Photo: Canadian men's curling team

The 2026 Winter Olympic Games have wrapped up, and Team Canada walked away with 21 medals (5 gold, 7 silver, and 9 bronze). Now it’s time for Canadian athletes and sports fans to reflect on our country’s performance and look ahead.

The good

Team Canada excelled in skiing, speed skating, and curling events this year, taking home 5 gold medals in total, and Canadian athletes also won medals in ice hockey, snowboarding, and figure skating. We were also able to enjoy watching top level NHL players return to Olympic hockey after a 12 year absence, which made for some very exciting games! For me, personally, it was nice to spend some time watching the games with my family for the first time in many years (I can’t even remember the last time we watched the Olympics together!).

The bad

The most obvious disappointment for Team Canada this time around was a pair of heartbreaking defeats in hockey, which is often said to be “Canada’s game.” Both the men’s and women’s teams lost their captains to injury and subsequently lost to Team USA in the finals by a score of 2-1 in overtime. For both teams to lose in the same fashion to the same opponent was a tough pill for Canadians to swallow.

Looking at the bigger picture, there is also some concern over the fact that Team Canada won fewer medals than usual this time around, which some think is due to a lack of funding for sports in Canada. There is also concern over the fact that many Canadian Olympians are getting older and reaching the end of their careers. Both issues are linked to a declining trend in Olympic performance. 

The ugly

The Olympic Games always bring plenty of controversy, and perhaps the most attention-grabbing incident for Team Canada this year involved the men’s curling team, who were accused of cheating by their Swedish opponents. While the infraction itself turned out to be a fairly minor issue, it led to an unsportsmanlike outburst from a member of the Canadian team and subsequently to bad blood between the teams and a fair bit of confusion about rules enforcement in the curling events. Despite the controversy, the men’s curling team was able to advance to the finals and win gold (the women’s team took home bronze).  

Next up

Although the 2026 Winter Olympics have wrapped up, the Winter Paralympics will be starting soon (on March 6th), and just a couple of months later the 2026 FIFA World Cup will kick off on June 11th (Team Canada will play here in Toronto, though we don’t know who the opponent will be yet!). 2026 will be quite a year for sports! 

to take home (a prize/medal/trophy/etc.) - an idiomatic expression that refers to winning or receiving an award in a competition, contest, or performance

to lose (someone) to injury - an idiomatic expression that refers to a situation in which an athlete suffers a physical injury and is unable to participate in subsequent games

a tough pill to swallow - an unpleasant fact, truth, or situation that is difficult to accept

infraction - the act of breaking a rule or law

an unsportsmanlike outburst - a sudden, intense, and public display of aggressive, disrespectful, or unprofessional behavior by a player, coach, or participant that violates the rules of fair play and etiquette in a sport

bad blood - ill feeling or bitterness between people because of arguments in the past