Historical Milestones and Heavyweight Collapses: The 2026 Winter Games Day 8

Historical Milestones and Heavyweight Collapses: The 2026 Winter Games Day 8

The middle Saturday of the Milan-Cortina Games proved that Olympic results are never won on paper, as a single day delivered South America’s first-ever Winter gold alongside the shocking disintegration of established dynasties. While Brazil’s Lucas Pinheiro Braathen made history in the Alpine Slalom, the Swedish cross-country relay team and the Canadian women’s curling rink suffered collapses that have reshaped the medal race. From the high-stakes debut of dual moguls to a record-breaking night at the speed skating oval, the events of February 14 were defined by thin margins and unexpected shifts in power

Freestyle skiing

In a great addition to the mogul's program, the dual moguls made its Olympic debut with the women's event. Two skiers go down side by side, with 7 judges scoring them on different aspects 4 judges look at the turns, two look at the aerial sections and one judges speed. Each judge distributes five points between the two athletes, with all the points added up, and whichever skier has more points wins that round in a straight knockout competition. Australia's Jakara Anthony banished the demons of her fall in the individual event that cost her a likely gold by winning this event, beating American Jaelin Kauf in the final 20-15, winning largely because both aerial judges scored it 4-1 in her favour. Elizabeth Lemley took bronze to add to her individual gold, despite clearly injuring her hand quite badly in the semi-final, as she was unable to hold her left ski pole properly; she managed to defeat France's Perrine Laffont 18-17 despite finishing nearly a second behind her French opponent in what was a controversial decision on the judges' part as judge three Hajime Ito ruled Lemley's turns were better which too an untrained eye seemed a baffling decision as her legs came apart multiple times.

Cross-country skiing

The women's 4x7.5km relay was a great example of how overwhelming favourites can falter, and nothing is won on paper. Sweden came into this as overwhelming favourites as all four of their athletes had already won at least a silver at these games, and with Frida Karlsson on leg three, who has dominated her two previous events, winning by a combined minute and a half, but after Linn Svahn got them off well on leg one in the lead double silver medalist Ebba Andersson had a nightmare falling twice with the second fall being a massive crash on a fast downhill right which broke her right ski binds meaning she had to run a section of track with one ski attached and one ski under her right arm before she could get assistance from a coach who also fell as he sprinted towards Andersson with a spare ski. These Swedish mishaps allowed Norway to dominate, winning by 50 seconds ahead of Sweden, who somehow recovered to silver thanks to brilliant legs from Karlsson and Jonna Sundling to hunt down the pack in front of them as they went from eighth at exchange two to second at the finish line. Finland took a creditable bronze behind the two overwhelming favourites as their strong classic skiers did their job, giving them a big lead over Germany and the USA at the halfway point, which they never relinquished, despite being put under pressure, especially by a brilliant performance from Italy's Martina Di Centa on leg three.

Alpine Skiing

The Swiss domination of men's alpine skiing is over as Lucas Pineheiro Braathen took the gold and, in doing so, became not only the first Brazilian to ever medal at the winter Olympics but the first ever athlete representing a South American nation to ever win a winter Olympic gold. Braathen's first run was insane, giving him a lead of 0.95 seconds over pre-event favourite Marco Odermatt in second. He used this advantage to his advantage, limiting his losses in his second run despite the terrible weather with heavy wet snow falling, meaning by the end his advantage had shrunk to 0.58, but Braathen won't care as he claimed his first Gold. The Swiss had to settle for second, third, and fourth, with Odermatt holding onto second ahead of Loic Meillard in Bronze and Tommy Tumler in fourth. The most disappointed nation will be Norway, with their best Atle Lie McGrath in fifth, and their other stars Henrik Kristoffersen and Timon Haugan were further down in 7th and 11th respectively. Joan Verdu of Andorra was a brilliant 10th, one position off his nation's winter Olympic best of 9th, which he set in Beijing.

Biathlon

A stunning last lap saw Maren Kirkeide claim the gold, overturning a 9.2-second deficit into a 3.8-second lead as she stunned the French favourites into second and third as Oceane Michelon took silver and pre-race favourite Lou Jeanmonnot had to settle for bronze after missing on her final shot which likely cost her gold, this completed her set of medals in this Olympics with a gold, silver and bronze from three events. In a day when many big names faultered the youthful nature of the top two with Kirkeide, 22, and Michelon, 23, shows that the next generation of biathlon stars is here and the old generation. The two older French athletes had absolute disasters with double gold medalist from these games, Julia Simon, outside the top 30 in 34th and at nearly two minutes back, she won't feature in tomorrow's pursuit race, but Justine Braissaz-Bouchet had an even worse race finishing outside the top 60 so she wont even qualify for the pursuit and the question has to be asked if this is last race of her illustrious career. Sweden also had a shocker with the Oeberg sisters, way down with Hanna in 18th and Elvira in 27th, meaning they're unlikely to feature in the battle for the medals, but never rule out the sisters, especially Hanna, when she is in a situation where she is chasing people down. Most of the other big names, like Vittozzi, Minkinnen and Preuss, had good races within the top ten and will feature in the pursuit. It was a sad day for the overwhelming crowd favourite Dorothea Weirer, who finished way down in 44th as she missed three and now only has the mass start as a chance for an individual medal from her home and final Olympics.

Speed skating

In a blistering display of speed at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium, Jordan Stolz cemented his status as the generational talent of the sport, shattering the Olympic record with a time of 33.77 to claim his second gold of these Games in the men's 500m. Paired directly against his primary rival, the Dutch phenom Jenning de Boo, Stolz survived a slightly slower start before unleashing a devastating back straight to edge out the Dutchman by just 0.11 seconds. De Boo, at only 21, took silver with a 33.88 that would have comfortably broken the previous Olympic record, proving that the youthful rivalry between these two is the new centrepiece of global sprinting. The podium was completed by Laurent Dubreuil, the 33-year-old Canadian veteran who provided the emotional high point of the afternoon. After the heartbreak of finishing fourth by 0.03 seconds in Beijing, Dubreuil clocked a 34.26 to secure bronze, Canada’s first Olympic medal in the men's 500m since 1998. While the new guard of Stolz and de Boo occupied the top steps, the veteran’s presence in third showed that experience still carries weight in the sport's most unforgiving race. It was a tough afternoon for the rest of the previous generation's champions. The defending gold medalist from Beijing, Gao Tingyu, struggled to find his trademark explosive opening 100m, finishing well outside the medals in 7th place with a 34.47. Similarly, Japan's Wataru Morishige, the 2022 bronze medalist, couldn't find his rhythm in the final pairing, sliding down to 10th as the ice began to show signs of wear. The shift in power was further emphasised by Poland's Damian Żurek, who nearly bumped Dubreuil off the podium but had to settle for a frustrating 4th place, just 0.09 seconds shy of a medal. With Stolz now holding two golds and two Olympic records from two starts, the attention shifts to his quest for a historic triple. 

Women's team pursuit qualifying also took place, which saw a tight battle for the top seed into the semi-finals, with Canada edging Japan and the Netherlands into the one seed, meaning they will face the USA in the semi-finals, who are by far the weakest of the four, as they finished nearly 2.5 seconds behind the Netherlands. Japan and the Dutch will fight for a place in the final in what should be a very close semi-final.

Skeleton

Women's Skeleton

In a performance defined by poise and perseverance, Austria’s Janine Flock finally captured the Olympic gold that had eluded her through three previous Games. Entering the final session with a razor-thin lead, Flock delivered four flawless runs to finish with a combined time of 3:49.06, holding off a relentless German charge. The silver was claimed by Susanne Kreher (+0.21), who maintained her position from the halfway point, while the battle for the final podium spot saw Jacqueline Pfeifer secure bronze (+0.43). Hannah Neise, the defending champion from Beijing, put in a valiant effort to move up the rankings; despite starting the day in 5th and producing a clean final heat, she ultimately finished just outside the medals in 4th place (+0.70). Tabby Stoecker led the British charge in 5th, followed by Freya Tarbit in 8th and Amelia Coltman in 10th, marking a strong team showing but leaving them short of the medals. World number one this season, Kim Meylemans of Belgium, could only muster 6th and will be very disappointed as she never clicked with the Cortina track.

Ski jumping

Men’s Large Hill Ski Jumping

The night belonged to Domen Prevc, who delivered a gold-medal masterclass with a massive 301.8 points. After soaring to 141.5 meters in the final round, he became the only athlete in the field to break the 300-point barrier, cementing his status as the premier flyer of the 2026 Games. Japan’s Ren Nikaido continued his dream Olympic debut by taking the silver with 295.0 points. He actually led the field after the first round, but while he couldn't match Prevc's raw power in the second jump, his consistency was enough to hold off Poland’s Kacper Tomasiak, who secured bronze (291.2 points). At just 19, Tomasiak is now the only jumper to leave the individual events with two medals, having taken silver on the Normal Hill. The big names were nowhere to be seen on the podium. Ryōyū Kobayashi finished a respectable but quiet 6th, while Norway's Kristoffer Eriksen Sundal suffered the heartbreak of 4th place. after being 3rd after the first round.

Short-track speed skating

In a 1500m final that grew to an unusually crowded nine-man field due to multiple semi-final advancements, the Netherlands' Jens van 't Wout navigated the congestion with clinical precision to secure his second gold medal of the Games. Timing his move to perfection with two laps remaining, van 't Wout held off a desperate surge from South Korea’s Hwang Dae-heon, who took silver, while Roberts Kruzbergs clinched a historic first-ever short track bronze for Latvia in a thrilling photo finish. The extra bodies on the ice eventually led to the inevitable carnage on the final lap when Niall Treacy, who had gamely led for four laps, collided with the Chinese duo of Shaoang Liu and Sun Long; the incident resulted in a penalty for the Brit (dropping him to 9th), a 7th place for Liu, and a DNF for the injured Sun. This left Shin Dong-min to take 4th and William Dandjinou 5th, while Steven Dubois trailed in 6th after an earlier individual fall, all while heavy favourites like Italy's Pietro Sighel and Korea's Rim Jong-un watched from the sidelines, having crashed out in the earlier rounds.

Curling

Womens morning session: 

Great Britain 7-6 Canada: Great Britain secured their first win of the tournament by handing Rachel Homan and Team Canada their second consecutive loss. The British rink, skipped by Sophie Jackson, seized control in the third end when Homan missed a double-takeout, allowing Rebecca Morrison to draw for three. While Canada mounted a late-game charge, scoring two in the tenth end, the British defence held firm. This result leaves the world number one Canadians with a surprising 1-2 record.

China 8-7 Italy: In a heartbreaker for the host nation, China’s Wang Rui pulled off a stunning comeback to leave Stefania Constantini’s rink winless at 0-3. Italy looked to have the match secured after a massive three-pointer in the eighth end gave them a 7-5 lead. However, China responded with two in the ninth and leveraged a crucial steal in the final end to silence the Cortina crowd. Constantini had the hammer in the tenth but couldn't land the final shot, handing China their second win.

Japan 7-5 Switzerland: Sayaka Yoshimura’s Japanese squad delivered the morning’s second major upset by toppling the previously undefeated Swiss rink. The game was deadlocked at 3-3 at the mid-way point before Japan broke it open with two in the seventh and a steal in the eighth. Silvana Tirinzoni and Alina Pätz had a chance to level the game in the ninth, but a light draw forced them to take only one. Japan stayed disciplined in the tenth, securing a single point and their first victory of the Games.

Men's afternoon session:

Great Britain 7–4 Czechia Bruce Mouat’s rink recovered from their Friday night heartbreak against Italy with a clinical performance against Lukáš Klíma. The British team set the tone in the second end, using a perfect split to lie two and forcing Klíma into a difficult thin double that missed, resulting in a deuce for GB. While the Czechs showed flashes of brilliance with a big score of two in the fifth to keep it close at the break, Mouat's back-end accuracy was too much. A crucial steal of one in the eighth end effectively iced the game, moving Great Britain to a 3-1 record and back into the thick of the playoff race.

Switzerland 9–5 Canada: In the battle for the top of the table, Yannick Schwaller’s Swiss squad remained the only unbeaten team in the tournament by dismantling Brad Jacobs and Team Canada. The Swiss fourth, Benoît Schwarz-van Berkel, was the player of the match, shooting a staggering 97% and repeatedly bailing his team out of trouble. Canada struggled to generate multiple scores, being forced to singles in the even ends while Switzerland manufactured deuces in the first, third, and fifth. The game ended in the ninth when Schwarz-van Berkel executed a heavy double-takeout to sit three, prompting handshakes from the Canadians.

Sweden 6–4 China: The defending champions finally got their first win of the Games, as Niklas Edin navigated a tense, low-scoring battle against Xu Xiaoming. After a 0-3 start, the Swedes looked more like their old selves, playing a defensive "clean" game to limit China's opportunities for big ends. The match was tied at 3-3 heading into the eighth, where Edin made a spectacular cross-house double to score two. China managed a single in the ninth, but Sweden maintained control of the hammer in the final end, with Edin drawing to the button for the win.

United States 8–6 Germany: Daniel Casper and the Americans moved into a tie for fourth place after winning a back-and-forth grind against Marc Muskatewitz. The Germans led for much of the first half after a steal of two in the third end, but the USA responded with a massive three-pointer in the seventh after a German guard over-curled. Germany had a chance to force an extra end with a difficult raise-takeout on their final stone, but the shot didn't have enough weight, allowing the Americans to steal two and secure a vital victory for their playoff ambitions.

Men's afternoon: 

Switzerland 8–7 Canada: In a heart-wrenching evening session for the world champions, Rachel Homan’s Canadian rink saw an early 4–0 lead evaporate into their third consecutive loss. The momentum swung violently in the seventh end when Switzerland’s Silvana Tirinzoni manufactured a massive score of four to take the lead. While Canada showed grit to force an extra end, the Swiss remained clinical in the 11th, securing a single point that leaves Canada at a precarious 1–3 record and tied for eighth place.

Sweden 8–6 Italy: Anna Hasselborg’s Swedish squad continued their dominant, undefeated march through the tournament, though the host nation gave them a significant scare. Stefania Constantini’s Italian rink fought tooth and nail in front of a raucous home crowd, keeping the score level for much of the night. However, the experience of the 2018 gold medalists proved decisive in the final two ends, as Sweden secured a late deuce to move to a perfect 4–0 at the top of the standings.

United States 7–4 Japan: Tabitha Peterson and the Americans moved into joint second place with a professional victory over Sayaka Yoshimura’s Japan. The U.S. played a patient tactical game, taking advantage of a few uncharacteristic misses from the Japanese front end to score multiple points in the middle ends. Japan struggled to generate pressure without the hammer, and a late steal by the Americans in the ninth end effectively put the game out of reach, moving the USA to 3–1.

Denmark 6–3 South Korea: Madeleine Dupont’s Danish team pulled off an important defensive masterclass against a high-flying Korean squad that had entered the session with a winning record. Denmark focused on keeping the house clean, forcing Eunji Gim into difficult, low-percentage shots that resulted in multiple burned stones. A crucial deuce in the eighth end gave the Danes the cushion they needed to secure their second win of the week and stay in the playoff conversation. 

Ice hockey

Men's preliminary round:

Sweden 5-3 Slovakia: Sweden managed to hold off a relentless Slovakian squad in a high-octane battle at the Santagiulia Arena. The game was a showcase for Elias Pettersson, who netted two goals, including a crucial third-period strike that finally gave the Swedes some breathing room. Slovakia refused to go away, with Juraj Slafkovsky continuing his red-hot Olympic form by scoring his third of the tournament. It was crucial that Sweden won this by two as they are ahead of Slovakia on goals scored and will top the group as long as Finland dont beat Italy by three.

Germany 3-4 Latvia: In the shock of the morning, Latvia pulled off a gritty comeback to stun the Germans at the Rho Arena. Germany looked in control early after Lukas Reichel opened the scoring just two minutes in, but Latvia’s power play proved to be the difference-maker. Dans Locmelis was the hero for the Latvians, scoring twice, while Arturs Silovs stood tall in net with 26 saves to frustrate the German stars. Despite a late 6-on-5 goal from Tim Stutzle to pull within one, Latvia held on for their first Olympic win since 2014, throwing the battle for second behind the USA in group B wide open.

Finland 11-0 Italy: In the most lopsided game of the 2026 Games, Finland dismantled the host nation in a performance that rewrote the Olympic record books for the NHL era. The Finns established dominance immediately, scoring three goals in the opening ten minutes from Sebastian Aho, Mikael Granlund, and Kaapo Kakko. Italy simply had no answer for the Finnish cycle, which peppered Italian goaltender Damian Clara with 62 shots over 60 minutes. History was made in the third period when Joel Armia scored Finland's 10th goal, marking the first time since NHL players began participating in the Olympics that a team has reached double digits in a single game. Despite the massive win, the result left Finland in a bittersweet position; due to their earlier loss to Slovakia, they finished second in Group B and must wait for other results to see if they secure an automatic quarterfinal seed or must play in the qualification round.

USA 6-3 Denmark: The Americans overcame a sluggish start and a surprising first-period deficit to maintain their perfect record in Group C. Trailing 2–1 after the first frame due in part to a bizarre long-range goal by Nicholas B. Jensen that beat Jeremy Swayman, the U.S. offence finally caught fire in the second. The turning point came from the Family Line, as Brady Tkachuk levelled the score before Jack Eichel buried the go-ahead goal just 57 seconds later. The third period served as a showcase for the Americans' depth; Noah Hanifin notched the game-winner, while Jack Hughes added a highlight-reel insurance marker by banking the puck off the Danish netminder from behind the goal line for his first career Olympic goal. Jake Guentzel capped the scoring with a one-timer to ensure the 6–3 victory. While the win moves the U.S. to the top of Group C, the three goals conceded leave them slightly behind Canada in the tiebreaking goal differential race for the #1 overall seed.

Women's quarter finals:

Canada 5-1 Germany: The big story in Milan was the return of Captain Clutch, Marie-Philip Poulin, who led Canada to a commanding quarterfinal victory after missing time with a knee injury. Canada wasted no time asserting their physical presence, with Brianne Jenner opening the scoring early in the first period off a slick feed from Emma Maltais. Claire Thompson added a second before the first intermission to give Canada a comfortable cushion. The highlight of the afternoon came late in the third period when Poulin scored on the power play to make it 5–1. The goal was her 18th in Olympic competition, tying the legendary Hayley Wickenheiser for the most Olympic goals in Canadian women’s hockey history. Germany did manage a consolation goal, the first they have ever scored against Canada in international play, when Franziska Feldmeier scored on a shorthanded breakaway. Canada now moves on to a semifinal clash against the winner of Finland vs. Switzerland and is still on a collision course with the Americans in the final.

Switzerland 1-0 Finland: In a stunning defensive masterclass at the Milano Rho Arena, Switzerland knocked out the reigning bronze medalists to advance to the semi-finals. Despite being outshot 40–14, the Swiss relied on a legendary performance from goaltender Andrea Brändli, who turned aside every Finnish attempt to secure the shutout. The game's lone goal came at the 34:17 mark of the second period when Swiss star Alina Müller found a seam in the Finnish defence and buried a feed from Rahel Enzler. Finland threw everything at the Swiss net in a desperate third period, including a late 6-on-4 advantage after pulling their goalie, but Brändli remained impenetrable. This victory sets up a monumental semi-final clash for the Swiss against the defending champions, Team Canada.