The Swiss women’s Olympic hockey team is currently in a state of isolation following the confirmation that one of their players has tested positive for norovirus. This precautionary measure was announced by the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation on Friday.
Switzerland is set to face Team Canada on Saturday at 9:10 p.m. local time. Interestingly, the Canadian women have not yet had the chance to compete in their first Olympic match after their initial game against Finland was postponed due to a norovirus outbreak affecting the Finnish squad.
According to the statement released by the Swiss federation, the player received her positive test result shortly after Switzerland's thrilling 4-3 comeback victory over the Czech Republic, and just prior to the opening ceremony of the Olympics. A representative from the team confirmed to The Athletic that the player in question did not participate in the game that took place on Friday afternoon.
The statement elaborated that this athlete had been monitored closely, residing alone in a single room since her arrival at the Olympic Village on February 2, 2026, and had remained isolated from her teammates since the onset of her symptoms.
Though the exact timing of the player’s symptoms was not disclosed, representatives mentioned that she has been symptom-free since the morning of the announcement. In light of this situation, the women’s national team was placed in isolation following the game based on guidance from the medical staff present at the venue, as well as consultation with health experts.
Consequently, it was determined that the team would not take part in the opening ceremony for the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics. Thankfully, no other members of the Swiss team have shown any symptoms at this time.
Norovirus is a prevalent but highly contagious virus, and according to Dr. Nitin Mohan, an infectious diseases expert, it can spread rapidly. "A line that I like to tell my students is that norovirus is a sprinter among infectious diseases. It spreads quickly, explosively, and is notoriously difficult to control," explained Dr. Mohan, who serves as an assistant professor at Western University in London, Ontario. "In environments like the Olympic Village, where individuals are in close proximity, it creates an ideal setting for this virus to multiply."
The outbreak began earlier in the week, with Finland's head coach, Tero Lehträ, reporting that some players exhibited symptoms by Tuesday evening, leading to the cancellation of Wednesday's practice. By Thursday morning, only 10 Finnish players were able to participate in a pre-game skate, while the remaining 13 were quarantined in the athletes’ village due to illness or exposure to the virus. This situation prompted the swift postponement of their game, which has now been rescheduled for February 12 at 2:30 p.m. local time at the Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena.
As reported by the Associated Press, a total of 14 skaters managed to practice on Friday afternoon, with Lehträ expressing confidence, stating, "We will play the USA no matter what." Currently, the match between the U.S. and Finland remains scheduled for Saturday at 4:40 p.m. local time, and teams will be updated by 11 a.m. should there be any changes.
The men’s Olympic hockey tournament is set to begin next week, with several NHL players already arriving in Milan. Notably, David Pastrnak and Leon Draisaitl represented the Czech Republic and Germany as flag bearers during Friday’s opening ceremony.
"We are monitoring the situation closely—so is the IIHF, with whom we maintain regular communication," NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly stated in an email to The Athletic.
"At this moment, I am not aware of any special precautions being planned. I believe our players are already well-informed about the standard measures they should take to minimize the risk of infection transmission."
—Reported with contributions from Michael Russo of The Athletic.
February 6, 2026
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