Front Burner - Olympic Hockey heartbreak and more

Episode Date: February 23, 2026

From two heartbreaking hockey losses to the fiery debate over whether the men’s gold medal curling team was cheating, Milano Cortina 2026 was a dramatic one for Team Canada. The games also brought some headscratching moments like a Norwegian biathlete confessing to infidelity minutes after a race and an investigation into Olympic ski-jumping dubbed ‘penis-gate’. We break down the storylines from the Winter Olympics that dominated our timelines and got us talking with CBC Sports contributor, Shireen Ahmed. 

At Nethris, we are Canada's payroll experts. For more than 45 years, we have proudly supported local businesses. Powered by CGI, we provide a robust and secure technological infrastructure. Let our specialists handle your payroll so you can maximize your efficiency and focus on what truly matters. Try Nethris now. The first month is free. Certain conditions apply. Visit Nethrris.com.

N-E-T-H-R-I-S-com. Nethris, much more than just a payroll software. This is a CBC podcast. Hey, everyone. So that was a heartbreaking loss for Canada and the hockey men's finals. They played an amazing game, but in the end. Now Werenzky, shoops it ahead. Almost turned over.

Now almost the three on one. Back was McKinnett in front. John scores. Jack Hughes has won it for the United States. Shereen Ahmed is here. My colleague at the CBC, who has been. covering the games and she is here to commiserate, Shereen, we've got you up less than an hour after that game. That was a tough, hey? Yeah, it was, it was tough. I was trying to remain calm because,

if anything, I had said that, look, previously Canada knows how to do OT. This is what Canada does. And they do, but the amount of emotional investment that Canada put into this game is no wonder it feels heavy. Like I walked back up to the newsroom and I'm not kidding something that was so busy just was almost silent. Oh, that sounds really sad. It was very sad. Everyone was just let, looking kind of dejected.

Absolutely. Like I mean, the games have been incredible for Canada. 21 medals, I think, at this point. It's, you know, just with these exciting wins, you know, the drama, the storylines that we'll get into, Jamie. But just to see the sadness and it was, it's not a disappointment in the

team because, you know, I've been scouring a little bit of social media and seeing the messages of support that Canadians are still offering and phoning in messages to radio programs. But it's the loss and the loss in this fashion to this particular adversary. Yeah. Okay. So before we get into some of the other big moments of the Olympics, let's do the game in a little bit more detail. And just take me through some of the big moments here. So the USA scored first. Knocked by Matthews out to Boldie, flipping it through, Try to break through, it does, and scores. Matt Boldie for the United States.

And within the first period, though, coming right out the gate, McCar ended up equalizing the score with like two minutes left in the second, which was like, okay, we got ourselves a hockey game. McCar Downhill. Snoot! Scores! Cale McCar! Which meant that the third was really aggressive. One of the takeaways that's the toughest here is the missed chance.

by Canada in the third period. Across it goes. They try to get it back. It's in front. Oh, the Canada missed an open side. What a chance. Just consistently, and if you look at the shots, there was almost 40 shots by Canada.

Like, the puck just wouldn't go in the net. And at one point, it was like really phenomenal. But then there was this massive, you know, drama where the USA had too many men on the ice. And it wasn't called. And then people get into anger because it feels like Canada has been, had fallen victim to that a couple times, you know, from Czechia having too many men on the ice

and then the USA, nothing came of that particular advantage. So I think that's sort of why nothing else, it wasn't escalated, only because nothing came of it. But look, a call is a call and it should have been called. So there's a lot of feelings that Canadians will have the injustice of this and how much that's, it's still very fresh this loss. The reality is that it wasn't easy to get here, but it wasn't easy at all. And Canada, that being said, plays with so much heart and just even the technical skill of the players in the team. And this is my hot take that, like, look, the better team didn't win today, the USA won. But to play the way they played in the manner that they played with the heart that they played, the devastation.

Like, after they got their silver medals, they're awarded stuffies. So looking at these men that are like on the verge of tears stand, they were. with stuffies. This is a very sad optic. Talk to me about the women's game. They also got a silver medal. They also got stuffies, which kind of killed me watching that video as well. So that game on Thursday, the gold medal game was really, that for me, was a heartbreaker. I don't know why I was more sad watching that. And because like arguably the United States women's team is the best in the world right now and looks to be for the next quadrennial incredibly strong. I'm not saying that Canada is not the same team. It was in Beijing. It's a little bit different. I do think, and I cannot corroborate this, I think Marie Philippe Poulin played with an injury. I don't think she was 100% because she had missed a game before. And the way that Canada played in the group stages and then moving forward wasn't the best. I mean, the 5-0 drilling they got from the USA was like not an indicator. But when they took to the ice on Thursday for the gold medal, I was like,

Ah, this is the Canada that I know and remember. They were fantastic. Kristen O'Neill netted a short-handed goal. Canadian celebrated, including Ella Shelton, who was still in the penalty box. Canada kept the pressure on, but with two minutes to go and the goalie pulled, the U.S. tied it up, sending the game into overtime. World title one. And to lose that way, both games lost in overtime, three on three,

You know, next goal wins. Those are really high states. Taylor Heisey. Set up Danicki at last year's roles for the golden goal. Can she do it again? Keller alone. Through two, a chance in the back. And, oh, man, like, because then you look back,

and I do certainly think that from both teams and both captains, in this case, Connor McDavid, and then on the women's side, Mary Philippe Poulin, will both replay this game in every period and every chance over and over in their heads, because that's how excellent they are. Team Canada captain Marie Philippe Poulin, who was playing in her fifth Olympics, said the team heard the doubters. People say we're too old. People were just talking.

And I said it many times all about the people in that room. And we came out hard. We gave them a battle. Let's broaden out from hockey a little bit. As you mentioned, the medal counts 21. Five golds, two silvers, nine bronzes. And so what have been some of your favorite medals so far for Canada? For me, Val Malte. The clock stops when the third athlete crosses the line.

Big three, have done it. With the gold medal finish, Isabel Weidman, Valerie Maltaire and Yvani Blondin have successfully defended their win at the Beijing 2020 Olympics. No, she's in four. A Maltee at the line. Yes, she can. I love the short track speed skaters. They have just brought in so much joy.

And a lot of that hard work comes from speed skating. So big up, if you're not into speed skating now, please look into it because it's fascinating and so exciting. It's literally, I was just, it's like F1 on ice is what it is, how I was explaining it to people, because it's wild, the strength, the speed, but then you've got the environment around you. Like, is the ice okay? Is it too watery? What if you trip? What if someone trips and trips to you? It's just full of drama. It's fascinating. So for me, that was really fun. Stephen Dubois getting gold again and getting gold, in speed skating too.

Those were wonderful ones. Mikhail Kingsbury, the Freestyles here. He was our first goal. Tried, neck and Kubei, Kruvel. Mick still doing, Sanei Kempi Kempi Kempi Kovina. He's out. And Mikhail Kisbara will be your Olympic goal.

Yes. And, you know, one thing I did want to ask you about Shereen, not to take away from, or medal count, or those accomplishments. But, you know, Mikhail's gold was, it was nine days in and it was the longest that it's taken in 58 years for us to get a gold medal. David Shoemaker, chief executive of the Canadian Olympic Committee, says that the funding has quite a bit to do with why Canada hasn't won more medals than they have in the past and that the investment put into the program from the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics has dwindled over the years. And, you know, how is that affecting our country's winter athletes?

I would be so curious to your thoughts on this. So as somebody who has, like, followed this and interviews amateur athletes a lot of many Olympians, one of the things that people don't realize is these athletes, you know, in order to train full-time, need sponsors to be able to support that lifestyle. Otherwise, they work full-time jobs somewhere else. And to be able to maintain and develop. your skill and make sure the offseason is actually the most important. So it's not only this tournament, it's everything leading up to it. And if our athletes in Canada are not supported the way

they ought to be and like the developing systems of the youth programs don't have a pipeline into that, then we're setting ourselves up for disaster. I think there's a lot of conversation about this in the sports ecosystem in Canada and a lot of people, you know, I have sources that tell me that there's movements to be able to like rejig it a little bit. And there's people with ideas coming forward saying, I think it should be this way. If it, you know, the athletes could be assured a certain amount of that support continuously as opposed to scrambling all the time. Like it may look glamorous because of what we see on media and social media, but it's really not like that. It's extremely difficult, you know, particularly if it's a sport that's like less well known.

And to be able to do what you need to do to stay fit for four years to come back and compete, it's not easy. At Nethris, we are Canada's payroll experts. For more than 45 years, we have proudly supported local businesses. Powered by CGI, we provide a robust and secure technological infrastructure. Let our specialists handle your payroll so you can maximize your efficiency and focus on what truly matters. Try Nethris now. The first month is free. Certain conditions apply.

N-E-H-R-I-S-D-R-I-S-D-C-N-R-I-S-N-R-S dot com. Nethris, much more than just a payroll software. At Desjardin, our business is helping yours. We are here to support your business through every stage of growth, from your first pitch to your first acquisition. Whether it's improving cash flow or exploring investment banking solutions, with Desjardin business, it's all under one roof. So join the more than 400,000 Canadian entrepreneurs who already count us.

who already count on us and contact Desjardin today. We'd love to talk. Business. There's one thing I'm hoping you can help explain a little bit more for me. So staying with Canada, our men's curling team did take home the gold this weekend. Moward trying to send this to an extra. I don't think so. Canada, after 12 winters of waiting, Canada, golden again.

We have to talk about what went down with the team last weekend when they had this exchange with the Swedes. Like the Canadian basically told the Swede to F off because they were being accused of cheating. Apparently it's okay touching the rock after the hog line. I don't know. Or touching the Rock. Who's doing it? You don't know it?

Who? It's a couple. It's a couple. Who? I haven't done it once. You can f*** off. You haven't done it once? I haven't done it once. Okay.

Okay. I'll show you a video after the game. How about you walking around on my peel on the last day and dancing around the house here? How about that? Come on, Oscar. Just a shit to show you a video. I don't give a shit. And it's become one of the most viral moments of the Olympics.

Essentially, did they double touch? Is it cheating or is it not? Can you just break this one down for us kind of once and for all? So this is going to be highly editorialized by me. So, I mean, the expert is Joanne Courtney, who's Instagram, I suggest to everyone. unfollow because she is, she was doing the play by play, but also former Olympian and Canadian, like, legendary girler. I asked her, because I ran into her in the lobby. I was like,

what is going on? And she said that that double touch is not traditionally something that is called with this vigor that it was. So I'm like, are the Europeans just being dramatic? So she kind of laughed at my question. And, but the reality is that I think the frustration shown on the part of, you know, Mark when he yelled that out. It was a bit shocking. There was a lot of pearl clutching in Canada when he used the F word because that's not something that's ever commonly seen in curling. It just doesn't happen. It's a smaller community on the global scene. People don't do that. So that's why it was so, it was so stark because that's not usually the language it has. And then Canada was, the women were also accused, a team homel was accused of doing the same

thing. So let's just keep it in perspective. It's a small kind of technicality. And I think think the discussion around it to me was more fascinating than the actual event, the actual incident. So I'm not sure if that answers your question. But at the end of the day, I mean, they say the, well, in this case, it would be the rock don't lie, right? The expression is the ball don't lie. So could we apply that to curling and say what was meant to be was to be? And they were a better team and they won in the end. Not Canadian, but I do need an update on the Norwegian biathlon athlete, Sterla Holm Legret. You know the guy who admitted to cheating on his girlfriend on camera in an interview after winning bronze in the individual 20-kilometer event. For a half-year-old who met him, my life's chalieneliet,

the world's wettest, the finest person. Did he get her back? Do we know what happened? So I kind of went a little tamsie on this because I felt like biathlon, was just completely wild. The storylines in Biathlon were really TMZ-ish for me. It was a little bit fun.

Right. Because, sorry, there was also the French gold medal winner, this woman who was convicted of fraud and had a doping suspension before coming to the games as late entry, right? Like, it was so much drama.

Yeah, that was Julia Sima, France. And then when she crossed the finish line, she put her hands up to her lips. She was technically under suspension, but the IOC lifted the suspension so she could compete because she was serving her suspension

because of fraud, but the IOC's like, no, no, it's okay. You can compete in the Olympics and then go back to suspension. And then if I was the person against whom she stole, who happened to be a teammate who came in 80th, I'd be like, no, no, she should continue the suspension. But, I mean, so it's very well. But to get back to, like, Stirla, someone got to sit down with Storla and say, listen, you read the room wrong because I don't think it went the way he thought it would. And to my knowledge, the ex-girlfriend was like, I don't want any of this. Like, what a horrible way to have that come out into the world.

So today I made the choice to tell the world what I did. So maybe there is a chance that she will show, see what she really means to me. And maybe not. But I don't want to think I didn't try everything. I don't know if they're together. I am to what I just like last checked last night because I'd been trying. trying to Google Trans-Sike Norwegian tabloids to check out. She is not interested in this man.

So he's just going to have to take his bronze medal and cuddle that, I guess. The other one is Pieniscate, right? The world anti-doping agency is investigating whether some Olympic ski jumpers are injecting their penises with hyluronic acid ahead of competition. It's not banned, but it can be used to increase penis circumference by one or two centimeters and lasts up to 18 months. According to FIS, the International Ski and Snowboard Association, this extra surface area could increase their flight in the air. Every extra centimeter on a suit counts. If your suit has a 5% bigger surface area, you fly further. The FIS ski jumping men's race director, Sandra Bertile, said, meanwhile...

Why would they be doing that? Can you do that? Well, I mean, I have no idea. It's the first that I'd heard of it, but I saw that headline and I was like, you know what? who came up with that? Like I have so many questions, Jamie, about this, that I'm like, how did this come to fruition? What was the process? And who would be doing that to realize it was as good or not? Because the whole point of that is to inject yourself or oneself with hydrologic acid to enlarge the space so that it helps with airflow in the air.

So is it worth it? I don't know. Like, it's just such a bizarre story, but it shows the desperation and lengths that people go to for this. The games and their totality, we talked about some of the Canadian highlights, but what were just a couple of the big, big highlights for you, or low lights, whatever you weren't. So one of the things for me, the biggest stories that I thought was really fascinating was Eileen Gou. And the clapback she had with an AFP journalist. I actually wrote a column on that because I was so fascinated by the, the discussion around it because he had asked her, she had, she won her third medal today, which is Sunday, last day of the Olympics, which was a gold. But prior to that, she had two

silvers. And he said to her after a press conference after she won the silver. Do you see these as two silvers gained or two goals lost? I'm the most decorated female free skier in history. I think that's an answer in and of itself. I was really interested in that response and the response of a lot of the world. that were basically applauding her response. And then a lot of people were questioning whether his actual query was unfair or disrespectful. And as a journalist, no, it wasn't.

I would have absolutely framed it differently and worded it very differently. But you have to ask, I would have said something like, what does this result mean to you? But even the discussion and watching that unfold around because the optics of an older white man asking a successful young racialized Olympian and sort of talking down to her,

Like, I just, I think that dynamic was really fascinating to sort of like assess and look at and take away on. Okay, let's do the politics because you can't really escape them during the Olympics, even though the IOC does tend to try to keep politics out of the games. One team that's been getting some attention is the Israeli bobsled team during one of their races this week, a clip of a Swiss Olympics commentator, a guy named Stefan Renna, went viral for quoting, one of the athletes. He spent the entirety of Adam Edelman's race accusing him of actively supporting the war in Gaza. In one example, the commentator said Edelman had described Israel's military action as the most morally just war in history. The Swiss broadcaster pulled the footage saying that though the journalist statements were factual, he breached the IOC's rules on political statements. And what were some of the things that he said about the team and

Edelman in particular? So he has the team, team Israel is actually in play. They're in the field of play. The commentator, Renna decided to sort of go on this little bit of a monologue about what Edelman had said. He defined himself very specifically. He is a Zionist, posted message on social media. And Renner referred to as the genocide specifically in Gaza, and Edelman had mocked Free Palestine. So Renna is actually, instead of doing play-by-play for the actual race, he is commenting on this. So that was, you know, he was not fired, but there was many, many complaints made to my knowledge he wasn't fired. But I just wanted to add that, you know, his commentary was shown to Edelman.

He just sort of, you know, brushed it off and said, we've done what we've set out to do is to put a team on the map. And their name is they've kind of taken from cool runnings, a Jamaican bobsled team. And they've got shoal runnings. So, you know, it's one of the things that I really was thinking about. because A, the boldness of Rana to do that. But it also, you know, made me think about this attempt to try to sever politics from sport, which is not possible and it can't exist because sport is inherently political all the time because it's made up of humans who are absolutely political. So the reality is that then there's also the hypocrisy from the IOC not allowing Belarus and Russia to participate, but people, had questions about why Israel was allowed to participate.

The IOC did ban one athlete from competition for violating their rules around political expression, and that's the Ukrainian skeleton racer, Vladislav Hiraskovich, right? He was banned from competition for wearing a helmet with the pictures of fellow Ukrainian athletes who have been killed in the Russian war on his country. And there's also been quite a bit of debate around this decision, right, with some calling it a double standard. Why? So that's exactly it. So the hypocrisy here and the double standard here, it's like the goalposts keep shifting for the IOC. Why is he not allowed to have those people on of memory that he's memorializing that, you know, there's people that have put in, he called them out before who had literally in memoriam of. And his argument is in the field of play, it should be allowed to memorialize somebody because the IOC is clear that. that this particular rule, you can't use them in the field of play or the podium or be in the Olympic village. And, you know, Rule 40 not being evenly applied by the International Olympic Committee has been, I think, a source of problem here.

Because a lack of consistency on where they come down in terms of rules of people being too political and athletes, Olympians being too political. It just needs to be clarified. And it hadn't been. And that's where Horacevic, I think, fell under. he was disqualified and then later Coventry tried to say, well, we won't pull your accreditation. You can stay at the village, but you can't compete. Like, what is that doing? I don't even understand.

And I did find out later that Thadislav Horoskovich was given a civilian award that matched the amount of money he would have won if he had he won gold, because he was absolutely expected to make the podium. Dear Ukrainians, I'm very grateful for your support. United, we are stronger. I want to thank you and quote a wonderful man, Pavlo Petrochenko. All beautiful people remain optimistic. And the other big one that has loomed large over these games is what's been happening in the U.S.

And some American Olympians have faced backlash online, including from Trump himself, for speaking out about the administration. I'm thinking of people like Hunter Hess. It brings up mixed emotions to represent the U.S. right now, I think. It's a little hard. There's obviously a lot going on that I'm not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren't. Just because I'm wearing the flag doesn't mean I represent everything

that's going on in the U.S. Trump called him a real loser for his comments. And how difficult has it been for some players to represent the U.S. at the games this year? Well, I will say this. I don't think it's easy. I think it's really complicated. And Hunter has to come out and say that. I think he was being really honest, and he was allowed to do that in a press conference.

Yes. It's one of the places. You can do a bit more there, right? Yeah, you're allowed to speak there because, I mean, to muzzle the athletes fully is unacceptable. Michaela Schifrin came out in defense of Hunter Hess as well to say, like, look, I support what my teammate is saying. And he said, just because I'm representing the United States, doesn't mean I love everything that goes on there. And I actually thought that was an incredibly sincere and honest statement. Like, you know, I can't give me one person in the world that's fully satisfied with everything happening in the country.

It's not, it doesn't make sense. In fact, I'm afraid to ask Americans that question. But to be honest, one of the things that I think is really great about these athletes, these Olympians, is that they are at the Olympics participating in the highest level of sport. What some politician says who they didn't vote for is not affecting them. And I think that's who defines what a loser is, like they're Olympians. So I think the person's saying it, their own character and ability speaks for themselves. I feel like that's probably a pretty good place for us to end. Shereen, thank you so much for this.

Really appreciate it. Oh, that's fantastic. Thank you for having me. All right. That is all for today. I'm Jamie Poisson. Thanks so much for listening. Talk to you tomorrow.

For more CBC podcasts, go to cbc.ca slash podcasts.