The Swiss women win Olympic bronze in ice hockey for the second time since 2014. Coach Colin Muller's team beat Sweden 2:1 after overtime in the match for third place.
19.02.2026, 17:25
19.02.2026, 17:29
SDA
The Swiss reached the bronze medal match having scored just six goals from their previous six matches. In the quarter-finals, they beat the favorites Finland 1:0. The Swedes won the much weaker Group B with a goal difference of 18:2 and, like the Swiss, did not concede a goal in their quarter-final against the Czech Republic (2:0). This meant that two defensively strong teams were playing against each other, so no offensive spectacle was to be expected. And that's exactly how the game turned out.
Swiss coach Colin Muller repeatedly asked his players to move. In any case, the Swedes were the more active team, as underlined by the 31:18 shot ratio in favour of the Scandinavians after 60 minutes. However, the Swiss were the better team in extra time and that paid off: Alina Müller scored the decisive goal 51 seconds before the end of overtime.
It was somehow logical that the 27-year-old from Zurich scored, as she was her team's outstanding player. She scored four of the Swiss team's eight goals and had a hand in two others. Müller had already scored the winning 4:2 when the Swiss won Olympic bronze in Sochi 2014, also against Sweden (4:3).
Quick Swiss reaction
Ivana Wey had a great chance to make it 1:0 in the 27th minute of regulation time, but failed to beat Swedish keeper Ebba Svensson with a penalty, trying to catch her between the pads. In the opening game against the Czech Republic (4:3 n.p.), the 20-year-old EV Zug striker had converted both attempts in the penalty shoot-out.
Instead of 1:0 for the Swiss, the score was 0:1 in the 32nd minute when defender Mira Jungaker scored with a precise shot from the blue line - Swiss goalkeeper Andrea Brändli saw nothing because Hanna Olsson had a perfect view. However, the Swiss team's response was not long in coming: Sinja Leemann equalized exactly four minutes later to make it 1:1. The SC Bern forward stole the puck from Olsson in the opposing third, played it deep, Alina Marti took over and passed in front of goal to Leemann, who did not miss the chance. It was her first goal of the tournament.
It was the Swiss women's third medal at a major event after bronze at the 2012 World Championships in Burlington and bronze at the 2014 Olympics. Since then, they have finished fourth at four international championships - three times at the World Championships (2021 to 2023) and at the 2022 Winter Games. Now they have once again managed to win a medal.
Colin Muller, who has been in office since 2019, has won a medal as a staff member in both the men's and women's competitions: in 2013, he won World Championship silver as assistant to Sean Simpson. It remains to be seen what will happen with him. In any case, his contract expires after the season.
