A Power Outage Has Already Affected The 2026 Winter Olympics
The opening ceremony for the 2026 Winter Olympics is set for later this week, but some preliminary competitions are already underway. One of the more unique and popular sports during the Winter Olympics began its tournament, and the event got off to a strange start on Wednesday in Milan Cortina.
Just 10 minutes into the preliminary round of the mixed doubles curling competition, the building the athletes were competing in lost power.
Organizers were able to restore power and move the competition along, but the viral images of dark portions of the stadiums made their way around social media.
"Who plugged in the coffeemaker in the wrong outlet?," one comment asked.
"I told you not to use the toaster and microwave at the same time but does anyone listen? Nooooooo," said another comment.
Competition at #MilanoCortina2026 is underway! ????
— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) February 4, 2026
The mixed doubles curling event kicks off the sporting action in Cortina. ????
Where to watch? ???? https://t.co/XeYzw5pKQq
????: Getty Images/Carmen Mandato #Olympics #WinterOlympics #Curling pic.twitter.com/0Cox6Wu62d
update: four minutes into the first event of the Winter Olympics, there has been a power outage https://t.co/8g7fOpg0T7 pic.twitter.com/mvniehqLCI
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) February 4, 2026
Possible Hurdles Heading into Milan Cortina
"It could not possible start any worse for them. First the hockey rink, now this," said one reply, referring to the venue for the men's and women's ice hockey tournaments in Milan.
The arena is still being constructed, even as the tournaments are set to begin on Thursday afternoon. Both events are still on track to be played as scheduled, but the challenges around the arena's construction and readiness for play has been a major storyline heading into the event.
"It does feel like you're on a lake a little bit, because it's shallow underneath, so the noise and everything feels like a little odd, but the quality of the ice, I thought, so far has been okay," said French men's hockey captain Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, according to the Associated Press.
"People see it different ways," Bellemare added. "I'm 40 years old, I've been waiting for 24 years to come to an Olympics. And now I have the privilege to be here. And I remember telling my wife, 'Even if it's concrete I will go and I will be there.' So no, I never was worried."
When Do The 2026 Olympics Officially Begin?
The official opening ceremony is set to take place on Friday at 8 PM local time inside the San Siro stadium in Milan. The ceremony will feature the traditional parade of nations (speedskater Erin Jackson and bobsledder Frank Del Duca will be Team USA's flag bearers), as well as live performances from artists like Mariah Carey and Andrea Bocelli.
The curling event was not the only Olympic competition on Wednesday, as athletes are also participating in men's alpine skiing and luge training sessions before the "official" start of the Games.
Team USA is sending 232 athletes to Milan - the largest contingent of American athletes in Winter Olympics history. Fans can tune in to welcome them to the Winter Olympics on Friday at 2 PM ET on NBC and Peacock.