Historic Gold and Heartbreak in the Hills: Day 1 Summary

Historic Gold and Heartbreak in the Hills: Day 1 Summary

The first full day of medal competition at the Milano Cortina 2026 Games has officially come to a close, and it certainly lived up to the billing. While the morning belonged to the endurance of the skiers on the trails of Val di Fiemme, the evening shifted the spotlight to the high-flying spectacles of the Big Air ramp and the precision of the normal hill. It was a day defined by narrow margins and local heroes, as the home crowd witnessed an Olympic record on the ice while the global powerhouse nations traded blows at the top of the standings. From the clinical rotations in Livigno to the pressure-cooker environment of the figure skating team event, the opening chapter of these Games has set a breathless pace for the two weeks to come. Here is the full rundown of how the first set of Olympic champions were crowned and how the medal table looks as we head into Day 2.

Curling

The mixed doubles round robin continued as the race for the semi-finals heated up

Morning session:

Great Britain 7-5 Canada: Mouat and Dodds roll on with their sixth consecutive victory against a good Canadian duo. GB started as they meant to go on, taking three in the first end thanks to an amazing clearout shot by Dodds with the final stone to turn the end around from Canada being first and second shot to GB taking three and despite making it closer than it should have been by missing a simple draw in end seven to gift Canada two and a way back into the match GB managed to hold on are are all but assured a Semi-final berth. As for Canada, they fall to 3-2 and currently occupy the final semi-final place, but they have only lost to the USA and GB, who are both unbeaten at this point, so they will still feel very confident that they will make the top four.

Switzerland 7-13 Sweden: A huge game between the 5th and 6th placed teams entering this game, Sweden prevailed in a topsy-turvy game where both teams made lots of errors. This result moves Sweden up to fifth at 3-3, and they look like the biggest challenger to Canada for the final semi-final spot, but they will need to win at least two of their remaining three games and hope for Canadian or Italian slip-ups. The Swiss will be disappointed by this result as they led 5-3 at the halfway point before conceding ten across ends five, seven and eight and falling to 2-3 and given that Switzerland has only beaten South Korea and Estonia, who are both below them, while losing to the USA, Italy and Sweden by a combined seventeen points their chances for a top four berth look slim.

Afternoon session:

Estonia 5-6 Norway: In a game with elimination on the line, it was Norway who edged a tight affair to keep its slim hopes of advancement alive heading into the evening session. The match was a cautious, low-scoring battle that came down to the final stone, where Norway managed to navigate a crowded house to secure the single point needed for the win. This result moves Norway to 2-3 and keeps them in the hunt for a miracle run, while Estonia falls to 1-4 and will be devastated to lose such a close encounter that effectively ends their realistic chances of a top-four finish.

South Korea 4-9 Czechia: In a game between the bottom two, who are both effectively eliminated, it was Czechia who won comfortably against the hapless Koreans to give them something to cheer about.

Sweden 9-4 Italy: A huge game that massively complicates the battle for the semi-finals as Sweden took down the Italians fairly comfortably. After their wobble yesterday, losing both games the Swedes have come back strong today in dispatching two of their closest rivals for qualification by a combined 11 points to move them up to 3rd as it stands, albeit they have played two extra games than Canada and Italy behind them but with Canada and the USA still to play they definitely need to win one of those game but may have to win both to secure the top 4 position the game against Canada now looks like winner takes all. Italy falling to 3-2 isn't ideal, but they are by no means eliminated. They do have to play GB and USA, and given they have lost to fellow top 4 contenders Sweden and Canada, they are beating all the teams below them, but struggling against their fellow medal contenders

Great Britain 6-4 USA: Mouat and Dodds roll on, moving to 7-0 in a tight-knit affair against a very strong USA duo, who, despite losing their first game, are still looking great to qualify for the semis and maybe a potential rematch of this one in the final. After a bright start put the Brits up 4-1, the Americans clawed back into the game with a massive score of three in the fifth end to level the score at 4-4. However, Mouat and Dodds kept their composure, regaining the lead in the sixth before securing a vital steal in the seventh while the USA was on a power play. A final clinical end from the British pair saw them run the Americans out of stones, making them the first team to officially punch their ticket to the semi-finals.

Evening Session:

South Korea 6-5 USA: The biggest shock of the tournament so far, as the USA seemingly cruising into the semi's this morning, lost both games today, including this one to winless South Korea, to ultimately drag themselves into the pack. In a game defined by defensive precision and limited scoring opportunities, the teams traded singles throughout much of the match, leaving South Korea up 5-2 going into the final end, where inexplicably, the Americans looked to have dragged themselves out of trouble by scoring three to tie it and force an extra end. But given the hammer, South Korea held their nerves with a simple draw into the button to give them their first win of these Olympics, but they still have no real chance of qualifying any further. This result does blow the race behind GB wide open, with 5 teams now within 1 win of each other, vying for three semi-final places.

Canada 6-8 Estonia: Another huge shock unfolded as the Estonian pair stunned the Canadian heavyweights in another tight game. Estonia showed what they have shown throughout this tournament, their A game is as good as anyone in the tournament when they have it, but they've struggled with consistency end to end to trouble the medals. They're a team that anyone in contention doesn't want to have to play in the closing stages of the round robin. Estonia capitalised on some uncharacteristic misses from the Canadians early on to build a 6-0 lead, which put the favourites on their heels, and Canada spent the rest of the match chasing. While Canada mounted a spirited comeback to close the gap in the final ends, Estonia held on. This loss is a significant setback for Canada’s seeding ambitions, who, like the Americans, are now in with the pack in the battle for the top 4

Czechia 3-10 Switzerland: In a must-win for the Swiss, they prevailed to stay in touch with the top four by putting on a clinical display of shot-making to dismantle Czechia in a second-half flurry after the Czechs kept it tight early on. This keeps the Swiss in touch with Italy, the USA, Canada and Sweden in the race for the top four

Norway 5-6 Italy: In a tense battle that Norway had to win, the Italians showed remarkable resilience to edge them out in a game that came down to the final stone of the eighth end. After their earlier loss to Sweden, Italy bounced back with a more disciplined tactical approach, keeping the scoring low and forcing Norway into difficult low-percentage shots. With the game tied heading into the final frame, a perfectly placed Italian stone behind cover proved impossible to shift, as Skalien missed her triple take-out attempt with her final stone, allowing Italy to secure the point needed for the win. This result is a massive boost for the home favourites, moving them to a 4-2 record and keeping them firmly in the hunt for a semi-final berth, while Norway, a pre-tournament favourite, is now at four losses and all but eliminated from medal contention.

Alpine Skiing

The Men's Downhill opened the medal count in spectacular fashion as Switzerland’s Franjo Von Allmen tamed the notoriously brutal Stelvio to claim Gold. The 24-year-old delivered a masterclass in speed, clocking over 150km/h and soaring more than 50 meters off the San Pietro jump. It was a run that demanded absolute precision, with his jump in particular being perfect, putting time into every single one of his rivals through that intermediate, and Von Allmen delivered, stopping the clock at 1:51.61.

His performance silenced the local crowd by relegating the Italian duo of Giovanni Franzoni and Dominik Paris to silver and bronze, beating them by 0.2 and 0.5 seconds, respectively. Meanwhile, pre-event favourite Marco Odermatt finished a frustrating fourth. Odermatt now turns his focus to the Super-G on February 11th to salvage his games. For Von Allmen, this victory isn't just a gold medal its a statement. By adding this title to last season’s World Championship triumph, he has officially ascended to being the man to beat in downhill skiing.

Snowboarding

Japan’s Kira Kimura soared and twisted his way to the pinnacle of the Livigno Snow Park, capturing the gold medal with a display of technical brilliance in the Men’s Big Air final. Amidst a high-stakes showdown where every landing mattered, Kimura delivered two massive runs, including a contest-best 90.50, to finish with a cumulative score of 179.50. His victory spearheaded a dominant day for the Japanese squad, as teammate Ryoma Kimata secured the silver medal with a total of 171.50, successfully navigating the pressure of the final round. Defending champion Su Yiming of China remained a podium threat until the very last jump, ultimately claiming the bronze with a score of 168.50 after a slightly less clinical second landing. While local favourite Ian Matteoli and American Oliver Martin pushed the limits with high-difficulty rotations, they finished just outside the medals in fifth and fourth, respectively. For Kimura and Kimata, this gold and silver show how far the Japanese team in Big Air have come in recent seasons, having previously had the skill but lacked the execution to trouble the medals this time; they executed when it mattered.

Luge

The men’s singles luge action got underway at the Cortina Sliding Centre today, with the first two runs of the competition set to test the world's best in what promises to be a wide-open hunt for gold.

Run 1: Max Langenhan stunned the field at the Cortina Sliding Centre, seizing the top spot and setting a new track record of 52.924 in the opening heat despite all eyes being on his teammate. While Felix Loch arrived as the favourite following a dominant season with four victories, he endured a disastrous first run, finishing nearly half a second off the pace in ninth position despite setting a new start record of 3.497. This uncharacteristic stumble from the favourite has completely blown the competition wide open, allowing Austria’s Jonas Mueller to pull within a mere 0.035 seconds of the lead. Italy’s Dominik Fischnaller remains firmly in the hunt in third, while Loch faces a monumental uphill battle to salvage a medal from a position few expected him to be in.

Standings after run 1:

Max Langenhan (GER) — 52.924

Jonas Mueller (AUT) — +0.035

Dominik Fischnaller (ITA) — +0.161

Kristers Aparjods (LAT) — +0.297

Leon Felderer (ITA) — +0.300

Run 2: Langenhan extended his lead with another track record of 52.902, despite clipping the wall at the beginning of his run, to increase the gap to Mueller to 0.162, and the gap to Fischnaller, who remains in third, also increased to 0.298 while Kindl and Loch continued to struggle down in 7th and 8th, moving further away from the podium.

Standings after run 2:

Max Langenhan (GER) — 52.924

Jonas Mueller (AUT) — +0.162

Dominik Fischnaller (ITA) — +0.298

Kristers Aparjods (LAT) — +0.508

Leon Felderer (ITA) — +0.765

Speed skating

The Women’s 3000m speed skating opened the medal count at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium in historic fashion as Italy’s Francesca Lollobrigida delivered a performance for the ages on her 35th birthday and delivered Italy its first Gold of its home games. The home favourite produced a masterclass in endurance, shattering the Olympic record to stop the clock at 3:54.28 and claim Italy’s first gold medal of the 2026 Games. In a gruelling test of pure speed and technical consistency, Lollobrigida maintained a blistering pace that ultimately proved untouchable, forcing her rivals to chase a time that rewritten the history books. Her performance ignited a partisan home crowd, particularly as she held off a late charge from Norway’s Ragne Wiklund, who secured silver with a time of 3:56.54.

Canada’s Valérie Maltais completed the podium, capturing bronze by matching the previous Olympic record of 3:56.93 in a gritty display of power and no doubt helped by being in the same pair as Lollobrigida. Meanwhile, pre-race favourite Joy Beune of the Netherlands found the record-breaking pace too much to handle, finishing a disappointing fourth and leaving the Dutch team off the 3000m podium for the first time since 2010. For Lollobrigida, the victory is a crowning achievement in an illustrious career, seeing her upgrade her silver from Beijing to Gold to firmly make her one of the 3000m greats.

Cross-country skiing

The second medal of these games was handed out in the Women's 20km Skiathlon, which saw a Swedish masterclass at the Lago di Tesero, as Frida Karlsson powered away from the field to claim her first-ever individual Olympic Gold. The race, a gruelling split of 10km classical followed by 10km freestyle, remained a cagey affair during the first half, but Karlsson blew the competition apart during the skate leg. She crossed the line in 53:45.2, finishing with enough of a cushion to soak in the atmosphere of the final straight while grabbing a massive Swedish flag off the supporters in the finish area.

The podium was a sea of yellow and blue, with world champion Ebba Andersson securing the Silver, finishing 51 seconds behind her teammate. The Swedish duo's dominance was briefly challenged by Astrid Oeyre Slind, who was level with the two Swedes after the classical leg but faded badly on the freestyle leg to ultimately finish 6th. This allowed her veteran teammate Heidi Weng to take the Bronze, repeating her achievement from twelve years ago in Sochi. It was a day of heartbreak, however, for pre-race favourite Jessie Diggins; the American star was caught in a chaotic first lap crash that effectively ended her medal hopes before they began, leaving her to finish well outside the podium spots. This same fall also claimed another pre-race favourite in Karoline Simpson-Larsen, who also finished way off the pace.

The next event for the women is the Sprint event on Tuesday

Ice Hockey

The preliminary phase rolls on as group B begins to take shape

Italy 1-6 Sweden: The Swedish side showed their class at the PalaItalia, dominating the puck from the opening face-off to hand the hosts a reality check. Italy stayed competitive through the first period, trailing by only one, but the floodgates opened in the second as Sweden's superior depth and skating pace began to take a toll. A brief moment of hope for the home crowd came via a Franziska Stocker goal that cut the deficit to 3-1, but Sweden responded almost immediately to snuff out any momentum. This result leaves Sweden sitting pretty at the top of Group B with a perfect start and all but assured of qualifying for the quarterfinals, but wanting to stay top of Group B to avoid a potential quarterfinal match against Canada or the USA, while Italy likely heads to a decisive match against Japan, where the winner will qualify, and the loser will be out.

Germany 5-2 Japan: Germany bounced back from their opening-day loss in style, putting on a clinical display to dismantle Japan and jump into the heart of the qualification race. They flew out of the blocks, scoring just 44 seconds in and racking up a 5-0 lead by the midway point of the game thanks to a four-point masterclass from Laura Kluge. Japan showed plenty of heart to claw two goals back in a frantic 22-second window late in the second period, but the German defence locked things down in a scoreless third to see out the win. It’s a tough result for Japan, who looked a step slow after their late win over France, while Germany now heads into their final group games with all the momentum and the inside track to second in Group B. 

USA 5-0 Finland: The Americans delivered a statement of intent at the PalaItalia, overwhelming Finland with a relentless offensive barrage to maintain their perfect start to the tournament. From the first drop of the puck, the USA’s speed dictated the tempo as Alex Carpenter opened the scoring, followed by a second-period surge where Taylor Heise and Megan Keller struck just 66 seconds apart. Captain Hilary Knight further etched her name into the history books with a power-play tally to tie the all-time U.S. Olympic goal-scoring record, before Abbey Murphy added a late fifth to complete the rout. In net, Aerin Frankel was flawless, earning an 11-save shutout, while Finnish goaltender Anni Keisala stood firm under a heavy 36-shot barrage to prevent an even wider margin. This result keeps the Americans firmly atop Group A and on a collision course with Canada, while Finland must now refocus on their remaining games to secure a favourable quarterfinal path in a likely third place in the group playoff with Switzerland on the cards.

Freestyle skiing

The qualification for the women’s freeski slopestyle took place in Livigno to open up the Freeski program, and the high-altitude Mottolino course proved unforgiving. Each athlete got two runs, with their best score counting and only the top 12 advancing to the final.

There were a couple of major shocks in the standings, most notably the 2018 Olympic champion Sarah Höfflin failing to qualify in 13th after a messy second run. She was joined on the sidelines by Marin Hamill, who recently podiumed at the Laax Open but could only manage 16th here after struggling with the rail sections.

As for the final, it looks to be a straight shootout for Gold between Eileen Gu and Mathilde Gremaud, who both looked in a league of their own. The battle for Bronze, however, remains wide open, with the rest of the 12-woman field separated by only a few points in a very fierce pack.

The men’s freeski slopestyle qualification in Livigno also wrapped up this afternoon, with the technical Mottolino course proving a tough test for the field. As with the women's event, each athlete had two runs to secure a top-12 spot for Tuesday’s final.

The biggest upset was the exit of Troy Podmilsak. The reigning big air world champion and current World Cup leader struggled to find his feet and finished well outside the qualifying spots. Evan McEachran, fresh off a podium at the Laax Open, also missed out, finishing a few places short of the cut-off.

Norway dominated the top of the leaderboard with Birk Ruud and Tormod Frostad taking the first and second seeds. Defending champion Alex Hall safely progressed in 8th place, joined by fellow Americans Mac Forehand and Konnor Ralph. Unlike the women's qualification, the scoring at the top was extremely tight, setting the stage for a very close battle for the medals.

Ski Jumping

The Women’s Normal Hill individual final at the Trampolino Italia saw Anna Odine Strøm rise to the occasion as she soared through the sky to secure Norway’s first gold medal of the 2026 Games. Strøm established her lead with a massive first jump and showed remarkable composure in the final round, totalling 267.3 points to hold off the world's elite. Her victory came by a razor-thin margin, as Slovenia’s Nika Prevc, the massive pre-event favourite, pushed her to the limit but ultimately had to settle for the silver medal with 266.2 points after a flawless second flight that nearly bridged the gap. Japan’s Nozomi Maruyama rounded out the podium to take bronze with 261.8 points, benefiting from exceptional style marks to stave off a late charge from Austria’s Lisa Eder. The result was a bitter pill for the German team, as pre-event hopefuls Selina Freitag and Katharina Schmid struggled to find their rhythm in the shifting wind conditions, finishing well outside the medal positions in 7th and 16th, respectively.

Figure skating

Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama delivered a spectacular performance in the men’s short program during the team event, securing a season-best score of 108.67 and taking first place in the segment. His jazzy routine to Stevie Wonder’s "I Wish" was technically flawless, featuring a quad toeloop-triple toeloop combination, a quad Salchow, and a triple Axel that earned high marks for both execution and artistry. This win was a significant statement for the reigning Olympic silver medalist, as he successfully held off the heavily favoured American world champion Ilia Malinin, who opted for a quad flip over his signature quad Axel and finished second with a score of 98.00. However, the true underdog story of the night belonged to Canada’s Stephen Gogolev, who clutched up in his Olympic debut by landing two quads and a triple Axel to earn a personal-best score of 92.99. His third-place finish was exactly what Canada needed to vault France and move from the bubble and comfortably secure their place in the next round.

Kagiyama’s top-place finish earned 10 crucial team points for Japan, narrowing the gap with Team USA to just a single point as the competition headed into the final phase. At the conclusion of the qualifying short programs, the United States maintained a slim lead with 34 points, followed by Japan with 33, Italy with 28, and Canada with 27, while Georgia rounded out the top five with 25 points. These five nations successfully advanced to the free skate segments to compete for medals tomorrow, largely thanks to those final high-scoring men's performances. Conversely, the bottom five teams—France, South Korea, Great Britain, China, and Poland—were eliminated from the competition, as only the top half of the field qualifies to perform their long programs and contend for the podium.

Medal table

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	Japan	1	1	1	3
1	Italy	1	1	1	3
3	Sweden	1	1	0	2
4	Norway	1	0	1	2
5	Switzerland	1	0	0	1
6	China	0	1	1	2
7	Slovenia	0	1	0	1
8	Canada	0	0	1	1

What a start from the hosts, thanks to Lollobrigida, and the downhill men take the early lead, tied with Japan, thanks to their big air prowess