Norway’s men’s curling team secured their first victory at the 2026 Winter Olympics on Friday, defeating China 8-6 in a match that went to an extra end. The win comes after a disappointing 4-5 loss to Germany in their opening game on Thursday, according to reporting from NTB.
The Norwegian team, led by skip Magnus Ramsfjell, trailed by one point heading into the tenth and final end of regulation play. China managed to tie the game at 6-6, forcing the match into an extra end. Utilizing the advantage of having the last stone in the extra end, Norway scored two points to claim the victory.
The Norwegian team consists of Ramsfjell, Gaute Nepstad, Bendik Ramsfjell, and Martin Sesaker, with Wilhelm Næss serving as the fifth player and reserve. Their next match is scheduled for Friday evening at 19:05 against the Czech Republic.
This victory marks a positive turn for the Norwegian team, who are aiming to improve upon their 6th-place finish at the previous Winter Olympics. The team will play a total of nine games in the round robin stage, with the top four teams advancing to the semifinals.
Norway has a history of success in Olympic curling, having won a gold medal in 2002, a silver medal in 2010, and a bronze medal in 1998. The dramatic match against China saw a closely contested second end where multiple judges were required to determine which team had the closest stone. The teams then traded points throughout the game, with Norway taking the lead in the fifth end after Ramsfjell’s stone resulted in a double take-out of China’s stones.