Curling at the 2026 Winter Olympics: Predictions and Betting Odds

Curling will feature at the Olympic Games for the ninth time. All matches will be held at the Cortina d’Ampezzo venue from 4 to 22 February, with the discipline included in every competition day of the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Nation to win the most medals at the 2026 Olympics:

Norway

11/20

United States

5/1

Germany

11/2

A total of 14 national teams will compete across three events: men’s, women’s and mixed doubles. Overall, 112 athletes have been entered, with some eligible to compete in more than one discipline. Estonia have registered the smallest squad with just two athletes, while Canada, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States field the largest delegations, with 11 players each.

Let’s take a closer look at the favourites in each event and assess their medal prospects.

Format and schedule for curling at the 2026 Olympics

Each discipline features 10 teams. In the men’s and women’s competitions, squads consist of five athletes, while mixed doubles teams are made up of two players.

Olympic berths were allocated through qualification, with host nation Italy receiving automatic places in all three events.

Qualification took place in two stages: via the Olympic Committee rankings, which provided seven spots, and a final qualifying event in Kelowna, Canada, which determined the last two participants.

* Estonia have qualified for the Olympic curling tournament for the first time in their history.

The tournament runs throughout the entire Olympic Games. The mixed doubles competition takes place first, followed by the men’s and women’s events.

Mixed doubles:

• Round-robin stage. 4-9 January

• Semi-finals. 9 January

• Bronze medal match. 10 January

• Final. 10 January

Men’s event:

• Round-robin stage. 11-19 January

• Semi-finals. 19 January

• Bronze medal match. 20 January

• Final. 21 January

Women’s event:

• Round-robin stage. 12–19 January

• Semi-finals. 20 January

• Bronze medal match. 21 January

• Final. 22 January

Men’s event: Great Britain targeting gold

Great Britain head into the men’s tournament as the clear favourites. Team Mouat, silver medallists in Beijing, are widely regarded as the dominant force in world curling after winning the World Championships in both 2023 and 2025. During the 2024/25 season, the British side claimed victory in four of five Grand Slam events, becoming the first team in history to achieve such a feat.

Canada, the most decorated nation in Olympic curling with three gold medals, are also strongly fancied. Brad Jacobs, the Olympic champion from Sochi, has returned to the squad. Team Jacobs have already made a statement by winning the 2025 Pan Continental Curling Championship.

Third in the betting are Switzerland. Ranked second in the world, they are considered one of the most consistent teams on the circuit. Team Schwaller pushed Great Britain all the way at the 2025 World Championship, narrowly losing by a single point.

Favourites for the men’s curling event at the 2026 Olympics

Women’s event: bookmakers side with Canada

The return of Rachel Homan to the Canadian national team has been a decisive factor in bookmakers’ assessment of the women’s tournament. With Homan in the lineup, Canada won the World Championships in both 2024 and 2025, defeating Switzerland 7:3 in the most recent final. Tracy Fleury’s contribution has also been significant, with experts describing the Homan–Fleury partnership as potentially the strongest duo heading into the Games.

Switzerland are second favourites. They currently top the world rankings and, prior to their defeats by Canada in 2024 and 2025, had won four consecutive world titles. The rivalry between Canada and Switzerland is expected to define the women’s competition, and whether the Europeans can secure their first Olympic gold since 2006 may well depend on that head-to-head clash.

Sweden are rated third. The team’s main hope is Anna Hasselborg, Olympic champion in 2018 and bronze medallist at the 2022 Games. Sweden arrive in peak form, having won the European Championship in November 2025, a result that lifted them to third place both in the betting and in the world rankings.

Favourites for the women’s curling event at the 2026 Olympics

Mixed doubles: can Italy repeat their home success?

Italy are the leading contenders in the mixed doubles event. The hosts went unbeaten at the 2022 Olympics with a perfect 9:0 record and repeated the feat at the 2025 World Championship, finishing 11:0. In addition to home advantage, Stefania Constantini hails from the province of Belluno, where the competition will be staged, making this a truly home tournament for her in every sense.

Great Britain are viewed as the second favourites. The Jennifer Dodds–Bruce Mouat pairing have played together for more than 20 years and came close to winning the 2025 World Championship, losing the final to Italy 4:9. Given Mouat’s outstanding form and his status as one of the best male curlers in the world, the British duo have a strong chance of challenging for gold.

The United States could be considered the tournament’s dark horses. The Cory Thiesse–Korey Dropkin partnership impressed in recent seasons, claiming the first world title in US history at the 2023 World Championship and finishing fifth in 2025. However, with Italy and Great Britain arriving in exceptional shape, it may prove difficult for the Americans to mount a serious title challenge.

Favourites for the mixed doubles curling event at the 2026 Olympics

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