Curling drama as Canada beats Great Britain 9-6 as Games head to final day
The men's curling final delivered late heartbreak for Great Britain as Canada claimed gold after the final two stones clinched a 9-6 victory; the result prolongs Britain's wait for an Olympic men's curling title last won in 1924. The curling loss was one of several decisive moments on the penultimate day of the Games, with five gold medals still scheduled across the 16th and final day.
Curling: Canada edges Great Britain in a late finish
Great Britain were defeated by Canada in the men's curling gold medal match, losing 9-6 after faltering in the final ends. The final two stones of the match clinched gold for Canada and left Great Britain contemplating another near miss in men's curling at the Winter Olympics. The British squad had been aiming for the nation's first Olympic men's curling gold since 1924.
Hockey: Finland claims bronze, avenging early loss to Slovakia
Finland defeated Slovakia 6-1 to win the Olympic bronze medal in men's ice hockey on Saturday, Feb. 21. Sebastian Aho and Erik Haula opened a 2-0 lead for Finland before Tomas Tatar scored late in the second period on a bounce that delivered momentum for Slovakia. Finland pulled away in the third: Roope Hintz and Kaapo Kakko scored 42 seconds apart, Joel Armia added an empty-net goal, and Haula scored again into an empty net to complete the 6-1 final.
The victory avenged Slovakia's 4-1 opening-game win over Finland and secured Finland's place as the biggest medal collector of the NHL era at these Olympics: Finland now has five medals in Olympics using NHL players (1998-2014, 2026), having previously won bronze in 1998, 2010 and 2014 and silver in 2006, and having been shut out only in 2002.
Finland entered the tournament without Aleksander Barkov and was also without Mikko Rantanen for the bronze match. The Finnish side, stocked with NHL talent, outplayed a Slovakian team that included seven NHL players. Slovakia had reached the bronze game after finishing atop Group B earlier in the tournament.
Tournament arc: how Finland and Slovakia reached the podium game
Finland and Slovakia began the tournament in the same group and first met on February 11, when Slovakia opened the Games with a 4-1 win. In that match Slovakia scored early, Finland tied in the second, but the decisive scoring came in the third; Sebastian Aho lost a draw and his position in front of the net on the go-ahead goal in that opener.
After that opening loss, Finland recovered: a decisive win over Sweden, an 11-0 victory over Italy that secured second place in the group and a bye into the quarterfinals, and an overtime comeback win over Switzerland (3-2) after trailing 2-0 in the third period. Finland later blew a 2-0 lead to Canada in the semifinals, where Canada rallied to advance. Slovakia secured the top spot in the group after a 3-2 win over Italy and a better goal differential, then beat Germany 6-2 in the quarterfinals before being routed 6-2 by the United States in the semifinals.
Sebastian Aho and individual moments that shaped the bronze game
Sebastian Aho, who struggled after a disastrous third period against Slovakia earlier in the tournament and was quiet against Sweden, broke through late in the group stage by scoring twice and adding an assist to record his first points of the event. In the playoffs he helped kickstart the comeback against Switzerland and added an assist against Canada. In the bronze final, Aho and Haula set the tone with early goals and Finland finished strongly in the third period.
Key moments in the bronze match included Pavol Regenda being called for slashing, an Oliver Kapanen shot that hit the post, a Slovakian odd bounce off the glass that led to Juuse Saros scrambling, and Tomas Tatar's late second-period backhand goal at 29 seconds remaining that briefly narrowed the margin before Finland pulled away.
Final day snapshot: medal schedule and highlighted events
There are five gold medals up for grabs on the 16th and final day of the 2026 Winter Olympics. The women's halfpipe final has been postponed until Sunday at 09: 40 GMT, with Great Britain's Zoe Atkin listed as having a strong medal chance. The question of whether Zoe Atkin will win Great Britain a fifth medal will be resolved on Sunday morning.
One final Olympic hockey game remains: the United States and Canada will play in the gold medal game on Sunday, Feb. 22 at 8: 10 a. m. ET. Norway's Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo won his sixth gold of the Games in the 50km cross-country event, while Great Britain's Andrew Musgrave finished sixth in that race.
Voices and coverage notes
Vicky Wright, an Olympic gold medallist curler, made remarks on television coverage reflecting on the men's team's potential and future prospects, suggesting the players could continue to develop and contend for gold in future Games. Commentary also referenced Eve Muirhead's fourth Olympic attempt in 2022 and the determination involved in chasing an elusive title.
Byline names connected with these summaries include Katie Stafford, Phil Cartwright and Josh Lobley. A reader interaction prompt invited readers to have their say in the event coverage.
Recent updates indicate medal decisions and schedule adjustments remain subject to change as the final day unfolds; details may evolve.
