The Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina experienced a power outage just 10 minutes after commencing the games. The curling events began, but had to be paused when the lights suddenly went off, causing a temporary halt to the proceedings.
While the official Opening Ceremony at the San Siro was scheduled for Friday, some events had already started. The first mixed doubles round robin matches in curling were underway when the power failure occurred at the Olympic Ice Stadium, prompting a break in play.
Officials stopped the game during the first end of the match between Britain’s Bruce Mouat and Jen Dodds against Norway. Despite the interruption, the British curlers remained in good spirits, with Dodds even seen laughing while an official communicated with the venue staff.
BBC commentator Steve Cram found humor in the situation, mentioning the power cut at the stadium and the temporary pause in play due to the scoring screens going off. The lights on the ice remained mostly on, but there was a noticeable disruption.
The audience reacted positively as they cheered when the lights came back on after a brief five-minute delay, allowing the competition to resume. Dodds and Maout went on to claim an 8-6 victory to kick off the round robin phase successfully, with Maout making light of the unexpected incident by describing it as a fun dance club-like experience.
Looking ahead, UK Sport aims for a potential medal haul of up to eight at the Winter Games, surpassing the previous record of five medals achieved at Sochi 2014 and Pyeongchang 2018. Through funding from the National Lottery and government, UK Sport has invested over £32.5m for the Winter Olympics and Paralympics in the current four-year cycle to enhance the UK’s presence in winter sports.
Eve Muirhead OBE, a gold medalist from the Beijing 2022 Games, has transitioned into a senior leadership role within Team GB as Chef de Mission for Milan-Cortina 2026. Expressing confidence in the team’s potential, Muirhead sees an opportunity for the 2026 class to challenge the existing norms despite facing challenges accessing snow and ice compared to some rivals.