The curling competitions started with a mishap. © ANSA / JEAN-CHRISTOPHE BOTT

Lights out: Olympics begin with a mishap

The Olympic curling competitions in Cortina d'Ampezzo started with a technical glitch.

February 04, 2026

From: apa

During the first matches of the mixed doubles tournament on Wednesday, the lights suddenly went out at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium, and the electronic scoreboard also temporarily failed. The organizers announced via a message on the television screen that the games were interrupted for "technical maintenance." This caused a brief period of confusion among the athletes.

Two female curlers passed the time by imitating an air guitar with their brooms. When the lights came back on after about five minutes, the spectators applauded – the curling teams responded with laughter. The stadium in the winter sports resort had already been built in 1955 for the Winter Games the following year.