By Adam Laskaris
The final curling match of Milano Cortina 2026 wasn’t short of excitement.
With Switzerland and Sweden taking on each other in the women’s gold medal game, it was the Swedes coming through with a 6-5 win.
Sweden opened the game with a score of two, though it would be their lone multiple score for much of the match. After Switzerland opted for a pair of blanks in the second and third end, the teams then traded singles in ends four and five to give Sweden a 3-1 lead. But Switzerland fourth Alina Pätz hit a draw to the button in the sixth end for two to tie things up heading into the later stages of the game.
But with a golden opportunity for a double in the seventh end, Pätz had a critical miss that gave Sweden a steal and a 5-3 lead heading into the final two ends. Switzerland was able to punch back with two of their own to set up a tie game heading into the 10th. But Sweden's rink set up Anna Hasselborg with an open shot for the one rock they needed to clinch the win.
"I was just like having a big smile on my face when Anna was sliding down on that last one. But I was like, 'Don't touch it. It's good, but don't touch it'. Honestly, I can't believe that we did this. I don't even know. What? What the hell have we done?" Sweden's Sara McManus shared postgame.
The game marked the third consecutive Olympic medal for Hasselborg’s group, who won gold in 2018 and bronze in 2022.
"I'm so proud of the journey we've been on and how much we have pushed the level of play and how we're playing. We're going more aggressive than we've ever been, but we also have the players to do it," Hasselborg said after the game. "I'm just lost for words. But if there were some words, it's obviously 'proud'."
Hasselborg was full of emotion when describing the journey of the last three quadrennials.
"It's so cool that we won the gold so fast after putting this team together. And now eight years later, I think this is the strongest we have ever been, mentally, technically, strategically and just that we have believed in each other for the whole way," she said.
Meanwhile, it was Switzerland’s first medal on the women’s side since 2006, having won silver both that year and in 2002.
"It's been a battle. I'm disappointed we didn't win gold, but it would be so bad if I was not happy about this silver medal," Swiss skip Silvana Tirinzoni said. "Curling is not an easy sport. Even if we have the potential and the abilities, we also have to prove it on the ice. And we did again."
Now at age 46, Tirinzoni's future in the game remains uncertain.
"I don't know yet. I'm gonna make a decision after the Worlds, hopefully," Tirinzoni said. "You know what? We have to go and be on the ice on Tuesday again, because we have the Swiss nationals. I have half a day at home, so laundry and packing and go again."
In the bronze medal game on Saturday, it was a Rachel Homan-led Team Canada that came through with a victory over Team USA to clinch their first Olympic medal. You can read that recap here.
Lead photo by Anil Mungal/TCG
