Men’s Curling: Switzerland and Canada Punch Tickets to Semi-Finals

February 17, 2026 – Thrilling action in Tuesday evening’s men’s tenth round-robin session at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games saw both Switzerland and Canada secure their coveted spots in the semi-finals. The competition is heating up, and the stakes are higher than ever!

Switzerland Dominates Germany

Switzerland showcased their curling prowess against Germany, opening with a decisive two-point score in the first end thanks to a precise take-out by Benoit Schwarz-van Berkel. Germany managed to narrow the gap to 2-1 in the third, but Switzerland quickly regained momentum. A double take-out by Schwarz-van Berkel in the fourth extended their lead to 4-1. Despite a German rally, scoring one in the fifth and two in the eighth, Switzerland maintained control, ultimately securing an 8-4 victory and an unblemished record.

A jubilant Swiss skip, Yannick Schwaller, shared, “Semi-finalists? Sure…great. But we’re trying not to think about that too much, we just want to keep playing and having fun. Semi-final…bronze game…gold game, it doesn’t matter, we just want to keep on having a ton of fun.”

Canada Edges Past Great Britain in a Nail-Biter

The Canada vs. Great Britain match was a true battle for semi-final contention. Canada started strong with a two-point opening end, capitalizing on a jammed stone and a well-executed hit and stay by skip Brad Jacobs. The game remained tight, with Great Britain leveling the score at 3-3 after an umpire’s measure in the fourth. Canada regained the lead in the fifth, but Great Britain responded with two points in the sixth. However, a crucial three-point end for Canada in the seventh, coupled with single steals in the eighth and ninth, sealed a 9-5 win.

“That was huge,” said Canadian skip Brad Jacobs. “We figured that six wins was the number we’d need. It’s been a big number in Olympic men’s curling for many years now.” He added, “They are the number one team in the world and all through my career, they’ve always had my number.”

Italy and Sweden Also Shine

Italy kept their semi-final hopes alive with an 8-5 victory over the United States, fueled by a three-point end in the sixth. Sweden also delivered a strong performance, defeating Norway 7-4. These results leave Great Britain and the United States clinging to slim semi-final hopes, dependent on outcomes in upcoming matches.

Italy’s skip, Joel Retornaz, expressed optimism: “Still alive, that’s what we were looking for. We wanted to be in it at the end of the round robin and having our chances to qualify for the semis without looking at the other sheets and what the other teams are doing.” He continued, “It’s all in our hands, we know we can beat everyone here and we know we can lose to everyone, because the field is so strong at the Olympics. I think it’s the strongest Olympics I’ve ever been to. So still alive — we’ve got our chances and we’re going to go for it tomorrow.”

Stay up-to-date with the latest men’s team curling scores from Milano Cortina 2026 and find the full men’s team curling schedule and results.

Join the World Curling community! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok, LinkedIn and Weibo and by searching the hashtag #curling #MilanoCortina2026. Sign up for the World Curling Newsletter for monthly updates.