Gastro bug rattles women's ice hockey with teams on high alert

Norovirus cases have struck the Finnish and Swiss teams at Milano Cortina 2026, plunging the women's ice hockey tournament into chaos.

Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has downplayed the possibility of a widespread outbreak at the Games.

Rising case numbers have disrupted the tournament schedule, leading to several delays and postponements.

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On Sunday morning (AEDT), the Americans wore down a Finnish squad weakened by a week-long battle with illness, securing a dominant 5-0 victory.

The Finns returned to the ice as a full squad for the first time since their final practice together on Tuesday.

Ahead of the opening ceremony, organisers announced that the tournament opening match-up between Finland and Canada had been postponed to February 13 following a norovirus outbreak within the Finnish camp.

Organisers admitted the delay was disappointing but maintained that the decision was "responsible and necessary" to preserve the integrity of the Games.

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According to the Associated Press, 13 members of Team Finland either contracted the virus or entered quarantine because of exposure.

General manager Kimmo Oikarinen told the outlet that the outbreak was "disappointing" but insisted that conditions were "getting better for the team".

The following day, the Swiss Hockey Federation announced that a female player had tested positive for norovirus.

The diagnosis came shortly after Switzerland's victory over the Czech Republic.

In a statement, the national body said the infected athlete had been in a single room since arriving at the Olympic Village on Monday, and was immediately isolated from her teammates upon showing symptoms.

Despite the affected player being symptom-free as of Friday, the Swiss delegation stayed in isolation post-match as a precaution, ultimately missing the opening ceremony.

The Swiss Hockey Federation confirmed the team would proceed with their game against Canada on Sunday morning, as no other players had exhibited symptoms.

"The incubation period has now passed. Thanks to the immediate response and the prompt isolation of the affected player and the team, the potential chain of infection was broken early on," Swiss Olympic team chief medical officer Hanspeter Betscharat said.

"From a medical perspective, there are currently no concerns about the match taking place, provided no further players show symptoms."

Canada went on to defeat Switzerland 4-0.

While most people recover from the illness in one to three days, they can remain infectious for a few days even after feeling better.

In response, Canadian forward Blayre Turnbull said her team is obsessively controlling every point of contact in shared spaces to ensure the roster remains healthy for competition.

"The biggest thing was just being super-diligent in the common spaces in the village," she said.

"In the dining hall specifically, there're some items that are shared with all in the nations. Normally, you take your tray and the staff there serve your food, but there're condiments like salad dressings and stuff like that that are communal.

"We've been washing our hands with soap and water like mad. More handwashing than I've ever done in my life for sure.

"People can wear masks if they choose to, medical gloves to touch the dressing bottles and whatnot. Otherwise, we're just trying to stick with our group and make sure that we're keeping our distance from other teams."