Weekend Roundup: World championship medals in curling and athletics, Crystal Globes secured

As the winter sports season nears its end, Team Canada athletes claimed some major hardware this past weekend.

There was a fifth straight medal for Canada at the World Women’s Curling Championship as Team Einarson captured silver on home ice in Calgary. Naomi Urness capped off her impressive rookie season on the FIS World Cup circuit as a Crystal Globe winner in big air. There were multiple podiums by the ski cross team to delight their home fans in Craigleith, Ontario.

Meanwhile, two Canadians reached the podium at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Poland, headlined by Christopher Morales Williams winning 400m gold in a record-setting time.

Here’s a quick look back at all the action.

Curling: Silver for Team Einarson at women’s world championship

Team Einarson is coming away from the 2026 World Women’s Curling Championship in Calgary with a silver medal. They were defeated 7-5 in the final by Switzerland’s Team Xenia Schwaller on Sunday evening.

It is the best ever world championship result for skip Kerri Einarson, third Val Sweeting, second Shannon Birchard, lead Karlee Burgess, and alternate Krysten Karwacki. They previously won bronze in 2022 and 2023.

“It’s pretty amazing to medal on the world stage, and it’s an upgrade from our previous bronze, so it does still feels very special,” Einarson said.

The Canadians found themselves down by one without hammer in the 10th end. Einarson attempted to tap around a close centre guard and knock the Swiss stone out of shot rock position. Though contact was made, the rock didn’t roll far enough for the Canadian stone to count.

Team Schwaller had controlled the first half of the game. Team Einarson had a chance to tie it in the ninth by making a runback for two, but the stone they pushed into the house rolled too far, leaving them trailing heading into the final end.

Athletics: Gold and silver for Canada at world indoor championships

Christopher Morales Williams won gold in the men’s 400m at the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Torun, Poland on Saturday. The 21-year-old ran to a championship record time of 44.76 seconds, marking the first time anyone has gone sub-45 seconds on an indoor track outside of the United States.

“I have worked hard for this. A gold and a championship record—I could not ask for more,” said Morales Williams, who ran the fastest short track time in history, 44.49 seconds, in February 2024 but didn’t have it ratified as a world record because of an issue with the starting blocks. “I may be new on the world stage but, having raced in the NCAA, I have a lot of experience with indoor running. I was not worried about being behind for most of the race as closing is what I do best, so I actually love to be behind. 

Morales Williams won the 400m at both the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships in 2024, leading up to him making his Olympic debut at Paris 2024. He finished fifth at last year’s World Athletics Indoor Championships.

On Friday, Sarah Mitton captured silver in the women’s shot put with a throw of 19.78m. That put her only behind American Chase Jackson, who hit 20.14m for the gold medal. It is Mitton’s third straight podium at the World Athletics Indoor Championships, having won back-to-back gold medals in 2024 and 2025.

“Every time you leave with a medal around your neck, you have to be happy,” Mitton said. “There were a few competitions in the past when I was throwing well and finished fourth. Today, I did not quite hit it right. There was one throw where the shot hit the net that might have been the one for me today but that is those pesky indoor sectors.

“I feel happy for Chase. Before the competition she told me I should let her win at least one indoor title. Of course, I was trying to beat her until the last attempt but, if it was not me winning, I am happy it was her.”

Freestyle Skiing: Urness claims big air Crystal Globe

Naomi Urness wrapped up her rookie season on the FIS World Cup circuit by clinching the Crystal Globe for women’s freeski big air. She was victorious at the final stop of the season in Tignes, France, earning her second straight World Cup big air win. She didn’t miss the podium in any of the four big air World Cup stops this season.

Urness scored 166.75 to get the win on Friday by 0.75 over Finland’s Anni Karava. She landed a right double cork 1080 safety in her second run, followed by a switch right bio 1080 mute in her third and final run to top the field.

“It was definitely not my goal. This is my first year on the circuit. I think my goal was just to land my tricks,” she said. “I never would have thought to end it with the Globe, but I’m so happy and so proud.”

Also in Tignes, Elena Gaskell finished second in the women’s slopestyle event. It was her second podium of the season, which was a triumphant comeback for her after several major injuries. Prior to the fall of 2025, she hadn’t competed since tearing her ACL during a training run at Beijing 2022.

Ski Cross: Four World Cup podiums on home snow

The second last stop of the FIS Ski Cross World Cup circuit saw Canadians thrilling their home fans in Craigleith, Ontario.

On Saturday, siblings Jared Schmidt and Hannah Schmidt both finished second in their respective events, just getting edged out at the finish line after leading through most of the big finals.

On Sunday, 21-year-old Kaleb Barnum earned his first career World Cup podium, finishing second in the men’s event, one spot ahead of fellow Canadian Kristofer Mahler. It was just the eighth World Cup race of Barnum’s career.

There remains one World Cup stop next weekend in Gällivare, Sweden, though Reece Howden has already secured the men’s Crystal Globe for the second straight season and fourth time in his career.

“It means a lot. I definitely feel that as I’ve created a bit more success, you have to adjust your goals. When I leave ski cross, I want the name Reece Howden to be right next to ski cross,” he said.

Snowboard: First World Cup slopestyle win for Bouchard

Eli Bouchard earned his first career FIS World Cup slopestyle victory, dominating the final in Flachau, Austria. He laid down a first run that scored 81.11 points and held up for the win. American Judd Henkes was the runner-up with a score of 76.91. The 18-year-old Canadian earned a big air victory in February 2025; this is his first World Cup podium since then. Fellow Team Canada Olympian Cameron Spalding was fourth with a best score of 68.36.

In Winterberg, Germany, Aurélie Moisan and Arnaud Gaudet finished third in the mixed parallel slalom team event. It is Moisan’s first ever World Cup podium. The day before, Kaylie Buck placed fifth in the women’s parallel slalom event.

Ski Jumping: Strate flies to personal record distance

Abigail Strate flew a distance of 212.5m at the FIS World Cup flying hill event in Vikersund, Norway on Sunday. It was her longest jump ever, surpassing the 210.5m she achieved the day before. She finished 12th overall on Saturday and 15th on Sunday, which was shortened to just one round of competition. Flying hills are bigger jumps than the large hill and normal hill which are on the Olympic program.

Cross-Country: Young Canadians close out impressive season

In the very last race of the FIS Cross Country World Cup season in Lake Placid, New York, Liliane Gagnon finished 11th in the women’s 20km mass start free. 20-year-old Alison Mackie became the first Canadian to win a U23 overall World Cup title. It comes just a couple weeks after she became U23 world champion in the 20km mass start free.