MILAN – The Milan Cortina Olympics officially open today, with a multi-site opening ceremony spread across northern Italy set to cap the day’s activity.
Here are the latest developments. All times Eastern.
5:45 p.m.
Italian President Sergio Mattarella officially declared the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympic Games open.
Tenor Andrea Bocelli performed Puccini’s “Nessun Dorma” as the ceremony moved toward its conclusion, followed by torch bearers leaving San Siro for the cauldron at the Arch of Peace, about four kilometres away.
The opening ceremony featured two Olympic cauldrons lit simultaneously — one in Milan and another in Cortina d’Ampezzo — marking the first time in Olympic history the flame has burned in two host cities.
—
4:45 p.m.
Canada’s women’s hockey start remains unsettled after Switzerland — Canada’s scheduled opponent Saturday — entered isolation following a positive norovirus test.
The Swiss Olympic Committee said the result came after Switzerland played the Czech Republic earlier Friday, and the team skipped the opening ceremony.
Canada’s opener against Finland was already pushed to Feb. 12 after a norovirus outbreak depleted the Finnish roster.
—
3:30 p.m.
The athlete parades are about halfway through, and Marielle Thompson, one of Team Canada’s flag bearers, says it’s “really special” to have two freestyle skiiers holding the flag.
Thompson, a ski cross racer, says the task is “quite a responsibility” and she feels honoured to share the task with moguls skier Mikaël Kingsbury, whom she calls “an icon in Canada.”
—
2:57 p.m.
Ski cross racer Marielle Thompson and moguls skier Mikaël Kingsbury are carrying the flag for Team Canada in Livigno. They’re the 27th and 28th flag bearers in the team’s Winter Olympics history.
Team Canada will compete in 14 out of 16 events at this year’s Games. Of the 206 Team Canada athletes, 97 have competed at a previous Olympic Games.
—
Get daily National news
Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
2:35 p.m.
Musician Laura Pausini sings the Italian national anthem as the flag is raised simultaneously in Milan’s San Siro and Cortina’s Piazza Dibona.
It comes after a tribute to the late Italian fashion icon Giorgio Armani and a performance by American pop star Mariah Carey, who sang the 1958 Italian song “Nel blu, dipinto di blu.”
This year’s opening ceremony marks the first time in Olympic history that the kick-off is unfolding with a cauldron in two separate cities.
—
2:00 p.m.
The opening ceremony is now underway, featuring dance and musical performances at Milan’s San Siro Stadium. Athlete parades and additional festivities are set to take place in Predazzo, Livigno and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
About 2,900 athletes from more than 90 countries are competing in this year’s Winter Games, including 206 Team Canada athletes.
—
12:30 p.m.
Britain’s mixed doubles curling team remains unbeaten as Bruce Mouat and Jennifer Dodds moved to 5-0 with wins over Sweden and South Korea.
Americans Korey Dropkin and Cory Thiesse are the only other undefeated team at 4-0, as they beat Czechia in an 8-1 victory following their win over Canada’s Brett Gallant and Jocelyn Peterman earlier today.
Defending champion Italy moved to 3-1 after defeating Switzerland and Estonia.
And in the other game in the afternoon draw, Norway picked up its first win and improved to 1-3 with a 9-0 rout of Sweden, which fell to 2-3.
—
11:06 a.m.
The situation with Finland’s women’s hockey team appears to be improving after an outbreak of norovirus depleted its roster and forced the postponement of its opening game against Canada.
Eleven skaters and all three goaltenders took part in practice Friday, up from eight skaters and two goalies on the ice Thursday when the remaining 13 players were either infected or in quarantine.
Finland is scheduled to face the United States on Saturday. Its game against Canada is now set for Feb. 12.
—
9:11 a.m.
Canada sits fifth in the figure skating team event at the Milan Cortina Olympic Games after the first day of competition.
Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier scored 85.79 points in their rhythm dance to “Supermodel” by RuPaul at Milano Ice Skating Arena on Friday morning, hours before the opening ceremony.
Trennt Michaud and Lia Pereira — skating in place of former world champions Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps — placed fourth in the pairs short program, while Madeline Schizas finished sixth in women’s singles for a total of 19 points in the standings.
The United States, led by three-time world ice dance champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates, topped the standings with 25 points, followed by Japan with 23 and Italy with 22.
—
9:00 a.m.
Japan’s women’s hockey team won its opening match with a 3-2 victory over France at the Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena.
Suzuka Maeda’s empty-net goal put Japan up 3-1.
Gabrielle de Serres scored with 13 seconds remaining, but France was unable to find another goal and fell to 0-2.
—
7:46 a.m.
The woman who accused Canadian-Danish figure skater Nikolaj Sørensen of sexual assault says in a statement to The Canadian Press that public comments by French ice dance team Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron create a “dangerous environment for skaters who need to report abuse” and contribute to a culture of silence in the sport.
Fournier Beaudry, a former Canadian skater, is Sørensen’s girlfriend and ex-skating partner. She has publicly defended him since the allegations surfaced in USA Today in January 2024, including in a recent Netflix documentary.
The complainant, an American figure skating coach and former skater, has alleged Sørensen sexually assaulted her in Hartford, Conn., in 2012. Sørensen has denied the allegation, which has not been tested in court.
—
7:20 a.m.
Toronto’s James (Jack) Crawford was fastest in men’s downhill training on the Stelvio Ski Centre course in Bormio.
Crawford posted a time of one minute 54.95 seconds, while fellow Canadian Jeffrey Read of Canmore, Alta., was eighth at 1:58.01.
Only 22 of the 44 racers recorded a time, with Crawford one of the few racers who put in a full run.
—
5:50 a.m.
The Canadian mixed doubles curling team of Brett Gallant and Jocelyn Peterman dropped a 7-5 decision to the American duo of Korey Dropkin and Cory Thiesse.
Dropkin made a double-takeout and stuck his shooter to set up a three-point seventh end that broke a 4-4 tie.
Canada was unable to generate any scoring opportunities in the eighth end and settled for a single, falling to 3-1 in round-robin play.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 6, 2026.