Winter Olympics 2026: Britain left to rue shocking start after Italy defeat

Great Britain’s men were left to rue a shocking first finish as a grueling encounter against hosts Italy at the pulsating Cortina Curling Arena was not enough to prevent their first defeat of these Winter Olympics.

After winning their first two matches, including against the Swedish rink that beat them in the gold medal match four years ago, the British team went into their second high-quality encounter in two days in a strong position.

However, a horrific first end in which the Italians were robbed of four points left them hounded in front of a raucous crowd armed with horns, bells and whistles.

These British players are the top-ranked rink in the world for a reason, and they slowly fell behind in Italy, tied in the ninth end.

However, the local favorites held on in the final to win 9-7 and add a win for Team GB to their Swedish counterparts, whom they beat in the opener.

“We had to dig deep and played nine really good goals and controlled it from there, but we couldn’t do enough to get the win,” captain Hammy McMillan told BBC Sport.

Seven wins from the nine semi-final matches will guarantee a place in the semi-finals – and fewer may be enough – so Moat Circuit remains in a strong position.

The British Women are next on the ice, playing their second match against South Korea at 1:05 GMT. The men will return to the rink on Saturday, when they face the Czech Republic, also at 1:05 p.m.