Canada’s Rachel Homan fulfilled a long-awaited destiny by winning the Olympic bronze medal at Cortina Olympic Curling Stadium. The Canadians defeated a game Tabitha Peterson squad from the United States by a 10-7 count, after Peterson ticked a guard with her final throw on a last-chance steal attempt.

Rachel Homan's rink scored three in the sixth and again in the eight to fend off the American challenge and leave Italy with a medal.

Feb. 21, 2026 Watch the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics on NBC and streaming on Peacock © 2026 NBCUniversal Media, LLC

Sweden, which has won the women's curling competition three times since curling returned to the Olympic program in 1998, beat Canada 6-3.

The U.S. men's curling team suffered two losses to China and Italy in round-robin play on Tuesday, hurting their hopes for a semifinal spot.

Luca Eze, who plays the bagpipes, says he started his career on the zampogna, a type of instrument common in central and southern Italy. In the Veneto region, it’s sometimes called a “piva,” and is played on Christmas and during other festivities.

Curling might seem a strange choice for prime-time Saturday night viewing, but at 18:05 GMT - live on the BBC - millions will find themselves staring at televisions, tablets, laptops and phones to see if Team GB can add a fourth gold medal of these Winter Olympics.