Winter Olympics 2026: Bruce Mowat and Jane Dodds lead Team GB to winning start

Loud music and disco lights added a sense of occasion to the first event of this year’s Games at the upscale Italian resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo.

The snow that had fallen all day in the Dolomites had turned to sleet by the time the four matches got underway in front of a healthy crowd inside the 3,500-capacity stadium.

But many of these spectators were in the dark for four or five minutes early until someone put some change in the meter, The score screens came back to life and play resumed.

“I didn’t mind turning off the lights,” Mowat said. “It was like a dance and a rave…it was like a nightclub.”

When the dancing stopped, the Norwegian husband-and-wife team of Magnus Nedregoten and Kristen Skaslen initially took control before the two teams entered into a cautious competition.

Mowat and Dodds seized the initiative at the end of a brilliant second – the final tally was arrived at after some lengthy deliberations with the measuring stick – and led 4-3 at half-time after their fourth-place finish ahead of the 2002 silver medalists.

The childhood friends’ momentum was checked slightly, as Norway – who also won bronze in 2018 – leveled again.

Nedregotten’s impeccable performance kept Norway in it – his wife Skaslien’s struggles were threatening some local disharmony – but even his efforts could not prevent Team GB snatching three goals in the sixth end thanks to Dodds’ stunning throw.

That opened up a three-shot lead with two ends to play.

Although the Norwegians used force to reduce the deficit to one goal, Mowat and Dodds did the same in the final end to seal an 8-6 aggregate victory.

“It took us a while to realize that one end was curling more than the other, but once we did, we went ahead and took control from there,” Dodds said.

“It’s a good confidence builder to start the week.”