert and the Canadian men’s curling team are off on a winning note to begin competition at the Milan Olympics.

The two superpowers of women’s hockey squared off today at Milan Cortina in what was expected to be a preview of the gold medal game, with both Canada and the U.S. teams 3-0, meaning the top seed for the elimination rounds is at stake.

Team Canada, playing without captain Marie-Philip Poulin, was dominated by the Americans for just about the full 60 minutes with the final score 5-0.

The Canadians were out-shot 33-20 and goalie Ann-Renee Desbiens was pulled from the net after allowing five goals and replaced by Emerance Maschmeyer late in the third period.

The U.S. has now won seven straight games against Canada, which includes a four-game sweep in this season’s Rivalry Series.

The win means the U.S. has secured top spot in Group A, which also includes Canada, Finland, Czechia and Switzerland. All five teams in Group A earn spots in the quarterfinals, which begin on Friday.

Canada and the U.S have have met in six of the seven gold medal games in Olympic women’s hockey history.

Day 3: Canadians claim silver in short track mixed relay

The Canadians claimed the silver medal in the short track speed skating mixed relay event on Tuesday.

According to the Team Canada website, Kim Boutin, William Dandjinou, Félix Roussel and Courtney Sarault represented Canada on the track in the final, while Florence Brunelle and Steven Dubois will also receive medals after skating for Canada in earlier rounds.

“It is Canada’s first Olympic medal in the mixed relay, an event that was added to the program four years ago at Beijing 2022,” the Team Canada website noted.

The win brings Canada’s medal total up to three after athletes completed bronze-medal performances in slopestyle skiing and speed skating.

Saskatoon skier qualifies for moguls final

Saskatoon’s Maïa Schwinghammer made the most of her Olympic debut on the hill, qualifying for the finals of the women’s moguls competition on Tuesday.

She had a clean run to post a score of 74.90 in her first qualifying run in Italy, landing her in sixth place and receiving an automatic bye to the finals as one of the top 10 finishers.

She’ll be one of 20 freestyle skiers competing for gold on Wednesday morning in women’s moguls, with competition beginning at 7:15 a.m.

— CKOM News, with files from Canadian Olympic Committee

Day 2: Canadians in action

At the Milan Cortina Olympics on Sunday, Canada’s mixed doubles curling team had two round-robin games, needing wins to keep their medal-round hopes alive.

Alberta’s Brett Gallant and Jocelyn Peterman lost 7-6 to Sweden on Sunday morning and then 9-5 to South Korea, ending their medal hopes as they will not advance to the semifinal round. They still have one more round-robin game to play Monday.

The semifinals will be played Monday night and the medal games are set for Tuesday.

Speedskating continued this morning with Canadian Ted-Jan Bloemen competing in the men’s 5,000 metres, skating to 13th place. Norway’s Sander Eitrem took the gold medal, Czech Metodej Jilek the silver and Italian Riccardo Lorello the bronze.

Meanwhile, Canada’s men’s hockey team hits the ice for their first official practice today ahead of their tournament opener against Czechia on Feb. 12., and Alberta’s Xavier McKeever finished 13th in the men’s 10km +10km skiathlon.

Day 2: Vonn comeback ends after early crash

American skier Lindsey Vonn’s chase for Olympic gold in the women’s alpine ski women’s downhill race ended at the Milan Cortina Olympics Sunday when the 41-year-old crashed dramatically at the top of the course.

Vonn had been chasing another Olympic medal after an aggressive and successful training run where she wore a large brace on the knee where she tore her ACL nine days ago.

The four-time overall World Cup champion came to the Olympics as the leader in the World Cup downhill standings.

Vonn was in obvious pain as she lay on the slope for several minutes before being stretchered off the course by helicopter and flown to hospital. She had surgery for a fracture in her left leg and was in a stable condition, Associated Press said.

Day 1: Bronze in women’s 3,000m speed skating

Valérie Maltais from Quebec, who became just the third athlete in the world and the first Canadian to win Olympic medals in both forms of speed skating in 2022 in Beijing, took home a bronze medal in the women’s 3,000m speedskating on Saturday at Milano Cortina 2026.

Isabelle Weidemann from Ontario, who got bronze medal in the event in 2022, was fifth and B.C’s Laura Hall was 13th in her Olympic debut in the race.

Long track speed skating is considered the fastest human-powered sport in the Games, with skaters reaching speeds of more than 60 km/h. All long track speed skating events take place on a 400m oval and are timed to the hundredth of a second (0.01).

In the individual distance events, skaters race in pairs against the clock. Skating counterclockwise around the oval, the skaters change lanes once per lap to equalize the distance covered. The skater in the outside lane has the right-of-way if the two skaters arrive at the crossover point at the same time. The 3000m is 7 ½ laps.

Opening day: Loud cheers greet Canadians at Opening Ceremony

FEB. 6 — Canada marched into the Milan Cortina Winter Games — at four different locations — on a colourful and unique Friday night.

The country’s delegation took part in a never-before-seen Parade of Athletes that stretched across northern Italy in the first Olympic curtain-raiser held at multiple venues for what is the most widespread event of its kind in history.

Moguls skier Mikaël Kingsbury and ski cross racer Marielle Thompson, both Olympic gold medallists, carried the Maple Leaf in Livigno, more than 200 kilometres from Milan in the Italian Alps.

Roughly 50 members of the Canadian delegation in Milan marched into the famed San Siro, renamed Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium for the event that runs through Feb. 22, to raucous applause.

Meanwhile, in Livigno, fans stood in -3 C temperatures to watch the ceremony on two big screens with the halfpipe and big air runs gleaming white under the floodlights as a backdrop.

Kingsbury and Thompson — both four-time Olympians — have five medals between them.

“It’s quite a responsibility,” Thompson said of carrying her nation’s colours before leading the pack with Kingsbury. “To share it with Mikael is huge. He is such an icon in Canada and in our sport.”

Other than the walkout of athletes competing locally, the festivities at Livigno Snow Park were largely an exercise in watching big screens.

The crowd cheered loudly when the town was announced as one of the host venues, but it was business as usual elsewhere as the occasional snowplow worked the slopes above the crowd.

Livigno is staging snowboard and freestyle skiing events. Bormio, about a 90-kilometre drive away, is hosting men’s alpine skiing, with the downhill first on the schedule Saturday, as well as ski mountaineering, which is making its Olympic debut.

Cortina D’Ampezzo, which held the 1956 Games and had about two dozen Canadian athletes march, is roughly 400 kilometres from Milan in the heart of the Dolomite mountains.

Spectators in the town, brimming with shops, cafés and high-end boutiques is home to curling, sliding sports and women’s alpine skiing events gathered near the town square for an unusual ceremony.

Competition started in northeastern Italy a couple of days ago, and the Olympic buzz has been building since. A few dozen members of the Canadian team participated in the ceremony on a chilly but comfortable evening.

There was, however, no stadium setting in Cortina. Spectators instead lined the nearby streets and sidewalks or watched the unique proceedings from hotel or chalet balconies.

Predazzo, the fourth location taking part in the Friday’s ceremony, is about 300 kilometres away in the autonomous province of Trento.

Italy also welcomed the world at the 1960 Olympics in Rome and again in 2006 in Turin.

Back in Milan, U.S. Vice-President JD Vance, who was booed when shown on the big screen as the American delegation walked onto the stadium floor, was among the dignitaries in attendance inside a tight security perimeter.

Sirens could be heard across Milan throughout the day and helicopters buzzed overhead in the hours leading up to the Games’ official opening.

The nearly three-hour spectacle in Italy’s second-largest city featured homages to the country’s arts and culture, including three massive tubes of paint suspended high above the arena floor

There were also performances by American pop star Mariah Carey inside Milan’s iconic 75,000-seat stadium that’s home to soccer giants AC Milan and Inter Milan. The building, originally constructed in 1926, has also hosted World Cup games and Champions League finals.

Most countries were greeted warmly by the crowd — Ukraine and the Olympic hosts received the loudest ovations — but Israel received a mixed welcome that combined jeers and cheers.

The organizers of a Games set to be staged across 22,000 square kilometres of territory in order to use as much existing infrastructure as possible said in the official notes that Friday’s showcase was “a return that unites memory and vision, reaffirming Italy’s role as a crossroads of culture, innovation, and the ability to imagine new ways of creating an Olympic ceremony.”

Two cauldrons inspired by the geometric studies of Leonardo da Vinci were lit simultaneously in a Games first — one in Milan at the Arco della Pace, some four kilometres from San Siro, and at Piazza Dibona in Cortina.

The ceremony’s theme was “Harmony” at a time of increased tensions in a number of hot spots around the world.

— by Joshua Clipperton of The Canadaian Press, with files from Neil Davidson, Gregory Strong and Associated Press.

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Day 1: Canadian women start with a 4-0 win against Switzerland

Canada’s women’s hockey team opened its Olympic gold medal defence against Switzerland on Day 1 of the Milan Cortina Olympics with a win, after its original opener against Finland was postponed on Thursday.

On Saturday, Canada defeated Switzerland 4-0 in its first game of preliminary round action after the Swiss team had been isolating in Milan because of one player diagnosed with norovirus, the same illness that forced the Finland postponement.

Natalie Spooner opened the scoring with a power-play goal, Sarah Fillier also had a power-play goal  and Julia Gosling added a third power-play goal for Canada, while Daryl Watts scored in her Olympic debut.

Goalie Emerance Maschmeyer recorded a shutout with the win, while Switzerland’s netminder Saskia Maurer made 51 saves in the loss after the Canadians outshot Switzerland 55-6.

— 650 CKOM News

The two superpowers of women’s hockey squared off today at Milan Cortina in what was expected to be a preview of the gold medal game, with both Canada and the U.S. teams 3-0, meaning the top seed for the elimination rounds is at stake.

Team Canada, playing without captain Marie-Philip Poulin, was dominated by the Americans for just about the full 60 minutes with the final score 5-0.

The Canadians were out-shot 33-20 and goalie Ann-Renee Desbiens was pulled from the net after allowing five goals and replaced by Emerance Maschmeyer late in the third period.

The U.S. has now won seven straight games against Canada, which includes a four-game sweep in this season’s Rivalry Series.

The win means the U.S. has secured top spot in Group A, which also includes Canada, Finland, Czechia and Switzerland. All five teams in Group A earn spots in the quarterfinals, which begin on Friday.

Canada and the U.S have have met in six of the seven gold medal games in Olympic women’s hockey history.

— 650 CKOM News

Day 5: Emily Clark scores twice as women’s team advances to quarter-final

Canada’s women’s hockey team wrapped up round-robin play at the Olympics with a win, thanks in part to a big performance from Saskatoon’s Emily Clark.

Scoring two goals in the third period, Clark helped lead Team Canada to a 5-0 shutout victory over Finland on Thursday morning to cap off their group stage play.

Thursday’s game was delayed by a week following a norovirus outbreak which tore through the Finland dressing room.

Finishing the round-robin with a 3-1 record, the Canadians will now advance to take on Germany in quarter-final action on Saturday at 9:40 a.m.

Day 6: Team Canada men undefeated

Canada’s men’s hockey team is now 2-0 after a 5-1 win over Switzerland at the Milano Cortina Games on Friday.

Macklin Celebrini, Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid, Thomas Harley and Sidney Crosby all scored in the game, with goaltender Logan Thompson making 24 saves.

Switzerland scored on a first-period power play goal by Pius Suter.

The team beat Czechia 5-0 in their tournament opener, securing top spot in Group A, and will play their final game of the preliminary round on Sunday against France.

— by Scott Roblin, 650 CKOM and CKOM News

Day 7: Hockey women advance to semifinals

In Olympic hockey, captain Marie-Philip Poulin was back in the lineup for Canada’s women’s hockey elimination quarterfinal game against Germany.

Poulin injured her right knee when she was checked into the boards by Kristyna Kaltounkova midway through the first period of Canada’s 5-1 win over Czechia on Monday.

But the captain was in good form Saturday, and tied Saskatchewan hockey great Hayley Wickenheiser as Canada’s all-time Olympic leading goal scorer on the way to the team’s 5-1 win.

Poulin, Brianne Jenner, Claire Thompson, Sarah Fillier and Blayre Turnbull all scored for Canada, while goalie Emerance Maschmeyer stopped 10 shots.

Canada will face either Finland or Switzerland in Monday’s semifinals, with the U.S. and Sweden the other semifinal matchup.

The men’s hockey team beat Switzerland 5-1 on Friday, and face France on Sunday morning to finish the preliminary round.

— CKOM News

Day 9: Hockey men remain undefeated

In a lopsided final preliminary round match against France on Sunday, nine Canadian players scored to beat France 10-2.

Macklin Celebrini scored two goals in the game, with Tom Wilson, Devon Toews, Mark Stone, Cale Makar, Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Bo Horvat and Brandon Hagel also putting one each in the net. Goalie Jordan Binnington made 12 saves.

Canada has earned a bye through to the quarterfinals on Wednesday. The three group winners and the next best team earn automatic spots in the quarterfinals while the remaining teams will have to play in Tuesday’s qualifying round.

Day 12: Canada beats Czechia in men’s hockey to advance to semifinal at Winter Olympics

The Canadian men’s hockey team beat the Czech Republic on Wednesday at the Winter Olympics in Italy, winning 4-3 in overtime.

Mitch Marner scored the game-winning goal for Canada, while Macklin Celebrini, Nathan MacKinnon and Nick Suzuki also had goals.

Canadian captain Sidney Crosby left the ice with an injury in the second period.

Canada’s opponent in the semifinal has not yet been determined, but as the highest-ranked team in the preliminary round, Canada will face the lowest-ranked seed on Friday.

The bronze medal game is set for Saturday, while the top two teams will play for gold on Sunday morning.

 

 

Canadian Olympic hockey team rosters

Men:

Forwards:

• Macklin Celebrini (Vancouver, B.C.)
• Anthony Cirelli (Woodbridge, Ont.)
• Sidney Crosby (Cole Harbour, N.S.)
• Brandon Hagel (Morinville, Alta.)
• Bo Horvat (London, Ont.)
• Nathan Mackinnon (Cole Harbour, N.S.)
• Brad Marchand (Hammonds Plains, N.S.)
• Mitch Marner (Thornhill, Ont.)
• Connor McDavid (Newmarket, Ont.)
• Brayden Point (Calgary, Alta.)
• Sam Reinhart (West Vancouver, B.C.)
• Mark Stone (Winnipeg, Man.)
• Nick Suzuki (London, Ont.)
• Tom Wilson (Toronto, Ont.)

Defence:

• Drew Doughty (London, Ont.)
• Thomas Harley (Syracuse, N.Y.)
• Cale Makar (Calgary, Alta.)
• Josh Morrissey (Calgary, Alta.)
• Colton Parayko (St. Albert, Alta.)
• Travis Sanheim (Elkhorn, Man.)
• Shea Theodore (Aldergrove, B.C.)
• Devon Toews (Abbotsford, B.C.)

Goal:

• Jordan Binnington (Richmond Hill, Ont.)
• Darcy Kuemper (Saskatoon, Sask.)
• Logan Thompson (Calgary, Alta.)

Women

Forwards:

• Emily Clark (Saskatoon, Sask.)
• Sarah Fillier (Georgetown, Ont.)
• Jenn Gardiner (Surrey, B.C.)
• Julia Gosling (London, Ont.)
• Brianne Jenner (Oakville, Ont.)
• Emma Maltais (Burlington, Ont.)
• Sarah Nurse (Hamilton, Ont.)
• Kristin O’Neill (Oakville, Ont.)
• Marie-Philip Poulin (Beauceville, Que.)
• Natalie Spooner (Scarborough, Ont.)
• Laura Stacey (Kleinburg, Ont.)
• Blayre Turnbull (Stellarton, N.S.)
• Daryl Watts (Toronto, Ont.)

Defence:

• Erin Ambrose (Keswick, Ont.)
• Renata Fast (Burlington, Ont.)
• Sophie Jaques (Toronto, ON)
• Jocelyne Larocque (Ste. Anne, Man.)
• Ella Shelton (Ingersoll, Ont.)
• Kati Tabin (Winnipeg, Man.)
• Claire Thompson (Toronto, Ont.)

Goal:

• Ann-Renée Desbiens (Clermont, Que.)
• Emerance Maschmeyer (Bruderheim, Alta.)
• Kayle Osborne (Ottawa, ON)

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Rivals U.S. and Canada could put North American dominance on display

One more goal. That’s how close the U.S. was to beating Canada in the final at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics before losing in overtime.

One more goal. That’s how close the U.S. was from tying Canada in the semifinals at the 2014 Sochi Olympics before losing 1-0.

One more goal. That’s how close the U.S. was to beating Canada in the final at the 4 Nations Face-Off a year ago before losing in overtime.

“Canada won, right?” U.S. centre Jack Eichel said. “So, they’re obviously on top.”

Canada has won every major international men’s hockey tournament featuring a the NHL’s best players over the past 16 years, a run that includes the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

With Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar joining forces for the first time on the same sheet of ice, the nation known as the cradle of the sport goes into the Milan Cortina Olympics as the gold medal favourite.

“It’s always been Canada,” longtime U.S. star Patrick Kane said.

The U.S. has been closing ground for decades, and the fight-filled 4 Nations put the border rivalry in the spotlight while ramping up expectations that the Games will be another showcase of North American dominance.

— Associated Press

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New Milan Cortina hockey arena passes test

The Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena will be one of the focal points of the games next month with NHL players returning to the Olympics for the first time in more than a decade.

The Milano-Cortina Olympic committee says on its website that the arean has a seating capacity of 14,000 and has been “specifically designed to provide spectators with an immersive and dynamic experience.”

“Its acoustics, sightlines, and modern amenities create a unique atmosphere, where the passion for sport meets the excitement of a world-class event,” the committee says.

After the Olympics, the arena will be turned into a multi-functional centre for sport events and live entertainment.

The venue has also been the focal point of the buildup with construction delays but a three-day test event at the arena in January went well, with three matches a day simulating use during the Olympics.

“We know how it’s difficult to have a high level of quality of ice for the third game of the third period. Yesterday that was a good test because that was fantastic, the puck was sliding, it was not bumping,” IIHF President Luc Tardif said after the test event.

The players themselves said they were happy with the quality of the ice and Canadian James Livingston, who plays for the Wipptal Broncos, said he was sure his compatriots in the NHL would be fine.

“I mean we all grew up playing on ponds back in Canada, so I’m sure that whatever gets thrown at them, they’re gonna adapt and they’re gonna enjoy it,” he told The Associated Press. “And they are playing for their country. So, I think it will be a great competition.”

The men’s Olympic hockey tournament is scheduled from Feb. 11-22, the women’s from Feb. 5-19.

— Associated Press, with files from CKOM News

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Team Canada at Milano Cortina 2026

Team Canada will be represented by 207 athletes at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, with six representing Saskatchewan.

Canada has competitors in 14 of the 16 disciplines and, for the first time at a Winter Games, Canadian athletes competing in women’s events outnumber those competing in men’s events.

The oldest athlete on Team Canada is curler Marc Kennedy, who will turn 44 the day before the Opening Ceremony. He will be the first Canadian curler to compete in four Olympic Games. Figure skater Deanna Stellato-Dudek is 42 years old, and will be the oldest woman to compete in an Olympic figure skating event since St. Moritz 1928.

Team Canada’s youngest athletes are both snowboarders: Eli Bouchard just turned 18 in mid-December while Felicity Geremia is just six months older.

— CKOM News, with files from Team Canada website

Loud cheers greet Canadians at Opening Ceremony

FEB. 6 — Canada marched into the Milan Cortina Winter Games — at four different locations — on a colourful and unique Friday night.

The country’s delegation took part in a never-before-seen Parade of Athletes that stretched across northern Italy in the first Olympic curtain-raiser held at multiple venues for what is the most widespread event of its kind in history.

Moguls skier Mikaël Kingsbury and ski cross racer Marielle Thompson, both Olympic gold medallists, carried the Maple Leaf in Livigno, more than 200 kilometres from Milan in the Italian Alps.

Roughly 50 members of the Canadian delegation in Milan marched into the famed San Siro, renamed Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium for the event that runs through Feb. 22, to raucous applause.

Meanwhile, in Livigno, fans stood in -3 C temperatures to watch the ceremony on two big screens with the halfpipe and big air runs gleaming white under the floodlights as a backdrop.

Kingsbury and Thompson — both four-time Olympians — have five medals between them.

“It’s quite a responsibility,” Thompson said of carrying her nation’s colours before leading the pack with Kingsbury. “To share it with Mikael is huge. He is such an icon in Canada and in our sport.”

Other than the walkout of athletes competing locally, the festivities at Livigno Snow Park were largely an exercise in watching big screens.

The crowd cheered loudly when the town was announced as one of the host venues, but it was business as usual elsewhere as the occasional snowplow worked the slopes above the crowd.

Livigno is staging snowboard and freestyle skiing events. Bormio, about a 90-kilometre drive away, is hosting men’s alpine skiing, with the downhill first on the schedule Saturday, as well as ski mountaineering, which is making its Olympic debut.

Cortina D’Ampezzo, which held the 1956 Games and had about two dozen Canadian athletes march, is roughly 400 kilometres from Milan in the heart of the Dolomite mountains.

Spectators in the town, brimming with shops, cafés and high-end boutiques is home to curling, sliding sports and women’s alpine skiing events gathered near the town square for an unusual ceremony.

Competition started in northeastern Italy a couple of days ago, and the Olympic buzz has been building since. A few dozen members of the Canadian team participated in the ceremony on a chilly but comfortable evening.

There was, however, no stadium setting in Cortina. Spectators instead lined the nearby streets and sidewalks or watched the unique proceedings from hotel or chalet balconies.

Predazzo, the fourth location taking part in the Friday’s ceremony, is about 300 kilometres away in the autonomous province of Trento.

Italy also welcomed the world at the 1960 Olympics in Rome and again in 2006 in Turin.

Back in Milan, U.S. Vice-President JD Vance, who was booed when shown on the big screen as the American delegation walked onto the stadium floor, was among the dignitaries in attendance inside a tight security perimeter.

Sirens could be heard across Milan throughout the day and helicopters buzzed overhead in the hours leading up to the Games’ official opening.

The nearly three-hour spectacle in Italy’s second-largest city featured homages to the country’s arts and culture, including three massive tubes of paint suspended high above the arena floor

There were also performances by American pop star Mariah Carey inside Milan’s iconic 75,000-seat stadium that’s home to soccer giants AC Milan and Inter Milan. The building, originally constructed in 1926, has also hosted World Cup games and Champions League finals.

Most countries were greeted warmly by the crowd — Ukraine and the Olympic hosts received the loudest ovations — but Israel received a mixed welcome that combined jeers and cheers.

The organizers of a Games set to be staged across 22,000 square kilometres of territory in order to use as much existing infrastructure as possible said in the official notes that Friday’s showcase was “a return that unites memory and vision, reaffirming Italy’s role as a crossroads of culture, innovation, and the ability to imagine new ways of creating an Olympic ceremony.”

Two cauldrons inspired by the geometric studies of Leonardo da Vinci were lit simultaneously in a Games first — one in Milan at the Arco della Pace, some four kilometres from San Siro, and at Piazza Dibona in Cortina.

The ceremony’s theme was “Harmony” at a time of increased tensions in a number of hot spots around the world.

— by Joshua Clipperton of The Canadaian Press, with files from Neil Davidson, Gregory Strong and Associated Press.

Skimo makes Olympic debut

One new sport will make its debut at Milano Cortina — ski mountaineering (or skimo).

It combines uphill and downhill skiing with mountaineering skills, and will feature sprint events for men and women and a mixed relay event.

Athletes use climbing “skins” to travel uphill on their skis. They put their skis on their backs and run up steep “bootpack” sections and they remove the skins to ski downhill.

The sprint races includes the essential features of ski mountaineering: an ascent on foot while carrying skis on a backpack, an ascent on skis with skins, and a single descent on skis.

The mixed relay features teams of one man and one woman. Each athlete will do two circuits of a course which includes two ascents and descents and a total height gain of 150 to 180 metres.

The skis used in ski mountaineering are lighter than those used in alpine skiing but, like those used in cross-country skiing, have moveable bindings to allow for proper joint movement.

Boots are made to be easy to wear whether the athlete is ascending on foot, ascending on skis, or descending on skis and they feature quick fastenings to adapt to each situation.

To help athletes make their ascent, skins are attached to the bottom of skis to allow for forward gliding and gripping the snow during push-off but stop sliding backwards. Once made of seal skins, they are synthetic in the modern world.

Canada narrowly missed qualifying for a mixed-relay place in the sport’s Oympic debut at Milan Cortina debut, after being narrowly beaten by the U.S. for the final quota in December 2025.

— CKOM News, with files from Team Canada and Skimo Canada websites

Facts and figures about the Games

• Milano Cortina 2026 will feature eight sports and 16 disciplines, with ski mountaineering making its Olympic debut
• A total of 116 events will be contested over the 19 days, with around 2,800 athletes from over 90 National Olympic Committees expected to compete.
• There are eight new events at the 2026 Games: Ski mountaineering men’s sprint, ski mountaineering women’s sprint, ski mountaineering mixed relay, skeleton mixed team, luge women’s doubles freestyle skiing men’s dual moguls, freestyle skiing women’s dual moguls, and ki jumping women’s large hill individual.
• For the first time since Sochi 2014, National Hockey League (NHL) players will return to the Winter Olympics.
• The Games will take place in Milan and Cortina, with 13 venues hosting the action.
• Some venues are legacies of the Cortina. d’Ampezzo 1956 Olympic Winter Games. Curling will take place in the Cortina’s Olympic Ice Stadium, which hosted the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, as well as ice hockey and figure skating 70 years ago.
• The Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium, where the Opening Ceremony will take place, is one of the most well-known sporting arenas in the world, being home to Italy’s AC Milan and Internazionale Milano football clubs.
• The Closing Ceremony will take place on Feb. 22 in the historic Roman amphitheatre, Verona Arena.

— Milan Cortina Olympic Committee website