Key events
I mentioned this last week, but the Netflix doc on the miracle on ice, the story of USA’s gold-medal win at Lake Placid in 1980, is enjoyable. Its cold-war analysis is basic and parochial, to say the least, but the personal stories of the lads involved are really moving.
And now Switzerland score, leading Italy 1-0. The winners of this match face Finland, who beat the latter 11-0 in the group, while Germany or France will meet Slovakia, who themselves whacked Finland 4-1.
Oh man, Bradley of Italy flies into the barrier, just 20 seconds in, and that looked a low-quality laugh. He goes off, while Germany already lead France 1-0.
We’re about ready for hockey. But here’s something I just read and enjoyed – not directly to do with Winter Olympics but at the same time relevant to all sport – that you might too.
Still a banger of a coat.
And puts one in mind of this.
Women’s snowboard slopestyle postponed by snow
Ach, the women’s slopestyle final has been postponed.
Heavy snow scrambled the Winter Olympics schedule in Livigno on Tuesday as organisers cancelled the women’s snowboard slopestyle medal event and delayed the start of the qualifying round in freestyle skiing aerials.
Aerials was placed on hold as officials monitored the weather to see if the snow would clear enough to begin the event later in the day. Workers used shovels to try to clear the steep jump that skiers were preparing to ride down at the Livigno Aerials and Moguls Park. Temperatures hovered at a chilly -6 Celsius.
Across town, organisers cancelled the women’s slopestyle competition scheduled for Tuesday afternoon at the Livigno Snow Park and said they would move it to another day.
As such, we’ve a 20-minute hiatus, then it’s Germany v France and Switzerland v Italy in the men’s ice hockey quarter-final qualification matches.
Checking back in with the women’s aerials, I’m afraid we’ve been deferred by another 45 minutes – at least. There’ll be no action until midday at the earliest.
Men’s curling standings:
…and it too is there! Czechia beat Germany 9-7, recording their first win of the competition, meaning defending champions Sweden are now bottom of the pool.
…and it’s there, a beauty! China beat USA 8-5, moving GB up to fourth, while Czechia will shortly seek to to see off Germany. But controversy! I think one of the players might’ve touched a stone when measuring a potential shot … no, it’s agreed nothing changed. So here comes the final effort of the match, Czechia to win it…
Meantime, China have a shot to beat USA, the last of the match, with the score currently 5-5. Here it comes….
Germany are running out of time as their skip lets one go … and he overcurls, offering Czechia, who have the hammer, a chance at two with their final rock. Here comes their penultimate one and it’s a goodun; I’m not sure how Germany get out of this, as there are three reds tiles in the house.
I think it’s much the same as with NZ (who garnered the southern hemisphere’s first medal in 1992, then nothing more until 2014 after which multiple medals each time),” reckons Ben Barnards, “in that new sports have come in which both countries are prominent players – snowboarding, ski cross, both big air variations etc. Neither have suddenly starting competing in biathlon, ice hockey or ski jumping, but these ‘wacky’ new sporting disciplines are ones in which each are recreationally and later competitively active.”
Yes, that makes sense – people doing stuff for fun, then getting good at it.
But it’s Czechia with a stone on the button, guarded by two others, and Germany have a shot to knock it away … and it looks good, but will it be good enough for two? It certainly will, taking one off, just far enough while also leaving one on, and they lead 7-6 going into the 10th.
It’s all going on. USA have shot for three … and it’s there. They’re level at 5-5 with China after nine, while Germany are well placed to do likewise, at 6-6, with Czechia.
On Australia, of course funding has lots to do with it, but also wonder if, culturally, an outdoorsy lifestyle, competitive bent and penchant for adrenaline are also part of it. It’s certainly a turn of events I don’t find at all surprising.
No way! Czechia now lead Germany 6-5 playing the ninth, and this could be disastrous for their hopes of reaching the last four.
News from the aerials: there’ll be no start before 11.15am. People are sweeping snurr and so on, but it’s still coming down heavily, so who even knows when we’ll get action.
It’s getting tight in the curling! Czechia have made it 5-5 against Germany, playing the eighth, and at the same stage, it’s still USA 2-2 China. We might just be getting ourselves some extra ends and I’m sure GB’s men will be watching; they’ll want Czechia and China to win and, as I type, an error from USA gives the latter a three-pointer. Moving into the ninth, they lead 5-2.
I can only imagine how this lad felt.
He might want to call Coco Gauff.
Earlier, we mentioned the absence of a women’s Nordic event.
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What a coat.
Email! “My six-year-old daughter really got into the figure skating,” says Kári Tulinius, “and we watched the pairs final this morning, as it had been too late for her last night. I had managed to avoid the results, so was legitimately shocked by Miura and Kihara’s win. It’s not often that reality resembles a sports movie, but there’s absolutely nothing that has to change for the film version. Coming behind from fifth, setting a world record, and breaking down in shock at the end. I can’t remember many such absurdly cinematic stories at the Olympics. My daughter and I had an absolute blast watching it.”
Lovely stuff and agreed, a great, great Olympic moment.
Yeah, Sweden closed the gap, but in no time at all they’re shaking hands and out of the competition, clattered 9-4; the Swiss are on a roll.
Otherwise, we’ve ice hockey at 11.10, Germany taking on France and Italy facing Switzerland for a place in the quarters of the men’s competition, then it’s the women’s snowboard slopestyle final at midday.
BBC have taken us to the curling pending weather improving for the aerials, and champs Sweden are back in it against league-leaders Switzerland, closing from 1-6 to 4-6.
The difference between aerials and big air – we’re told! – is that the spins are on axis, with more traditional tricks performed like in gymnastics and diving.
Back with the curling, China have equalised and are now tied 2-2 with USA playing the seventh end. And moving outside as promised, for the women’s aerials, it’s snowing pretty heavily and also windy, not what you need when you’re 60 feet in the air, and the competition has been delayed on that basis – but the telly reckon we’ll be away soon.
Lamparter of Austria insinuates himself into second in the Nordic, landing a jump of 136.0; he goes second behind Yamamoto, who leads going into the cross-country portion.
Sweden, defending champs in the men’s curling, are down 6-1 to Switzerland, who are cleansing everyone; Germany lead bottom-placed Czechia 4-2, while it’s still USA 2-1 China playing the sixth.
At 9.45, we’ve got the quallies for women’s aerials, which I think I’ll move to. But in the meantime, Skoglund of Norway jumps 132, which takes him second on 146.1, with Ilves of Estonia landing a 137er to go third on 144.0.
Goodness me, Yamamoto of Japan rinses a jump of 136.5. He now leads on 150.0.
Heinis of France is in the air, it feels hein just looking at him, and he jumps 129, giving him 133.8 points; he moves above Karhumaa and into the lead.
I’ve also got the curling on and, if you’ll excuse my parochialism, I’m not watching pool leaders Switzerland monstering defending champions Sweden, rather USA v China, for reasons of relevance to GB. The Americans now lead 2-1 playing the fifth.
Currently, Karhumaa of Finland leads with 129.5; Yachi of Japan is second with 129.3, Vrhovnik of Slovenia third with 121.9.
Nordic combined is the only event which is men only. The rationale, I believe, is that there’s low participation, lack of viewing interest and competitors coming from a narrow range of countries, but looking at the list, I’m seeing Finland, Japan, China, France, Slovenia, Poland, Ukraine, Estonia, Kazakhstan, USA, Italy, Czechia, Germany, Norway and Austria, so.
BBC are showing us yesterday’s action, so I’m on TNT for the Nordic combined – this is the large hill ski jump bit. And, because they’re using the Gundersen method, all but the winner will have time penalties in the cross-country bit.
In as far as all this relates to GB men, they could do with USA failing to beat China – and Germany failing to beat Czechia, but that looks unlikely.
Now, with that in mind:
Czechia 1-3 Germany, playing the fifth
USA 1-1 China, playing the fourth
Switzerland 4-1 Sweden, playing the fifth
Let’s start with some curling latest…
Preamble
Buongiorno a tutti e benvenuti alle Olimpiadi invernali 2026 – undicesimo giorno!
Rio Ferdinand once said he didn’t feel right in the morning until he’d done a rondo, and we’re getting to that point with curling – which is just as well, given that’s how we open today, and there’s more to come mid-morning.
In between times, we’ve got men’s large hill ski jumping as part of the Nordic combined along with women’s aerials, then Germany play France and Switzerland take on Italy for a spot in the men’s ice hockey quarter-finals.
But the centrepiece of our early activity comes at high noon, with the final of the women’s snowboard slopestyle. Mia Brookes didn’t qualify, but Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, New Zealand’s reigning champion, absolutely did, likewise Melissa Peperkamp of the Netherlands; they’ll take some beating.
Into the afternoon, we’ve the quallies of the men’s aerials, medals to be handed out in the men’s large hill 10km cross-country and 4×7.5km biathlon relay, then a whole world of speed skating, building to the men and women’s team pursuit final around teatime.
There’s a short break thereafter, which we’ll use to reflect om what we’ve seen and prepare for what’s to come, then it’s into women’s singles figure skating and run three of the men’s two-man bob, German driver Francesco Friedrich going for a record fifth gold. Currently, though, he sits second behind his teammate, Johannes Lochner.
Next, a must-win match in the curling, with Great Britain facing Canada, after which we’ve the final of the men’s big air and the conclusion of that two-man bob.
Esattamente! Andiamo!
