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Winter Olympics 2026: Canada beat GB to curling gold, bobsleigh, ice hockey and more – as it happened
🥇 Canada beat Great Britain 9-6 to take Men’s Curling Gold
The dream is over for Great Britain. Canada take the Gold after a brilliant shot from their skipper Brad Jacobs leaves Bruce Mouat needing to take out two yellow stones with his final red stone… he can’t do it and Canada are jubilant! Great Britain dejected, heartbroken, it’s Olympic silver for them once again.
Key events
James Wallace
That’s about it from us today, join us tomorrow for the 16th and final day of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. It’s an action packed morning as Team GB flag carrier Brad Hall pilots the Four-Man Bobsleigh and Great Britain’s Zoe Atkin will compete in the re-arranged Women’s Freeski Halfpipe Final.
Thanks for your company and comments. It’s been a blast. Goodnight.
Men’s Ice Hockey: Finland are heading for the bronze medal, they lead Slovakia 4-1 in the third period. The Gold medal match takes place tomorrow at 1pm GMT, the USA and Canada will duke it out for that one.
Great Britain’s curlers take to the podium for their silver medals. They are clearly still utterly gutted but Bruce Mouat manages to summon a smile and a wave as he receives his second Olympic silver. Will they go again in four years time?
Eve Muirhead won Curling Gold in 2022 at the fourth time of asking. I wouldn’t bring that up with them just now but, y’know, the point stands.
Sometimes the silvers you win feel more like the golds you lose”
Andy Bull is our man in Cortina and his report of curling final has landed:
Men’s Curling Final Reaction: Mouat and Hardie manage to get some words out. It’s emotional, powerful stuff.
“I’m a bit in shock” said an emotional Mouat. “We felt like we were the better team there. I don’t know what to say.”
He pauses for a good few seconds to gather himself.
“Regardless of the result, the incredible thing we will take away is the amount of people who have come out to support us and have messaged us from back home. The boys and I love our sport, we want people to come and join our sport. If we can take anything away from this week as well as the silver medal, it’s being able to inspire people to hopefully want to participate. That is an achievement in itself.”
“Our friendship is why we wanted to win it for each other” Hardie adds. “The pain from four years ago was that much, we thought we’d give it another go, we had the chance, but unfortunately we haven’t got there again.”
🥇 Gold (and silver) for Germany in the two woman Bobsleigh
We’ll stick with the reaction to the men’s curling final but elsewhere the German pair of Laura Nolte and Deborah Levi have taken gold in the two woman bob.
Germany also took silver with compatriots Lisa Buckwist and Neele Schuten 0.53 seconds slower. The USA pairing of Kaillie Armbruster Humphries and Jasmine Jones take bronze.
Grant Hardie and Bruce Mouat are being interviewed by the BBC moments after defeat, both men look utterly dejected and Mouat in particular cannot find the words to reflect on the loss. He chokes back tears, it’s all too raw at the moment.
🥇 Canada beat Great Britain 9-6 to take Men’s Curling Gold
The dream is over for Great Britain. Canada take the Gold after a brilliant shot from their skipper Brad Jacobs leaves Bruce Mouat needing to take out two yellow stones with his final red stone… he can’t do it and Canada are jubilant! Great Britain dejected, heartbroken, it’s Olympic silver for them once again.
Men’s Curling Final: Canada 8–6 Great Britain (10th End) Canada call a time out with a packed house, three yellows and three reds. They lay another one in there after a chinwag. Canada have two stones left, Great Britain have three. Bruce Mouat and co have to score two to take this Gold medal match to an extra end.
Men’s Curling Final: Canada 8–6 Great Britain (9th End) Canada nearly land what would have been a HAMMER blow and score a four but their yellow stone chips Britain’s red out and slides out itself! What drama. Canada score three to take the lead but it could have been even worse fro Bruce Mouat and his men.
We have one end left now, Great Britain have the hammer and need to score two to take it to an extra end. They need to get their game back on, too many mistakes under pressure in the last couple of ends have let Canada take control of the match.
Men’s Curling Final: Canada 5–6 Great Britain (9th End) Great Britain call a time out and they need it. They are up against it in this penultimate end, Canada have a chance to take a three… in fact a FOUR…
Two woman Bobsleigh: We interrupt this quick gnawingly tense men’s curling final to bring you happy news of Team GB’s Adele Nicoll and Ashleigh Nelson in the two woman bob final.
They clock a time of 57.80s in their final run, their quickest by a stretch and finish with an overall time of 3:51:83. We’ll find out a bit later on where that leaves them in the overall standings.
Men’s Curling Final: Canada 5–6 Great Britain (8th End) Great Britain are pegged back in the eighth and have to settle for just one point. Its getting twitchy now, the crowd have quietened but it is the Canadians who are more vocal with their team taking the hammer into the ninth. They might try and blank this end and keep the hammer for the final one. Tactics, tactics.
Men’s Ice Hockey: Sebastian Aho has put Finland one nil up against Slovakia in the bronze gold medal match. Still in the first period of that game, as we’ve seen this week with the number of matches going to overtime, there’s a long way to go.
Men’s Curling Final: Canada 5–5 Great Britain (7th End) Mouat with another wonderful stone that slides within a gnat’s eyebrow of the guarding yellow, his red ‘knocks and stops’ takes out the second yellow and forces the Canadians to just accept the one point with the hammer.
Britain have the hammer and the chance now to go two points up for the first time in the match.
Men’s Curling Final: Canada 4–5 Great Britain (6th End) Bruce Mouat’s piercing blue eyes stare down the sheet. He releases the final red stone of the end and it is pinpoint accurate! It takes out two yellows with a bounce off and Great Britain take two points and the lead.
Mouat is a man of few outward emotions but even he affords himself a fist pump after that one!
Men’s Ice Hockey: Slovakia and Finland are about to puck off in the Bronze medal match. I’ll stay locked in on the curling but will bring you the big updates from that match.
Former GB Olympic Curling Gold medallist Vicky Wright is in the studio and sees that last stone as a big error from Canada:
I think GB have come out and continued their play from the semi-final. They have definitely got another gear they can go, but the boys are playing well. They are sitting at 88% so far, they are on it.
That was a massive miss from Brad Jacobs (in the fifth end). He wanted to make the double and blank this end out, but unfortunately he made the nose hit and took one point. That’s big.”
I know you were humming it:
Men’s Curling Final: Canada 4–3 Great Britain (5th End) A mistake from Canada and how costly that might be?
Bruce Mouat removes the Canadian yellow and leaves two reds resting together in the house…
Canada’s Brad Jacobs shapes to blank the end and keep the hammer but his final yellow stone doesn’t have enough gas on it! It stays in the house for one point. Canada lead at the halfway mark but they only got one for that end with the hammer and they’ve handed it to Great Britain for the start of the back five.
As we’ve seen already this week, the Canadian team aren’t shy of a word or two…
Well they’ve also been very chatty between themselves in the match so far, every decision pored over and discussed. In Curling, each team is allocated 38 minutes of thinking time in the match. The clock stops when they start the delivery of their stone. Canada have burned through three more minutes of chat then Great Britain so far.
Men’s Curling Final: Canada 3–3 Great Britain (4th End) After a scrappy end with a few mistakes from Great Britain they “take their medicine” in the words of Steve Cram on the BBC commentary and settle for just the one point. All square after four, Canada have the hammer in the next.
Marijke emails with the gossip on another Marijke…
“For Marijke Groenewoud it’s not only the gold medal today. Her boyfriend asked her to marry him in the area where family was waiting. Of course she said yes!”
Meanwhile, the host broadcaster has not had the best Games:
Italy’s state broadcaster, Rai, was forced to apologise to the Jewish community on Saturday after an off-air remark advising its producers to “avoid” the Israeli crew was broadcast before coverage of the four-man bobsleigh event. The head of Rai’s sports division resigned this week after his error-ridden commentary at the opening ceremony two weeks ago triggered a revolt among its journalists.
On Saturday, viewers heard: “Let’s avoid crew number 21, which is the Israeli one,” and then: “No, because …” before the sound was cut off.
“I firmly condemn the statements made today by a Rai journalist regarding the Israeli bobsleigh delegation at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics,” said Jonathan Peled, Israel’s ambassador, on social media. “There should be no room in sport for incitement to hatred, discrimination based on national, cultural, or religious beliefs, and any offensive rhetoric. We are confident that the RAI management will take all necessary measures to ensure that similar incidents are not repeated.”
Rai’s CEO, Giampaolo Rossi, said the incident represented a serious breach of the principles of impartiality, respect and inclusion that should guide the public broadcaster. He added that Rai had opened an internal inquiry to swiftly determine any responsibility and any potential disciplinary procedures.
In a separate statement Rai’s board of directors condemned the remark as “unacceptable“. The board apologised to the Jewish community, the athletes involved and all viewers who felt offended.
Rai is the country’s largest media organisation and operates national television, radio and digital news services.
The union representing Rai journalists, Usigrai, had said Paolo Petrecca’s opening ceremony commentary had dealt “a serious blow” to the company’s credibility. His missteps included misidentifying venues and public figures, and making comments about national teams that were widely criticised.
Reuters
Men’s Curling Final: Canada 3–2 Great Britain (3rd End) Great Britain have a chance to limit Canada to one but one of their final stones just bounces off leaving Canada with an easy draw for two with the final stone. Canada don’t fluff their lines and make the two to go into the lead. A long way to go of course, we’re going to be in for a tight match.
Day 15’s pictures have landed and, as always, they are beautiful:
Men’s Curling Final: Canada 1–2 Great Britain (2nd End) Great Britain have started confidently, they set up the end and Bruce Mouat has an easy finish to secure two points with the final stone. No sign of nerves, Mouat is a picture of calm. A lone piper has snuck his wares into the arena and lets out a triumphant parp.
Men’s Curling Final: Canada 1–0 Great Britain (1st End) A nervous bladder for Bruce Mouat? Great Britain’s skipper nips off to use the facilities at the end of the end and thus misses Canada only scoring one with the hammer in the first end.
Canada’s Brad Jacobs draws in for one. Great Britain will be pleased with that (you should really be looking to score two with the hammer in your possession). Over to Bruce and the boys, after you’ve washed your hands big man!
The BBC have done a nice little profile of each of the men who make up The Great Britain team. Hammy McMillan is described as “the lively one” though it was Grant Hardie who apparently necked champagne for the entirety of the 13-hour flight home to Scotland from Beijing after winning the silver medal in 2022. Hic!
Bruce Mouat: The skip or captain, he throws last and dictates the tactics. Calm, thoughtful, but fiercely competitive. Considered by many to be the best player in the world.
Grant Hardie: Mouat’s deputy, he will throw third. He’s the analytical one in the team and not afraid to speak his mind. Also drank champagne for the entirety of the 13-hour flight home from Beijing after winning silver.
Hammy McMillan: As the lead, he throws first. He’s the lively one of the team and one of the best sweepers in the world. Loves a carry on. He and Hardie are cousins.
Bobby Lammie: The quiet one but an “absolute freak of nature physically” according to those who train alongside him. Along with McMillan, he has reinvented the role of the sweeper.”
Canada have the hammer in the first end, the crowd are already very vocal as Great Britain’s Hammy McMillan sends the first stone down. Team GB are using the red stones, Canada the yellow.
I don’t know the collective noun but a gaggle of Bagpipers have just marched through the Curling arena and the teams are lined up and being introduced.
Scott is tuned in and cheering for Great Britain’s opponents – Canada.
“I have enjoyed your Olympic coverage but can’t say I’ll be cheering for your lads this match. Hey, not that you don’t have enough on your plate, but do you mind tracking any “Hurry Hard!” entreaties you hear from the skips during the contest? It’s the most compelling plea in the sport. Thanks in advance.”
Consider it done. The players are ready to go, let’s curl!
An email from Julia in Amsterdam:
“Hi James, It is worth noting that the Dutch speed skaters nearly all hail from one tiny province in the North of the country… Friesland. A proud but down to earth people, with their own flag and language – and a generations-deep relationship to skating on the ice. What Kenya and Ethiopia are to long distance running, Friesland is to speed skating. Glory to the Frisians!”
Julia goes on to note that she is a ¼ Frisian. Go figure, or rather, Speed.
Can Bruce and the boys follow in the brush strokes of Eve Muirhead’s team at Beijing in 2022 and Rhona Martin’s at Salt Lake City in 2002?
No men’s curling team has won an Olympic Gold since 1924 in Chamonix. Over a hundred years of history to defy then, no pressure lads.
James Wallace
Thanks Tanya and hello everyone. A shame we won’t see Zoe Atkin go for a medal in the postponed women’s halfpipe but from the coverage I’ve seen today it has been shedding snow down in Cortina today.
No snow falling inside the curling arena though as Bruce Moat, Grant Hardie, Bobby Lammie and Hammy McMillan go for Gold for Great Britain in the men’s curling. Their final match against Canada gets underway in about 30 minutes. Let’s push some granite!
Time for me to shut up shop. Thanks for your company over the Games, it’s been so fun. Over to James for the curling, ice hockey and more. Bye!
Going into the final medal straight, Norway have an unassailable lead with 18 golds, the USA are second with 11, and Netherlands just ahead of Italy, both with ten golds, in third and fourth.
Hello Kurt Perleberg!
“The Netherlands’ dominance in Speed Skating can also be compared to America’s dominance in Athletics and in Swimming.”
Wow, I’ve just checked out the medals table – the USA have 608 swimming Olympic medals, 265 of them gold. Next best is Australia with 232, 76 of them gold. Fun fact: East Germany is still third, despite having only existed for 40 years. That was one evil doping programme.
