Mark Carney congratulates Mikael Kingsbury on ending Canada's Olympic gold ‘curse’
Prime Minister Mark Carney couldn’t help but break into a huge smile after greeting the man who ended Canada’s so-called Olympic gold medal “curse.”
Carney made a video call to Mikael Kingsbury after the freestyle skiing icon finally captured the country’s first gold medal of the Milano-Cortina Games in Italy.
Team Canada posted the video on Facebook on Monday morning, showing Carney and Kingsbury chatting about the latter’s latest big win.
After some cheerful initial greetings, the Canadian prime minister asks the moguls superstar how he’s doing, with Kingsbury replying by simply holding up his gold medal with a huge smile on his face.
Carney can’t help but share a joyful laugh himself before asking Kingsbury about some comments he had made about social-media reactions to Canada’s struggles to strike gold in Milano-Cortina before the native of Deux-Montagnes, Que., won on Sunday.
Congratulated moguls legend, @MikaelKingsbury on his gold medal win today for @TeamCanada ???????????? pic.twitter.com/M76KnpLop1
— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) February 15, 2026
“Yeah, well, last night I watched my phone before going to bed and I saw people saying that we were unlucky and there was a curse on us here in Italy,” Kingsbury said. “I woke up very motivated and I wanted to get that gold.
“Obviously, to be the first in history to win the dual moguls at the Games … but, yeah, to get Canada up on the board on the gold medal.”
Helping to get over Tumbler Ridge tragedy
Carney then lauded the all-time leader in World Cup moguls wins for his illustrious career and coming up big at a time when the country needed it most.
“So good. I mean, look, four Olympics, five medals. You go out on gold, you carry the flag,” Carney said. “You do it in front of your family and you do it at a time, I can say as well, where Canada needs (it).
“We’re coming together as a family because of the tragedy, because of other things.
“You just make us so proud and to see it, see it like that.”
In the head-to-head, gold-medal final, the 33-year-old Canadian hero beat Japan’s Ikuma Horishima — the man picked by Kingsbury as his obvious successor.
Kingsbury ‘pushed’ his rival off course
Carney joked that Kingsbury skied so well that it “pushed” his rival off course.
“To beat your rival, you pushed them off. I mean, you didn’t mean to, but you pushed him off the course you were so good,” Carney said with a laugh.
Kingsbury appreciated the kind words from the prime minister, saying that he is “very proud to be Canadian.”
Carney returned the sentiment and let Kingsbury get back to celebrating.
“Well, we are even prouder to be Canadian because of you, so thank you,” Carney said.
“I know you’ve got lots to do and to celebrate. I look forward to seeing you, to welcoming you back.”
Kingsbury has announced that these Winter Olympics will be his last. He goes out on top, having won a gold in the doubles moguls and silver in the singles event in Milano-Cortina to go along with his three medals — gold and two silvers — from previous Games.