The Opening Ceremonies of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games takes place on Friday. However, before new International Olympic Committee President Kristy Coventry declares the 25th Olympic Winter Games in Milan/Cortina d’Ampezzo officially open, three Olympic events will have already started. Let’s take a look at mixed doubles curling, women’s hockey and team figure skating.
Mixed Doubles Curling
Forget about 10 end curling people. Mixed doubles curling is only eight ends and a ton of fun to watch. You will see a lot of rocks in play, rocks in position before an end even starts and even a power-play. The reigning Olympic gold medalists are the host team from Italy. Four years ago in Beijing, 6’6″ Amos Mosaner and 5’7″ Stefania Constantini defeated the Norwegian duo of Kristin Skaslien and Magnus Nedregotten 8-5 in the gold medal game. It was not only the first ever Olympic gold medal in the sport of curling for Italy, but the first ever Olympic medal for the Italians.
The United States will be represented by Cory Thiesse of Duluth, Minnesota and Korey Dropkin of Boston, Massachusetts. They won the gold medal at the 2023 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship in Gangneung, South Korea. In the final three years ago, the United States clobbered Japan 8-2. The United States’s first game is against Norway, the reigning Olympic silver medalists, at 4 AM ET on Thursday. In fact, the Americans play Norway, Switzerland, Canada and the Czech Republic before the Opening Ceremonies even starts.
Women’s Hockey
The United States should be considered the gold medal favourite in this Olympic event, especially after clobbering Canada 10-4 in a pre-tournament game in Edmonton on December 10. At the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, the Americans lost the gold medal game to Canada by a score of 3-2. However, the United States enter the tournament as the reigning world champions as they beat Canada 4-3 in overtime last year on a goal by Tessa Janecke of Orangeville, Illinois. The Americans have previously won gold in women’s hockey at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano and the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang. The United States will open the Olympic women’s hockey tournament at 10:40 AM ET on Thursday against the Czech Republic.
Team Figure Skating
This should be an intriguing battle between the United States and Japan. The Americans have the edge in the men’s event and ice dance, while Japan has the edge in pairs figure skating. The most intriguing matchup within the team figure skating event is women’s singles, where you have the top two figure skaters from the Grand Prix Final going head to head. The Americans are represented by reigning world champion Alysa Liu of Clovis, California, and Japan is represented by Grand Prix silver medalist Ami Nakai. The short programs begin Friday at 3:55 AM ET.
