Legends, Longshots, and a Very Good Day for the Azzurri: Day 6 summary

Legends, Longshots, and a Very Good Day for the Azzurri

The 2026 Winter Games reached a fever pitch yesterday as the heavyweights of the ice began to separate themselves from the pack. It was a day defined by veteran resilience and home-ice heroics, proving that experience remains the ultimate currency on the world stage. Whether on the windswept slopes or the precision-perfect ice, the old guard sent a clear message that they aren't ready to step aside just yet. It was a particularly grand day to be a 35-year-old Italian, with the host nation celebrating a haul that included two golds and a silver from its most seasoned stars. In this edition of Scoreboard Summary, we break down every clinical shutout, tactical masterstroke, and photo-finish heartbreak from a massive day of competition.

Curling

Women's Morning session:

Canada 10-4 Denmark: Rachel Homan’s Canadian rink began their quest for gold with a dominant performance over Denmark. After a relatively tight start, Canada took control in the middle ends, using clinical hitting and staying ahead of the Danish stones at every turn. The match was called early as Denmark found themselves unable to match the precision of the current World Champions, signalling that Canada is a massive threat to reclaim the Olympic throne.

Japan 4-8 Sweden: Anna Hasselborg’s Swedish rink, looking to improve on their bronze from Beijing, looked composed in their opening win against Japan. While Satsuki Fujisawa’s team kept things close in the first half, Sweden’s consistency in the house eventually forced the Japanese into high-risk shots that didn't pay off. A late multi-point score for Sweden effectively sealed the match, putting them at 1-0 alongside the Canadians.

Italy 4-7 Switzerland: Silvana Tirinzoni’s Swiss powerhouse dampened the home crowd's spirits with a methodical win over Stefania Constantini and the Italian women. The Swiss showed why they have been so dominant on the world stage, maintaining a high percentage of successful draws and forcing Italy into difficult situations. Despite some brilliant individual shots from Constantini, Italy couldn't overcome the Swiss tactical machine.

South Korea 4-8 USA: Tabitha Peterson and the American women got off to a flying start with a comfortable win over South Korea. The U.S. managed to control the hammer effectively, scoring multiple points in two separate ends while holding the Koreans to singles. This victory provides a crucial early boost for the American women as they look to break into the podium spots this year.

Men's afternoon session:

Great Britain 6-3 Sweden: In a highly anticipated rematch of the Beijing 2022 final, Bruce Mouat’s Great Britain rink secured a statement victory over Niklas Edin’s defending champions. Britain was clinical from the start, taking two in the first end after Edin missed a critical double-takeout. Sweden struggled to manufacture multi-point ends and was forced to a single in the third. The pressure peaked in the fifth end when Edin’s difficult runback attempt missed its mark, gifting Mouat a 4-1 lead at the break. After another trade of singles, the game was called in the eighth end, leaving the reigning champions in an uncharacteristic 0-2 hole to start their title defence, while Great Britain moves to the top of the standings at 2-0.

United States 3-8 Switzerland: Yannick Schwaller’s Swiss team put on a clinical display of control to dismantle the Americans in just eight ends. Leading 3-2 at the halfway mark, Switzerland blew the game open in the sixth end when they capitalised on a short draw from Danny Casper to score three. The Americans attempted to spark a comeback by bringing in 54-year-old alternate Rich Ruohonen, who became the oldest American Winter Olympian in history in the process, but a Swiss steal of two in the seventh put the game out of reach.

Norway 4-5 Germany: Marc Muskatewitz’s Germany rink secured their first Olympic men’s victory in 16 years after a gritty defensive battle against Magnus Ramsfjell’s Norway. It was a low-scoring affair defined by patient play, but the Germans managed to manufacture the deciding point in the tenth end to the delight of a vocal German contingent. This result is a vital bounce-back for Germany after their heartbreaking extra-end loss to Canada yesterday.

Women's evening session:

China 7-4 Great Britain Wang Rui’s Chinese quartet staged a late-game comeback to surprise Rebecca Morrison’s British rink. Britain appeared to be in control with a 3-2 lead heading into the seventh end, but China responded with a pivotal two-point score followed by a steal of two in the eighth. A final attempt by Morrison to navigate a port for a score failed to connect, allowing China to secure their first win and leaving Great Britain searching for answers after their opening day.

South Korea 7-2 Italy The Korean rink bounced back from their morning loss with a commanding performance against the host nation. Italy struggled to find their rhythm in the house, allowing South Korea to build an early lead and maintain pressure throughout the middle ends. The clinical execution from skip Eunji Gim left Stefania Constantini with few options, resulting in a handshake after the eighth end as South Korea levelled their record at 1-1.

Denmark 10-7 Japan In the highest-scoring match of the evening, Madeleine Dupont’s Denmark rink outlasted Japan in a seesaw battle. Both teams traded multi-point ends early, but Denmark’s ability to capitalise on Japanese misses in the final ends proved the difference. This bounce-back victory was essential for the Danes after their morning loss to Canada, while Japan fell to an early 0-2 hole in the round robin.

Sweden 9-4 United States Anna Hasselborg continued her flawless start to the tournament, guiding Sweden to a convincing win over the U.S. and claiming the top spot in the standings at 2-0. While the Americans kept the score respectable in the first half, Sweden’s relentless precision led to a dominant second half where they pulled away with multiple steals. The loss brings Tabitha Peterson’s squad to a 1-1 record heading into day three.

Skeleton

Great Britain’s Matt Weston sits in the gold medal position at the halfway point of the men’s skeleton competition. Weston, the reigning World Champion and heavy favourite, set back-to-back track records, including a 55.88-second second run, to lead by 0.30 seconds. Germany’s Axel Jungk, the silver medalist from 2022, currently holds the silver position, while defending champion Christopher Grotheer sits in bronze. A notable favourite currently struggling is China’s Yin Zheng, a multiple World Cup winner this season and a favourite for a medal on the technical Cortina track. He finished the first day in eighth place after mistakes on the final curve of his second run.

Snowboarding

Alessandro Hämmerle of Austria successfully defended his men’s snowboard cross title, winning the gold medal by a margin of just 0.03 seconds. In a repeat of the Beijing final, he narrowly defeated Canada’s Eliot Grondin, who took the silver, while Jakob Dusek secured the bronze for an Austrian 1-3 finish. The high-speed final was missing several pre-race favourites who failed to survive the earlier rounds. Lucas Eguibar of Spain, the former World Champion and a favourite to finally secure an Olympic medal, was eliminated in the quarterfinals after a collision. Similarly, the much fancied french team in general had a nightmare, finishing 4th, 5th and 6th through Aidan Chollet, Loan Bozzolo and Jonas Chollet, respectively.

In a conclusion that stunned the snowboarding world, 17-year-old South Korean phenom Choi Ga-on produced a legendary final run to snatch the Olympic halfpipe gold from her idol, Chloe Kim. The contest at Livigno Snow Park seemed destined to be a coronation for Kim, who led through the first two rounds with an 88.00 and was on the brink of an unprecedented third consecutive title. However, Choi, who had suffered a terrifying crash in her opening run that left her needing medical evaluation, showed incredible resilience to return for one final attempt. In a high-stakes do-or-die moment, she landed a flawless routine featuring a switch backside 900 and a cab 720 to post a score of 90.25, overtaking Kim at the last possible second. The American star, dropping last, attempted to reclaim the top spot by upgrading her run with back-to-back double corks but washed out on the landing of her second hit, leaving her with the silver. Japan’s Mitsuki Ono took the bronze with an 85.00, but the night belonged to Choi, who became the first Korean athlete ever to win an Olympic gold medal in a snow sport.

Alpine skiing

Federica Brignone won the gold medal in the women’s Super-G with a time of 1:31.41, completing a remarkable return from a double leg break suffered only ten months ago. The 35-year-old Italian mastered the foggy conditions to become her nation's first female Super-G champion since 2002. She was joined on the podium by Romane Miradoli, who secured a historic silver for France, and Austria’s Cornelia Hütter, who claimed the bronze. The race was a graveyard for the pre-event favourites. Sofia Goggia, the 2018 champion and a heavy favourite after winning bronze in the downhill earlier this week, saw her golden hopes vanish when she lost her line and skidded off-course. Germany’s Emma Aicher, who won silver in the downhill just days ago, also failed to finish after losing an edge in the technical middle section. American Breezy Johnson, the downhill gold medalist and favourite for a speed double, was on a medal-contending pace before crashing into the safety netting, while Alice Robinson and Jackie Wiles both finished well off the podium.

Ice hockey

Men's preliminary round:

Canada 5-0 Czechia: Canada signalled its intent as gold medal favourites with a clinical dismantling of a stubborn Czech side. Nineteen-year-old Macklin Celebrini stole the show in his Olympic debut, scoring with just six seconds left in the first period to break the deadlock. Mark Stone doubled the lead in the second before Bo Horvat put the game out of reach with a breakaway beauty. Third-period goals from Nathan MacKinnon and Nick Suzuki added gloss to the scoreline, while Jordan Binnington was perfect in net, stopping all 26 shots to secure the shutout and a perfect start for the Canadians.

Switzerland 4-0 France: Timo Meier and the Swiss squad put on a professional display to shut out France in their Group A opener. Switzerland wasted no time, with Damien Riat scoring on a power play just 55 seconds into the game, followed quickly by a Janis Moser wrister to make it 2-0 before many fans had even reached their seats. While the French managed to hang tough through a scoreless second period behind Antoine Keller’s 39 saves, Meier took over in the third with two clinical finishes to seal the points. Leonardo Genoni was a wall for Switzerland, turning aside 27 shots to ensure the Red-and-Whites started their campaign with maximum points.

United States 5-1 Latvia The American squad overcame a frustrating start and two overturned goals to eventually roll past a gritty Latvian team. After heading into the first intermission tied 1-1 due to a Renārs Krastenbergs strike, the U.S. found their rhythm in the second period behind two goals from Brock Nelson. Jack Hughes and Quinn Hughes were dominant in puck possession, each recording two assists as the Americans outshot Latvia 38-18. Captain Auston Matthews added a signature insurance goal in the third period, ensuring the United States began their gold medal pursuit with a comfortable three points.

Germany 3-1 Denmark. In a milestone victory for German hockey, captain Leon Draisaitl led his team to a win over Denmark in the first-ever Olympic meeting between the two nations featuring full NHL rosters. Draisaitl set the tone immediately, scoring just 23 seconds into the match—the third-fastest goal in NHL-led Olympic history. While Denmark’s Oscar Fisker Mølgaard managed to equalise in the first period, Tim Stützle took over the game thereafter, netting twice to secure the result. German goaltender Philipp Grubauer was the unsung hero of the night, turning aside 37 Danish shots to protect the lead and place Germany level with the U.S. at the top of Group C.

Women’s Preliminary Round:

Canada 5-0 Finland: In the final game of the women's group stage, Canada bounced back from their loss to the USA by routing Finland to secure second place in Group A. Emily Clark was the catalyst, netting twice in the third period to pull away after earlier goals from Jennifer Gardiner, Daryl Watts, and Kristin O’Neill had built a comfortable cushion. The victory was a vital morale booster for the defending champions, who now move into the quarter-finals to face Germany. Finland’s third loss of the week means they finish fourth in the group and will have to navigate a tricky knockout match against Switzerland on Saturday.

Freestyle skiing

In a stunning upset, 20-year-old American sensation Elizabeth Lemley seized the women’s moguls gold on her Olympic debut, capitalising on a shocking final-run error by defending champion Jakara Anthony. The Australian favourite, who had dominated every round and entered the Super Final as the last skier to go, caught an edge following her first jump and spun out of contention, eventually finishing a devastated eighth. Lemley’s near-flawless score of 82.30 anchored a historic one-two finish for Team USA, with veteran Jaelin Kauf delivering a high-speed masterclass to secure her second consecutive Olympic silver medal. France’s Perrine Laffont, the 2018 gold medalist who had struggled for form and barely scraped into the final eight, showed her championship pedigree by snatching the bronze, edging out Canada’s Maïa Schwinghammer by less than half a point. The result marked the first time American women have ever occupied the top two steps of an Olympic moguls podium, turning what was expected to be an Australian coronation into a Red, White, and Blue celebration on the Italian bumps.

Cross-country skiing

Frida Karlsson secured her second gold of these Games in the women’s 10km freestyle, delivering a performance that redefined dominance. Having already won the 20km skiathlon on Saturday, Karlsson finished with a time of 22:49.2, leaving the rest of the field in her wake. Her teammate Ebba Andersson took the silver medal, finishing a staggering 46.6 seconds behind, a margin of victory almost unheard of in this discipline. American legend Jessie Diggins, who is still searching for her elusive Olympic gold medal, claimed the bronze, battling through bruised ribs sustained in a skiathlon crash to edge out the competition. The podium stood in stark contrast to the expectations for the field, as the battle for the final medal came down to Diggins and Norway’s Heidi Weng. Weng, a five-time Olympic medalist who was expected to challenge the Swedes, faltered in the final stretch, finishing seven seconds behind Diggins to take fifth, while Astrid Øyre Slind took fourth and Karoline Simpson-Larsen took sixth as the Norwegians agonisingly all missed the podium.

Speed skating

Francesca Lollobrigida became the most decorated Italian speed skater in history by winning her second gold of the Games in the women’s 5000m. Following her 3000m victory on her 35th birthday, she clocked a time of 6:46.17 to defeat the Netherlands' Merel Conijn by only 0.11 seconds. Norway’s Ragne Wiklund took the bronze after leading through the middle portion of the race before fading badly on the final two laps to fall from assured gold to the bronze medal.

Luge

Germany maintained their absolute stranglehold on the luge team relay at the Cortina Sliding Centre, storming to their fourth consecutive Olympic gold in the event with a track-record time of 3:41.672. The victory was a masterclass as women’s singles champion Julia Taubitz set the tone early, handing off a lead that men’s singles gold medalist Max Langenhan and the legendary duo of Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt refused to relinquish. For Wendl and Arlt, the win was a historic milestone, securing their seventh Olympic gold medals and cementing their status as the most decorated luge athletes of all time. Austria took the silver medal, finishing over half a second back despite a valiant anchor leg, while the home favourites from Italy secured the bronze to cap off a successful week on their home track, beating Latvia by just over two tenths. The session was also marked by a poignant moment from the Ukrainian team; after finishing sixth, all six sliders took a knee at the finish line and raised their helmets in a silent, powerful tribute to their teammate Vladyslav Heraskevych, who had been disqualified earlier in the day for a helmet protest. 

Short-track speed skating

Women's 500m Short Track:

Dutch speedster Xandra Velzeboer delivered a masterclass in sprinting to claim her first individual Olympic gold medal. Her dominant evening began in the semi-finals, where she shattered the world record with a blistering time of 41.399 seconds. In the final, Velzeboer took an immediate lead and never looked back, finishing comfortably ahead of the field to deny Italian legend Arianna Fontana a historic third consecutive gold in the event. While Fontana secured the silver to match the record for the most decorated Italian Olympian of all time, Canada’s Courtney Sarault earned a hard-fought bronze. However, the night was a disappointment for several top-tier contenders. Kristen Santos-Griswold of the USA, widely considered Velzeboer's primary challenger and the Crystal Globe winner, failed to make the A Final after a difficult semi-final. Similarly, South Korea’s Choi Min-jeong, another pre-race favourite for the podium, was relegated to the B Final, leaving the powerhouse Korean team without a medal in this distance.

Men's 1000m Short Track:

Jens van 't Wout capped off a Double Dutch night at the Mediolanum Forum by securing a dramatic victory in the men's 1000m. The race was a tactical battle until the very end, with van 't Wout biding his time behind pre-race favourite William Dandjinou of Canada. At the sound of the bell for the final lap, the Dutchman made a daring inside move to seize the lead, holding off a late surge from China's Sun Long in a photo finish determined by just 0.028 seconds. Sun took home the silver, while 18-year-old Rim Jong-un of South Korea claimed the bronze. The result was a bitter pill for Dandjinou, the reigning world champion and betting favourite, who led for eight of the nine laps but was caught in the final-lap shuffle and finished out of the medals in fourth. Additionally, the event saw the early exit of Steven Dubois, another major Canadian medal threat, who was eliminated in the quarter-finals after a costly collision with Great Britain's Niall Treacy.