The Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina experienced a power outage just 10 minutes after commencing, causing a temporary halt to the events. The games kicked off with curling, but participants had to pause due to the sudden loss of electricity.
Although the official Opening Ceremony at the San Siro was scheduled for Friday, some events had already started. The initial mixed doubles round-robin matches in curling had to be stopped when a power failure occurred at the Olympic Ice Stadium.
Officials suspended play while Britain’s Bruce Mouat and Jen Dodds were in the midst of their match against Norway. Despite the delay, the British curlers maintained a positive attitude, with Dodds even finding humor in the situation as she laughed during the disruption.
Commentator Steve Cram from the BBC chuckled at the incident, mentioning the power cut at the stadium. After a brief pause, the competition resumed as the lights flickered back on, eliciting cheers from the crowd.
Dodds and Mouat clinched an 8-6 victory to kick off the round-robin phase impressively, with Mouat downplaying the disruption, describing it as a lively atmosphere akin to a dance or nightclub experience.
The UK’s Winter Games’ record of five medals, achieved at Sochi 2014 and Pyeongchang 2018, could potentially be surpassed, with UK Sport targeting up to eight medals through continued investments from the National Lottery and government.
Eve Muirhead OBE, a gold medalist from Beijing 2022, has transitioned into a leadership role within Team GB for Milan-Cortina 2026. She expressed confidence in the team’s potential to challenge norms despite facing challenges accessing snow and ice compared to rivals.
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