Billy Joel once captured a moment about Broadway. Maybe soon someone will pen a song inspired by a different kind of lights-out experience, this time at the 2026 Winter Olympics during mixed doubles curling.
The competition kicked off on Wednesday night at Italy’s Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium, but just five minutes in, play was interrupted due to a lighting malfunction that led to several lights failing.
The scoreboard vanished, and the timer stopped.
All four sheets of ice were affected, resulting in a pause of just over five minutes while the arena worked to resolve the issue, as reported by The Athletic.
After about three minutes, the lights flickered back on.
The organizing committee later stated, “Due to energy-related issues, competition at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium was briefly suspended. The interruption lasted approximately three minutes. Power was quickly restored, and competition has since resumed and is proceeding as scheduled.”
According to reports from the Associated Press, heavy snowfall in Cortina left over eight inches in some areas. The opening luge training session also experienced a delay of 30 minutes because of the power outage.
On Wednesday, eight teams participated in mixed doubles, with Sweden, Switzerland, Great Britain, and Canada securing victories.
Looking ahead to Thursday, the defending Olympic champions, Italy, will take on the United States.
In a chat with The Associated Press, first-time Olympian Corey Dropkin shared his enthusiasm for being in Italy. “It’s a really cool atmosphere to be a part of because you’re part of the best team,” he noted. “We look forward to getting ready for the game and giving our all on the ice.”
