Olimpiadas de invierno 2026’ begin with curling as brief power outage tests Cortina ahead of Friday’s opener

The 2026 Winter Olympics got their first live competition in Cortina d’Ampezzo on Wednesday, February 4, when mixed doubles curling began two days before Friday’s Opening Ceremony. Minutes into the opening session, a brief power outage shut off arena lighting and disrupted scoreboards and time clocks—an early, real-world stress test for Olympic operations that organizers said was resolved within minutes.

Play resumed quickly, but the interruption—and a separate weather-related delay to luge training—put the focus on readiness as the Games ramp up across northern Italy.

A short blackout, a fast restart

The outage hit shortly after the first stones were thrown at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium, temporarily plunging parts of the venue into darkness and forcing officials to halt action on all sheets. Organizers characterized it as an energy-related issue and said power returned within about three minutes.

Inside the building, curlers kept loose on the ice while spectators reacted with a mix of boos, laughs, and cheers when lights came back. The pause was brief, but notable: opening night is typically choreographed to project smooth execution, especially in a venue carrying the symbolism of Cortina’s Olympic history.

How the hiccup affected the wider Olympic schedule

The power issue rippled beyond curling. Early luge training in Cortina was delayed—about half an hour—adding a second, same-night disruption in the same mountain cluster. Organizers did not signal broader impacts to the Friday opener, but the combination underscored how tight the margin can be when weather and infrastructure issues arrive together.

Heavy snowfall in and around Cortina also shaped the day’s logistics and attendance. While the stands drew an enthusiastic crowd for the first Olympic session, conditions made travel harder for some fans and added pressure on transport and venue timing.

Mixed doubles curling sets the tone

Mixed doubles is designed for moments like this: compact teams, fast pace, and immediate consequences. Eight teams opened round-robin play, with several established contenders looking to set early positioning before the field expands later in the week.

Italy’s defending Olympic champions are scheduled to enter the competition on Thursday, February 5, adding local stakes to a tournament that often produces dramatic swings—especially when ice conditions evolve across sessions.

Wednesday’s results also mattered as a statement that the Games are already “real,” even before the pageantry. For athletes, starting early can be a benefit—settling nerves, learning the ice, and getting into rhythm—while for organizers it compresses the window to solve problems.

Key schedule anchors in Eastern Time

Times for daily sessions can shift due to weather and operational adjustments, particularly in mountain venues.

What to watch next in Cortina

The immediate focus is whether Wednesday’s outage is treated as a one-off or a symptom. In mega-events, the first days often reveal small vulnerabilities—power redundancy, timing systems, venue communications—that may not show up in rehearsals.

Three practical indicators will matter over the next 48 hours:

• Whether organizers provide a clearer explanation and any corrective steps

• Whether additional disruptions occur in the Cortina cluster amid ongoing snowfall

• Whether athlete schedules—especially training blocks for sliding and alpine disciplines—stay on track

For now, the headline is less “chaos” and more “contained hiccup.” Still, it arrived at the exact moment the Olympics wanted to demonstrate calm control, and it ensured the first night of Milano Cortina had an unscripted storyline before the cauldron is even lit.

Sources consulted: Associated Press, Reuters, International Olympic Committee, Olympics.com