2026 Winter Olympics qualifier: GB beat Romania 7-4 to win Cardiff qualifier in bid to reach Italy

Great Britain took a step towards 2026 Winter Olympics qualification with a 7-4 win over battling Romania in Cardiff, their third triumph of the weekend.

The win followed GB’s trouncing of China 10-1 on Thursday and an 11-0 victory over Serbia on Saturday to reach the next round of qualification in August.

The GB ice hockey team are hoping to reach their first Games since 1948.

China beat Serbia 7-5 in Sunday’s earlier game in Cardiff.

Brett Perlini opened for GB and after Szekely Sandor replied, Ben Lake put them back in front.

Perlini added his second and Yevgeni Skachkov replied, but Sam Jones, Sam Ruopp and Liam Kirk put GB in command.

Hugo Gecse gave Romania hope but Cade Neilson struck before Matias Haaranen gave the visitors a late consolation.

In Saturday’s win, Robert Dowd’s goal gave GB an early lead against Serbia, before they scored eight second-period goals through Dowd (2), Perlini (2), Cole Shudra, Brandon Whistle, Cam Critchlow and Jones.

Nathanael Halbert added a 10th before Neilson finished the scoring.

Victory over Serbia was the second in three days after a huge 10-1 win against China on Thursday, during which Kirk and Critchlow each scored twice.

Mark Richardson, Johnny Curran, Neilson, Dowd, Ben Davies and Halbert also hit the net while Tianyou Zuo replied for China.