Winter Olympics Men's Curling 2026: Full schedule for Team GB, format, rules and how to watch Scotland's Bruce Mouat go for gold
We’re well into the first week of the games and it’s time for the men’s curling competition to get underway.
Known as ‘chess on ice’, curling is a sport that looks simple but is actually a complex tactical game.
The sport originated in Scotland during the 16th century where it was played on frozen ponds and lochs and immigrants exported the game to North America in the late 18th century – with the first Canadian club founded in Montreal in 1807.
It first became a Winter Olympic sport in Chamonix in 1924, where the UK won the men-only competition.
But it only becoming a regular Olympic sport in Nagano in 1998, and since then Scottish players representing Great Britain have excelled, winning three gold medals, two silvers and a bronze.
We’ve already had the mixed doubles curling at this year’s games, with Scotland’s Bruce Mouat and Jennifer Dodds suffering heartbreak after losing their semi-final match to Sweden.
Now it’s the men’s turn to go for gold, led by Bruce Mouat.
Here’s everything you need to know about the men’s curling tournament at the Winter Olympics 2026.
When is the Men’s Curling at the Winter Olympics 2026?
The men’s curling tournament of the 2026 Winter Olympics will take place from February 11-21.
Where is the Men’s Curling at the Winter Olympics 2026 being played?
The tournament will take place in the Cortina Olympic Stadium in Cortina D’Ampezzo.
Who is representing Team GB at the Men’s Curling at the Winter Olympics?
Team GB will be captained by Bruce Mouat. He is the Scottish skip who has led his team to two world championship titles, four European championship titles and twelve Grand Slam titles. He was a silver medalist at the 2022 Winter Olympics and is a former World Mixed Doubles Champion.
He will be joined by his regular team:
- Third: Grant Hardie
- Second: Bobby Lammie
- Lead: Hammy McMillan Jr.
- Alternate: Kyle Waddell
How did teams qualify for the Men’s Curling at the Winter Olympics?
The top seven nations based on combined rankings at the 2024 World Men's Curling Championship and 2025 World Men's Curling Championship qualified along with hosts Italy and two teams who qualified through the 2025 Olympic Qualification Event.
What teams have qualified for the Men’s Curling at the Winter Olympics?
Here are the 10 teams who will battle it out for the medals:
- Canada
- China
- Czech Republic
- Germany
- Great Britain
- Italy
- Norway
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- United States
What is the format of the Men’s Curling at the Winter Olympics 2026?
It’s a pretty simple format to find out who will win gold, silver and bronze. All the teams will play each other (so that’s nine matches in total for each team), then the top four teams in the table at the end of the round robin will go through to the semi-finals.
The two winning teams from the semi-finals go on the the gold medal game and the two losers will contest the bronze medal game.
What is Team GB’s schedule for the Men’s Curling?
Here’s when all the action will take place for Team GB:
Wednesday, February, 11
6.05pm: Great Britain v China
Thursday, February 12
1.05pm: Great Britain v Sweden
Friday, February 13
8.05am: Great Britain v Italy
Saturday, February 14
1.05pm: Great Britain v Czechia
Sunday, February 15
8.05am: Great Britain v Germany
6.05pm: Great Britain v Switzerland
Monday, February 16
1.05pm: Great Britain v Norway
Tuesday, February 17
6.05pm: Great Britain v Canada
Wednesday, February 18
1.05pm: Great Britain v United States
Thursday, February 19
6.05pm: Semi-finals
Friday, February 20
6.05pm: Bronze Medal Game
Saturday, February 21
6.05pm: Gold Medal Game
How can I watch the Men’s Curling at the 2026 Winter Olympics?
All the action will be available to watch on the BBC - with coverage across BBC One, BBC Two, the iPlayer and the Red Button.
What are the rules of curling?
In each end of curling each team plays a total of eight shots, with each player delivering two stones in succession, starting with the lead and ending with the skip.
At the completion of each end the number of stones closest to the ‘button’ (the bullseye) of the house will score.
The stone closest to the button effectively wins the end, with any further stones closer to the centre than the opposition’s best shot also counting – meaning it is possible, but highly unlikely, to get a maximum of eight shots in a single end (an eight-ender, which is curling’s version of golf’s hole in one).
After ten ends the team with most shots in total wins, while if the game is tied it will go to an 11th sudden death end.
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