Winter Olympics 2026: U.S. women's hockey team taking precautions to avoid norovirus outbreak

MILAN — If U.S. women’s hockey goalie Aerin Frankel stumbles across friends from opposing teams at the Olympic Village, she won’t be greeting them with a hug.

Frankel is being extra cautious after an outbreak of norovirus within the Finnish women’s hockey team forced the postponement of its opening game against Canada. 

“No need to give hugs to other teams right now,” Frankel said Thursday after the U.S. opened its quest for Olympic gold with a 5-1 rout of Czechia. “Obviously we have teammates on other teams, but we’re just trying to be careful.”

Norovirus, according to the Center for Disease Control, is a “very contagious” illness that is the leading cause of vomiting and diarrhea in the United States. Most people with norovirus illness recover in 72 hours or less, the CDC says, but they can still spread the virus for several more days afterward.

Complicating the U.S. team’s quest to avoid an outbreak is the fact that the Americans’ next scheduled group-stage opponent is Finland. Assuming the Finns are healthy enough to play on Saturday, U.S. players won’t have the option of keeping their distance. 

The IOC consulted with medical professionals before canceling Thursday night’s scheduled match between Finland and Canada. In a statement, the IOC described the decision as “responsible and necessary” and called the health of athletes and team staffers “the highest priority."

What can the U.S women’s hockey team do to avoid a similar norovirus outbreak? Players emphasized washing hands and not touching surfaces that lots of other people touch. 

“You get this many athletes and people eating at the same cafeteria, you have to try to stay diligent,” U.S. defender Megan Keller said. “Nobody wants to go down here. We’ve worked so hard to get here.” 

Added Frankel, “So many people living in one place, sharing a dining hall, you’ve gotta be careful.”