From high in the mountains early in the day to intense drama at an ice rink in southern Milan late at night, today was a day of medals for Team USA, which now owns 12. We also saw men’s hockey begin, with the reigning gold medalist falling in an upset.
Our correspondents have it all covered below and at NBC News. Catch it all streaming on Peacock.
Live from Milan Cortina
In the past four years, the married American figure skating pair of Madison Chock and Evan Bates had become the sport’s dominant pair. But one final accomplishment had eluded them in 15 years of competing together — the Olympic gold medal in ice dance.
Skating second to last in today’s ice dance final, Chock and Bates performed a spirited routine that put them in first place. Before they could celebrate, however, they had to wait out a final pair from France led by reigning Olympic champion Guillaume Cizeron and his partner of less than a year, Laurence Fournier Beaudry. In a dramatic reveal, the French pair’s score was better by less than 2 points, vaulting them into gold. The American and French pairs, who train under the same coach in Montreal, hugged one another in a melancholy moment for the Americans.
American speedskating star Jordan Stolz won the 1,000 meters and shaved a second off the Olympic record by finishing in 1:06.28. The 21-year-old from Wisconsin will also be favored in the 500 meters and the 1,500 meters and may also compete in the mass start, and he is trying to join Eric Heiden as the only American, man or woman, in any sport to win three-plus gold medals in a single Winter Olympics.
The U.S. added to its medal haul on the slopes, where it earned two medals in women’s moguls as Liz Lemley won gold and Jaelin Kauf earned silver. And snowboarder Chloe Kim, less than a month after she tore the labrum in her left shoulder in training, left little doubt that she’ll be a threat for gold in the halfpipe by registering the highest score in qualifying. The U.S. has medaled in every Olympics since the halfpipe debuted in 1998.
Italy’s sensational Olympics continued when it won gold medals in both the men’s and women’s double luge. Thus far, Italy is one of just three countries to have earned double-digit medals. And men’s hockey has begun — with a surprise. Finland, the reigning champion, didn’t just lose its opening game; it was crushed by Slovakia, 4-1. The U.S. men open tomorrow against Latvia.
Athlete Spotlight
It had been a rough couple of days for Ryan Cochran-Siegle.
The Vermont native suffered from food poisoning, just about managing to battle it down enough to run in Saturday’s downhill, before his beloved New England Patriots lost the Super Bowl on Sunday. Bouncing back from his illness, he managed to prove his 2022 silver was no fluke as he claimed second again in the men’s super-G.
“It’s super emotional,” Cochran-Siegle told NBC Sports’ Heather Cox when he was asked how it felt to come back from illness to claim silver. “Definitely had to fight some demons with the toilet before my run.”
Cheering him on was his mom, Barbara Cochran, who won gold at the 1972 Sapporo Games — 50 years to the day before he got silver in Beijing. His fiancée, Jessica Lucas, was also in attendance.
“I was selfish, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted my mom to come here, just because it is such a big event,” he admitted. “She was a little sick the last few days, too, so I got to see her from a balcony yesterday, but I haven’t actually seen her in person; [that’ll] be nice. And then, obviously, Jesse, too. She’s a huge part of my life. Sharing this moment with them is cool. I did not expect this, but obviously it’s nice to bring home some hardware.”
Photo of the Day
When to Watch
Thursday will be a stacked day of action. We’ll see U.S. men’s hockey for the first time, as it takes on Latvia. Chloe Kim has a chance at history, and we get to witness the chaotic glory that is short track speedskating.
All times are in Eastern, and an asterisk signifies a medal event.
- 3:05 a.m.: Curling, women’s round robin (Korea vs. USA, Japan vs. Sweden, Italy vs. Switzerland, Canada vs. Denmark)
- 3:30 a.m.: Skeleton, men’s heat 1
- 4 a.m.: Freestyle skiing, men’s moguls qualification 2
- 4 a.m.: Snowboarding, men’s SBX seeding run 1
- 4:55 a.m.: Snowboarding, men’s SBX seeding run 2
- 5:08 a.m.: Skeleton, men’s heat 2
- 5:30 a.m.: Alpine skiing, women’s super-G*
- 6:10 a.m.: Men’s hockey, France vs. Switzerland
- 6:15 a.m.: Freestyle skiing, men’s moguls finals*
- 7 a.m.: Cross-country skiing, women’s 10-kilometer interval free start*
- 7:45 a.m.: Snowboard, men’s cross ⅛ finals
- 8:05 a.m.: Curling, men’s round robin (Norway vs. Germany, USA vs. Switzerland, Great Britain vs. Sweden)
- 8:18 a.m.: Snowboard, men’s snowboard cross quarterfinals
- 8:30 a.m.: Women’s hockey, Canada vs. Finland
- 8:39 a.m.: Snowboard, men’s snowboard cross semifinals
- 8:56 a.m.: Snowboard, men’s snowboard cross finals*
- 10:30 a.m.: Speedskating, women’s 5,000 meters
- 10:40 a.m.: Men’s hockey, Canada vs. Czechia
- 12:30 p.m.: Luge, team relay*
- 1:05 p.m.: Curling, women’s round robin (China vs. Great Britain, Italy vs. Korea, Denmark vs. Japan, USA vs. Sweden)
- 1:30 p.m.: Snowboard, women’s halfpipe final*
- 2:15 p.m.: Short track speedskating, women’s 500-meter quarterfinals
- 2:28 p.m.: Short track speedskating, men’s 1,000-meter quarterfinals
- 3 p.m.: Short track speedskating, women’s 500-meter semifinals
- 3:07 p.m.: Short track speedskating, men’s 1,000-meter semifinals
- 3:10 p.m.: Men’s hockey, (USA vs. Latvia, Germany vs. Denmark)
- 3:36 p.m.: Short track speedskating, women’s 500-meter finals*
- 3:48 p.m.: Short track speedskating, men’s 1,000-meter finals*
