Milan-Cortina, Italy – A norovirus outbreak is casting a shadow over the start of the women’s hockey tournament at the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games, with the Swiss team facing the most immediate disruption.
The Swiss Olympic Committee announced Friday evening that a player had tested positive for the virus, leading to the entire team being placed in isolation and causing them to miss the Opening Ceremony. This setback comes after Switzerland’s 4-3 shootout victory against the Czech Republic earlier in the day.
Meanwhile, the situation appears to be improving for the Finnish team, whose first game was postponed due to a similar outbreak.
What’s the latest on the Finnish team’s status? According to team leaders, the game between Finland and the United States, scheduled for Saturday, is expected to proceed as planned. Fourteen players, including all three goaltenders, participated in Friday’s practice session.
The team’s match against Canada, originally scheduled for Thursday, has been postponed to February 12. On Thursday, only 10 players, including two goaltenders, were able to practice. “We still have nine players in isolation, but we strongly believe that we will play (Saturday),” said general manager Kimmo Oikarinen. “It’s better. Forfeiting is the last thing we want to do. I don’t think we’ll have to do that.”
Head coach Tero Lehtera added, “we will play against the United States, whatever happens.” The virus began spreading earlier this week, forcing the cancellation of Wednesday’s practice. Oikarinen described the situation as “disappointing,” adding, “It’s the Olympics, and we’ve been waiting for this moment for years. We all wanted to play, but there were unforeseen events. Our priority was to ensure that our players recovered as quickly as possible.”
Switzerland Defeats Czechia in Thrilling Shootout
Despite the looming health concerns, Switzerland managed a dramatic 4-3 shootout victory over the Czech Republic. Ivana Wey scored the winning goal against Michaela Hesov in the eighth round of the shootout.
Switzerland overcame a two-goal deficit, with Alina Muller narrowing the gap and Lara Christen tying the game with just 2:20 remaining in the third period. Goaltender Saskia Maurer was instrumental in the win, blocking 33 shots.
This was Switzerland’s first match of the Games, while the Czech Republic has now suffered two losses, following a 5-1 defeat to the Americans on Thursday.
Japan Edges Past France
In Friday’s other game, Japan defeated France 3-2. Makoto Ito broke a 1-1 tie with 3:30 left in the match, and Suzuka Maeda extended the lead 1:20 later. Gabrielle de Serres scored a late goal for France with just 13 seconds on the clock.
This marks a second loss for France, who previously lost 4-1 to Italy on Thursday.
