The First Stones have been slid: The Games Are Underway — Day -2 Summary

 

The First Stones & Stelvio Speeds: The Games Are Underway — Day -2 Summary

The wait is finally over. While the Olympic Flame is still making its final journey toward the San Siro, the competition has officially ignited across the Italian Alps. Day -2 brought us the first results of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Games, complete with dramatic finishes, technical glitches, and the high-speed intensity of the training slopes.

From the historic ice of Cortina to the punishing gradients of Bormio, here is everything that went down as the world’s best athletes got their first taste of Olympic action.

Mixed Doubles Curling: Power Outages and Power Plays

The Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium officially opened its doors for the first session of the mixed doubles round-robin. It wasn't without its "Olympic drama" before the first end was even over—a brief power failure plunged the arena into darkness, forcing a temporary halt. But once the lights flickered back on, the favourites wasted no time making their mark.

  • Canada 10-5 Czechia: The husband-and-wife duo of Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant looked clinical. They dominated the early ends with a massive steal of four in the second, and although the Czechs fought back with a brilliant runback in the seventh, Canada’s precision was too much to handle and the game never looked in much jeopardy for the Canadians.

  • Sweden 10-3 South Korea: Isabella and Rasmus Wranå sent a loud message to the field. After a tight start, the Swedish siblings reeled off three consecutive steals to force an early handshake after only 6 ends and this game never looked in doubt at any point.

  • Great Britain 7-4 Norway: In a rematch of high-stakes European battles, Jennifer Dodds and Bruce Mouat showed nerves of steel. After Norway stole the opening end, the Brits responded with a three-pointer in the second and never surrendered the lead. Despite not being perfect, the Brits were good enoug,h largely due to Norway's Kristin Skaslien being someway off her sublime best

  • Switzerland 9-7 Estonia (Extra End): The match of the day. Estonia pushed the Swiss to the absolute limit, forcing an extra end with some heroic shot-making despite being down 7-3 heading into the final end. A miraculous 4-point end forced an extra end. Ultimately, Briar and Yannick Schwaller’s experience told, securing the win with a perfectly placed penultimate stone in the extra end.

My predictions for Curling: 
3-1 only got Estonia vs Switzerland wrong, which was a toss-up, so not bad.

The Final Word

Day -2 was a reminder that the Olympics aren't just about the medals—they’re about the preparation, the resilience, and the ability to stay cool when the lights literally go out. We’ve seen the first wins, the first spills, and the first signs of who has mastered the Italian ice.

Join the Conversation: Canada and Sweden looked dominant today, but who do you think showed the most "medal potential" in those opening curling sessions? 

What’s Next? Tomorrow, the pace picks up even further with the start of Women’s Ice Hockey and the Snowboard Big Air qualifiers, as well as the continuation of the Mixed doubles Curling. I'll have the full breakdown of Day -1 ready for you in the morning!

See you at the rink! — Daniel Mott

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