Olympics - Milano-Cortina 2026 - Day 8/February 11

 

Welcome back to the Olympics NHL Hockey players.  The professionals return after a 12-year absence, and several medal contenders had their opening games.  Slovakia defeated Finland 4-1, and Sweden defeated Italy 5-2.

Although the hockey loss was disappointing for the hosts, they had a great day at the sliding track, as both the women's and men's double luge events were conducted.  Italy earned 2 golds, by winning both of the races behind their women's team of Andrea Vietter and Marion Oberhofer, whereas the men's team of Emmanuel Rieder and Simon Kainzwaldren were up to the task by matching their compatriots.

Wednesday was also the return to the ice for the men's Curling teams, and the US, behind Daniel Casper, defeated Czechia 8-7.

In the most prototypical of all Winter Olympic events, the Nordic Combined, Norway's Jans Luraas Oftebro won gold, followed by Austria's Johannes Lamparter (silver) and Eero Hirvonen of Finland (bronze). 

In another quintessential Winter Olympics sport - the biathlon, Julia Simon of France followed up her team Mixed Relay gold with an individual gold in the 15KM, where she was followed by teammate Lou Jeanmonnot who earned silver.

On the ice, the ice dancers performed their 4th routine in about six days, and the competition was wonderful.  Any of the final three teams would have won gold in most Olympics, and some thought the silver medalists should have won THIS year.  But, it was the French team of Laurence Fournier-Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron who captured the gold followed by crowd favorites Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the US and Piper Gille and Paul Poirier of Canada, who won silver and bronze respectively.

The men's Super-Giant Slalom was held yesterday, and tell me if you have heard this before, Franjo von Allmon of Switzerland took home the gold - his third of these games.  American Ross Cochrane-Siegle could not match his mother's 1972 gold, but he did win silver, followed by Swiss juggernaut Marco Odermatt, his second bronze of these games.

And moving from someone who is already a star in these games (von Allmon) to somebody who his likely to be, US Speedskater Jordon Stolz set an Olympic record and won gold in the men's 1000-meter race, defeating Jenning de Boo of the Netherlands and Ning Zhongyan of China.  Is this the first of many for Stolz?

Athlete(s) of the Day - Franjo von Allmon, Switzerland, Alpine Skiing/Julia Simon, France, Biathlon

Von Allmon with his third gold, and Simon with her second, and both in convincing fashion.

U.S. Athlete of the Day - Jordan Stolz, Speed Skating

An Olympic Record performance in winning the gold.  Not much better could be done than that!

Upset of the Day - Madison Chock and Evan Bates, United States, Figure Skating

The upset isn't with their performance, but with the scoring.  To a lot of people it sure looked like the Americans won, especially since they skated a practically flawless artistic free skate AND had more technical points. 

 

Team of the Day - Slovakia, Men's Hockey

One of the five or six teams with legitimate medal hopes, Solvakia came out and dominated one of those other squads - Finland - and won 4-1.

U.S. Team of the Day - Men's Curling

Won its only match of the day over Czechia 8-7, with Daniel Casper scoring the winning point with his thirteen stone in the 10th end to secure the victory.

Olympic Term of the Day:  Nordic Combined - An event that combines cross-country skiing with ski jumping, in today's action a 10KM ski and jumps off the normal hill.

Olympic Events Watched:  Alpine Skiing, Figure Skating, Speed Skating

USA Closing Ceremony Flag-Bearer Possibilities (listed alphabetically):  Evan Bates, Madison Chock, Korey Dobkin, Ashley Farquharson, Breezy Johnson, Hilary Knight, Ilia Malinin, Ben Ogden, Jordan Stolz, Cory Thiesse