Can Klæbo and Malinin cement their legacies? Day 7 guide
Winter Olympics Day 7: Can Klæbo and Malinin cement their legacies?
Day 7 promises to be the most decorated day of the Winter Olympics so far. From the high-altitude lungs required in the Val di Fiemme to the razor-thin margins of the Cortina sliding track, the world’s elite are converging for a series of historic triple attempts. While Johannes Høsflot Klæbo looks to secure his third gold out of his target of six in these Games in the cross-country freestyle, American "Quad God" Ilia Malinin and Italian speed skating hero Davide Ghiotto face the ultimate tests of their careers under the immense pressure of being the hunted favourites. Across six major disciplines, Day 7 is where legends will be forged in the Italian frost.
The men's 10km freestyle will take place, and all eyes are on the sensation that is Johannes Høsflot Klæbo as he seeks Gold number three in this quest for an unprecedented six Olympic golds in a single winter Olympics. With this event being in the freestyle rather than classic, it means he is the overwhelming favourite to win this, and probably by a wide margin, but behind Klæbo, it should be a very close scrap for the medals, with the contenders being:
Harald Østberg Amundsen (NOR): Remains the primary challenger to Klæbo for the 10km freestyle. He is a specialist in the individual start format.
Einar Hedegart (NOR): He has been the breakout star of the 2025/26 season after transitioning from biathlon. Having already claimed multiple 10km freestyle victories on the World Cup circuit this winter, including wins in Davos and Trondheim, he is arguably the most dangerous pure skater in the field right now.
Mathis Desloges (FRA): has already proven he can handle the pressure of these games by taking the silver medal in the skiathlon.
Gus Schumacher (USA) is the leading medal hope for the 10km. Although a crash early in the skiathlon hindered his first race, his skating form has been world-class all season. Following Ben Ogden's and Jessie Diggin's medals over the past few days, the U.S. team has significant wind in its sails as the skis are clearly running well, so Schumacher should be a medal factor.
William Poromaa (SWE) While he had a relatively quiet start to these Games with a mid-pack finish in the skiathlon, he is the best chance the Swedish men have of a medal. He has the pure aerobic engine required for a 10km skating time trial and has spent the last two seasons specifically working on his high-cadence climbing to match the Norwegians.
Savelii Korostelev (AIN): The young powerhouse was agonisingly close to the podium in the skiathlon, finishing fourth and looks to be in amazing form despite only being young and coming out of relatively obscurity to claim that fourth postion he was great in the freestyle section of the skiathlon, but racing in head-to-head races is very different to against the clock.
Prediction:
Gold: Klæbo
Silver: Hedegart
Bronze: Amundsen
Gemini said
Biathlon
The second individual race of these games for the men, as they tackle the 10km sprint different from all the other individual events, as the athletes only have to tackle two shoots rather than the usual four, tailoring this race towards the fast men on the skis rather than the better shots. The favourites are:
Johan-Olav Botn (NOR): The champion from the individual race will be looking to do the double and looks back to his best after overcoming his illness before these championships. His ski speed was fourth quickest in the individual, and he was brilliant with the rifle. I'd be surprised if he was lower than fifth in this one
Eric Perrot (FRA): The silver medalist was rapid on his skis, and if he'd have hit all the targets, would have won, and with a gold and silver already from these championships, he is in red hot form and probably comes into this as favourite given how consistent he has been this season like Botn it would be surprise if he was lower than fifth.
Sturla Holm Laegreid (NOR): His ski speed from last season seemed to have returned as he took bronze in the individual, but this being a two-shot race rather than four takes his shooting advantage on most of the field away from him and given the emotional viral interview he gave after his bronze his mind appears to not be fully on biathlon so id expect him to drop down the order for this one towards the back end of the top 10.
Quentin Fillon-Maillet (FRA): The silver medalist in this event from Beijing was back to his brilliant best ski form in the individual event as he set the fastest course time, but shot himself out of contention by missing four out of twenty. Will definitely be in the mix due to the lower number of shots. If he hits nine or ten, he will certainly be in the top five.
Tommasso Giacomel (ITA): The Italian had an underwhelming race by his standards as he finished down in sixth, but he is the current leader in the sprint event standings on the World Cup, having won two out of the last three sprint events while finishing second in the other, so he is probably second favourite behind Perrot coming into this event.
Sebastian Samuelsson (SWE): Samuelsson was much better in the individual than he was in the relay, hitting the first fifteen targets before missing two on the final shoot to take himself out of medal contention, but this is probably his best event due to the lower number of shoots so expect him to be amongst the group fighting for medals.
Other contenders:
Emilien Jacquelin (FRA): Is either brilliant or really average; you never know what Jacquelin is going to turn up. If the best Jacquelin turns up, he will medal.
Campbell Wright (USA): The best chance Wright will have to complete the winter Olympic medal set for the USA, he got silver in this event at the last world championships, but was off it in the individual, complaining about his skis.
Martin Ponsiluoma (SWE): Rapid on the skis but shaky with the rifle, much like his compatriot Samuelsson, if he hits the targets, he will feature.
Johannes Dale-Skjevdal and Velte Sjaastad Christiansen (NOR): Never rule out a Norwegian man with all four finishing in the top 13 in the individual; both are capable of winning, but Dale-Skjevdal is shaky with the rifle, and Christiansen's ski speed is a little bit of the world's elite.
Phillip Nawrath (GER): finished fifth in the individual and is likely to finish once again as the best of the Germans and feature in the top ten, but i cant see him medalling.
Prediction:
Gold: Giacomel
Silver: Fillon-Maillet
Bronze: Wright
Snowboading
The women’s snowboard cross is one of the most unpredictable and high-octane events in Livigno, where four riders hurtle down a course of jumps, berms, and rollers in a knockout battle for gold. Unlike the technical precision of the halfpipe, this event is all about racing intelligence, physical strength, and staying upright through the chaos of the heats. The favourites are:
Charlotte Bankes (GBR): The Brit enters Milano Cortina with a massive point to prove after her quarter-final disappointment in Beijing. She has been the most dominant rider over the last four years, and despite a scary collarbone injury and subsequent surgeries last season, her recent World Cup win in China proves she is back to 100%. Known for her incredible speed in the lower sections of the course and her ability to generate momentum where others stall, she is one of the favourites to finally land the Olympic gold that has eluded her career.
Julia Nirani-Pereira (FRA): The 2025 World Championship bronze medalist is currently riding a wave of massive momentum after her victory in the Dongbeiya World Cup finale. Having already tasted Olympic success with a silver in PyeongChang at just 16. She is currently sitting third in the overall World Cup standings and is widely considered the fastest starter in the gate. If she gets the holeshot in Livigno, her defensive line choices are so precise that she is almost impossible to overtake.
Michela Moioli (ITA): The 2018 Olympic champion is carrying the hopes of the home nation, and she is arriving in peak form after winning the 2025 World Championship title.
Chloé Trespeuch (FRA): Trespeuch is the ultimate Olympic veteran, having already secured silver in Beijing and bronze in Sochi.
Lea Casta (FRA): The 19-year-old French prodigy is the breakout star of the Olympic cycle and the reigning World Cup Crystal Globe winner.
Josie Baff (AUS): Australia has a rich history in this event, and Baff is the next in line to continue that legacy. Since her early exit in Beijing, she has transformed into one of the most reliable finishers in the world, winning World Championship silver in 2023 and consistently finishing in the top four of the world standings. She is particularly strong out of the gate, and if she can lead the pack through the first three berms, she has the defensive racing skills to hold off the Europeans until the finish line.
Gold: Moioli
Silver: Casta
Bronze: Bankes
The Men’s Snowboard Halfpipe Final is set to be one of the marquee events of the Games, taking place under the lights at the Livigno Snow Park. With the qualifiers now complete, the field has been whittled down to the top 12, and the narrative has shifted from who will make it to who can stop Scotty James. The notable absence is the Beijing bronze medalist Jan Scherrer (SUI), who was forced to withdraw after a concussion in training, leaving the door open for the younger generation to attack the podium. The favourites for the final are:
Scotty James (AUS): The 2025 World Champion put down a statement run in qualifying (94.00) to take the top seed, and the narrative here is simple: this is the only medal missing from his trophy cabinet. After bronze in PyeongChang and silver in Beijing, James has looked imperious this season, winning the Laax Open in January and securing his fourth World Title last March. He is riding with a "serene aggression," and his switch backside 1440 combo looks cleaner than ever. It is his gold to lose, and he knows it.
Ayumu Hirano (JPN): The defending Olympic champion is the biggest wildcard in the field. He qualified in seventh, but the story is his physical condition—he is competing with a fractured hip and severe knee bruising sustained in a crash at Laax last month. While he didn't show his full triple-cork arsenal in qualifiers, simply making the final was a feat of grit. He is a wounded animal right now, but you can never count out the man who landed the first triple cork in Olympic history; if the adrenaline kicks in, he might just throw caution to the wind for one historic run.
Yuto Totsuka (JPN): If anyone can spoil Scotty James’ coronation, it is Totsuka. He qualified second with a massive score of 91.25, looking every bit the technical master who has battled James for the last four years. As the 2025 World Championship silver medalist, he has the amplitude and the technical variety to match the Australian blow-for-blow. He has been landing his 1440s with robotic consistency all week, and unlike Hirano, he is fully healthy and ready to push the amplitude to the absolute limit.
Valentino Guseli (AUS): The 20-year-old is entering his second final of these Games after competing in the Big Air. While fatigue could be a factor, he qualified comfortably in sixth and has the lung capacity to ride harder and faster than almost anyone else. He has been working on a massive crippler that he didn't show in the qualifiers; if he lands that cleanly, he could easily leapfrog the Japanese riders into the medals.
Ryusei Yamada (JPN): The 19-year-old was the surprise of the qualifying round, finishing third with a score of 90.25 and outscoring his more famous teammates. On his Olympic debut, he showed zero fear, boosting massive airs that rivalled Scotty James for height. He represents the new school of Japanese riding loose, stylish, and incredibly dangerous if the veterans make a mistake.
Alessandro Barbieri (USA): With Shaun White retired, the mantle of American hope has fallen on this 17-year-old sensation from Oregon. He shocked the field by qualifying fourth (88.50), ahead of both Hiranos and Guseli. While a medal might be a big ask for a rookie, he is riding with little to no pressure and the confidence of a teenager who just wants to go big. Expect him to try something massive in his first run to put pressure on the veterans.
Gold: James
Silver: Guseli
Bronze: Totsuka
Gemini said
Speed skating
The Marathon on Ice is the ultimate test of endurance and technique, 25 laps of pure suffering where the legs scream, and the lungs burn. With the dominant Dutchman Patrick Roest failing to qualify for these Games, the field feels open, yet one man stands above the rest as the favourite. Here is how the contenders stack up for tomorrow’s showdown:
Davide Ghiotto (ITA): The home crowd will be deafening for the reigning World Champion and World Record holder. After a disappointing fourth-place finish in the 5000m earlier this week, Ghiotto will be skating with a vengeance. The 10,000m is his true speciality; his aerobic engine is simply larger than anyone else's, allowing him to maintain lap times in the low 29s when others fade into the 30s. He set the world record (12:25.69) just last year, and on this ice, he is the overwhelming favourite. Anything less than gold would be a disappointment.
Sander Eitrem (NOR): The newly crowned 5000m Olympic Champion is looking to complete the rare distance "double." His 5000m performance was a masterclass in efficiency, destroying the Olympic Record, but the 10k is a different beast. While he has the speed to match Ghiotto early, the question is whether he can hold his form in those gruelling final five laps. If Ghiotto cracks under the pressure, Eitrem is the man who is likely to pick up the pieces.
Metoděj Jílek (CZE): The 19-year-old sensation has been the revelation of the 2025/26 season, currently leading the World Cup long-distance standings. His silver medal in the 5000m proved that the hype is real. He skates with a fearless, loose style that belies his age, and because he has nothing to lose, he might just try to match Ghiotto’s suicidal pace from the gun and try to hang on in the final five laps.
Graeme Fish (CAN): The former World Record holder has quietly returned to world-class form this season, finishing fifth in the massive World Cup race in Calgary, where Ghiotto broke the record. Fish prefers the 10k over the 5k, as his smaller, compact frame allows him to stay aerodynamic longer than the taller skaters. He likely won't challenge for gold, but he is a prime candidate to sneak into the bronze medal position if Jílek or Eitrem blow up.
Ted-Jan Bloemen (CAN): The 39-year-old veteran is almost certainly skating in the final Olympic race of his illustrious career. He finished a distant 13th in the 5000m, suggesting his legs might not have one last miracle in them. However, he is a tactical genius who knows how to pace this race better than anyone. While a medal would be a shock, expect him to empty the tank completely in a bid for a top-six send-off.
Gold: Ghiotto
Silver: Jisek
Bronze: Eitrem
Figure skating
The Men’s Singles Figure Skating final at the Milano Ice Skating Arena is a high-stakes showdown of technical wizardry and artistic storytelling. Following the short program on February 10, the "Quad God" has a target on his back, but the chasing pack is within striking distance. The free skate on February 13 will decide if the American era of dominance continues or if the Japanese and French stars can force a changing of the guard. The favourites are:
Ilia Malinin (USA): The reigning World Champion and current leader (108.16) is the man to beat. After a shaky team event where he was outscored by Yuma Kagiyama, Malinin found his Olympic legs in the individual short program, landing a massive quad Lutz-triple toe combo that earned an eye-popping 22 points. While he opted for a triple Axel instead of his historic quad Axel in the short program, he is expected to unleash his maximum technical difficulty skate in the free skate. If he lands his five-plus planned quads, his base value is simply too high for anyone to touch, regardless of how much they beat him on artistry.
Yuma Kagiyama (JPN): The Beijing silver medalist is the king of consistency and currently sits in second place (103.07). Despite a small step-out on his triple Axel in the short program, his skating skills allow him to earn a massive component. He proved in the team event that he can actually beat Malinin on a day when the American is imperfect. To win gold, Kagiyama needs a flawless free skate and for the pressure of the final group to cause at least one mistake from the American.
Adam Siao Him Fa (FRA): After a rocky season, the Frenchman has timed his peak perfectly, sitting in third place (102.55) after the short program of his career. He is the last man to have beaten Malinin in international competition (back in late 2023), and he carries that psychological edge into the final. His free skate is one of the most physically demanding programs in the world, packed with high-difficulty quads and his signature backflip. He is the ultimate spoiler who could easily jump into the gold medal position if he keeps his composure.
Daniel Grassl (ITA): Carrying the hopes of the home crowd, Grassl sits in fourth (93.46), probably too far back to challenge the medals unless one of the top three has a nightmare. His technical layout is ambitious, featuring the difficult quad Lutz and quad Loop, but his scores often suffer from under-rotation calls that drop his technical value. However, with the fervent Milanese crowd behind him, he is skating with a level of emotion we haven't seen from him before. If any of the top three falter, Grassl is perfectly positioned to snatch a bronze for the hosts.
Gold: Malinin
Silver: Siao Him Fa
Bronze: Kagiyama
Skeleton
The first of three skeleton medals will be given out on day 7, with Great Britain's Matthew Weston in pole position to bring home the gold after two runs with a lead of 0.3 from Germany's Axel Jungt, who is a further 0.16 ahead of his teammate Christopher Grotheer, who is currently sat in bronze but both China's Wenhao Chen and Italy's Amadeo Bagnis will fancy their chances to close down the medal positions. Weston has been dominant this season, with him having finished no lower than second in any World Cup race, and he is the double reigning world champion, so came in as favourite and is living up to the billing so far as he aims to deliver Great Britain their first medal of these games.
Prediction:
Gold: Weston
Silver: Jungt
Bronze: Bagnis
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