MILAN — Canada has its sights set on its first gold of the Olympics with the short-track speedskating team set to compete in the mixed relay event, while the women’s hockey team takes on archrival United States in the preliminary round on Day 4 of the Milan Cortina Games.
The mixed team short-track group, led by breakout star William Dandjinou, will skate against China, Belgium and Kazakhstan in one of three quarterfinal races. The two best teams in each race and the two fastest third-placed teams will qualify for the semifinal.
Dandjinou and fellow Canadians Steven Dubois and Felix Roussel will also compete in the men’s 1,000-metre heats. Meanwhile, Kim Boutin, Courtney Sarault and Florence Brunelle will skate in the women’s 500-metre heats.
The defending champion Canadian women’s hockey team will face its first major test of the Games against the U.S. It’s the first Olympic meeting between the rivals since Canada defeated its neighbours south of the border in the 2022 gold-medal final in Beijing.
Four-time Canadian Olympian Mikaël Kingsbury, the most decorated freestyle skier of all time with 100 World Cup wins, makes his first appearance at these Games.
Canada’s freestyle ski team hits the moguls for the preliminary round in Livigno. The 33-year-old Kingsbury, one of Canada’s opening ceremony flag-bearers, won silver, gold and silver at the 2014, 2018 and 2022 Games, respectively.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 10, 2026.
The Canadian Press
