Winter Olympics kicks off with curling, but took a brief pause due to a power outage

Mixed doubles curling begins two full days before the opening ceremony for the 2026 Milan Cortina Games

Great Britain's Bruce Mouat (right) in action as Jennifer Dodds looks on during the Curling Mixed Doubles, Round Robin Session against Norway, at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium, Italy. Picture:  Andrew Milligan/PA

The Winter Olympics got underway Wednesday with the first curling matches in Cortina, but came to a halt only moments later because of a power outage.

Officials briefly paused the matches at the historic curling stadium when the lights dimmed and flickered. Curlers kept sliding on the ice to stay ready. Fans cheered when the bright lights came back shortly after and competition resumed. Venue officials said they were investigating and had no immediate word on what caused the problem.