Winter Olympics 2026: speed skating, curling, ice hockey and glory for Shiffrin – live
🥇Shiffrin wins alpine skiing gold in women’s slalom
Mikaela Shiffrin is the Olympic champion! She has banished the demons of Beijing 2022 and is back at the top again. She crouches down after crossing the finish line. Shock? Disbelief? Pride? And then a hug from her mother.
It has been 12 years since her first Olympic gold in slalom which makes it the longest gap between individual golds in the same event at the Winter Games. She has failed to medal in nine of her 11 Olympic races (all events) since that Sochi slalom win.
Switzerland’s Camille Rast takes silver and Anna Swenn-Larsson of Sweden takes bronze.
Key events
Women’s Curling: Rebecca Morrison’s gimlet eye strikes again! Great Britain are 6-1 up and in command at the half way stage of their must win match.
I’m just going to slide into the kitchen and grab some food ahead of the USA v Sweden Ice hockey (which could well go late). You wouldn’t want me to starve now would you? Back soon.
Women’s Curling: Japan’s Sayaka Yoshimura is feeling the heat on the ice… she has the chance to get an easy couple of points with an open target but doesn’t put enough juice onto the stone! Despite some furious brushing it comes up short and the chance for two easy points goes begging, Japan just take the one.
Sean Ingle on Adeliia Petrosian:
First came the reverberating cheers. Then a deluge of soft toys lobbed from the stands. But across the face of the brilliant Russian skater Adeliia Petrosian there was only the faintest of smiles. For now.
So far at these Winter Olympics, a Russian is yet to win a medal. But there is a possibility that could change on Thursday when the 18‑year‑old Petrosian, who sits in fifth after the short programme, takes to the ice again shortly after 9pm.”
Women’s Curling: Great Britain’s confident start continues as they steal a point in the third end.
Men’s Ice Hockey: Canada’s overtime hero Mitch Marner has been reflecting on that breathless 4-3 win over the Czech Republic:
Teams only get better as the tournament goes on, so we knew it was going to be a challenging game. They made it really hard to create chances in tight, they made it hard to get through the neutral zone, and I thought as soon as we stopped turning over the puck or giving them gimmes, our offence got going and our players started working a little more.
I think any overtime goal just feels good to score. Obviously, it’s a pretty special feeling to do it in the Olympics. It’s a do or die game. There were so many little moments that resulted in that one moment. Massive saves by (Jordan Binnington), massive goal by (Nick) Suzuki there to keep us tied, and then again Binnington with a massive save on Nečas there in the end of the third to take us into overtime. I’m just happy to do my part in that game.”
Women’s Curling: Nerve settler in the second end. Great Britain take a 3-0 lead courtesy of a Jen Dodd’s double wipeout and Morrison slides up to finish the job.
Team GB need to win this game and their game against home nation Italy tomorrow in order to be in with a chance of making the semi-finals. Even if they do that five wins might still not be enough to see them make the final four. All they can do is win and hope other results land their way.
Women’s Curling: It’s still 0-0 between Great Britain and Japan. In case you missed it, Team GB kept their slim hopes alive with a positively sinful last gasp stone from Rebecca Morrison in their game earlier today, they snatched and 8-7 victory against the USA as a result. I reckon I’ve watched Morrison’s shot ten times now. Granite is the word alright.
Phew. Time to get the breath back with a peak at some of these beautiful snaps from Day 12:
Ice Hockey: Canada steal it! Mitch Marner spares his team’s blushes with an early strike in overtime and the Canadians swarm! They’ve won it! Canada were out of it at 3-2 down with just a few minutes left in the match but now squeak through to the semi-finals. To say the Czech Republic players are devastated would be an understatement.
Women’s Curling: Great Britain have just started their crucial match against Japan. They are all crucial matches from here, only a win will keep their semi final hopes alive. Team GB have the hammer first up.
Ice Hockey: Drama! Canada draw level at 3-3! Nick Suzuki flicks in from close range and the roof nearly comes off the arena! Two minutes left in regular time. Chants of CA-NA-DA ring around the stadium, we could be going to overtime in this one!
In the other quarter final Switzerland are 2-0 up against the mighty Finland, bish and bash – the Swiss notch two goals in the under two minutes.
Ice Hockey: As I hit send on that update Ondrej Palat slots home for the Czech Republic! Martin Nečas and Tomáš Hertl and break free on the right hand flank and pull back for the unmarked Palat who finishes off in style to put his side 3-2 up with minutes left to play! About seven minutes for the Canadians to find an equaliser…
Ice Hockey: The Czech Republic are putting some serious heat on the Canadian goal in the third quarter but have failed to convert three chances in the last couple of minutes. They are still locked in at 2-2, Canada looking to hit their opponents on the counter attack but at the moment there’s nothing to split them.
We’ll also be bringing you live updates from the big ice hockey bout between the USA and Sweden after 8pm GMT this evening, The US are hoping to break their gold medal drout, they haven’t bagged the big one since Lake Placid in 1980.
Thanks Tanya. Hello everyone. Who is BANG up for some curling, short track and ice hockey? Well good ruddy job, here is what is coming up this evening: All times GMT.
18:05-20:00 – Women’s curling – including Great Britain v Japan
19:15-21:00: Short track speed skating – women’s 3,000m relay
20:32-21:00: Short track speed skating – men’s 500m
We’ve got the men’s ice hockey quarter finals too – Canada and Czech Republic are currently tied 2-2 at the end of the second quarter. It’s bad news for the the Canadian captain Sidney Crosby who has crashed out injured.
Time for me to hand over to Jim, who will slip and slide you through the evening. Thanks for your company – bye!
Men’s ice hockey quarter finals: Canada draw level! Nathan MacKinnon with the shot, pin-point and high over the goalie’s shoulder, bouncing off the post, into the top right corner.
Men’s curling: After my self-inflicted confusion over the semi-final places, a big thank you to Beau Dure who writes: “It’s nicely charted here by the official people. We in the US curling community are quite worried.”
In case you missed it, Mr Winter, Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, picked up Olympics medal number 10 earlier today, as Norway won an exciting cross-country team sprint.
Men’s ice hockey quarter finals: Canada are piling on the pressure, and one goal attempt bounces off the post. Captain Sidney Crosby is knocked to the ground once and then double shoulder barged which looks painful – and illegal to this ice hockey debutant, but doesn’t seem to be. He goes off for some magic spray.
Completely irrelevant to the action, but I do enjoy the referees casually skating backwards around the rink in their black and white striped shirts.
Men’s ice hockey quarter finals: all eyes are on the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, where, in the one live bit of sport, favourites Canada are in a spot of bother, still 2-1 behind to Czechia.
We’ve hit a small but peaceful lull until things speed up again this evening. Set your sails for:
17.10 GMT Men’s ice hockey, quarter final 3: Finland v Switzerland
18.05 GMT Women’s curling – including Team GB v Japan
19.51 GMT Short track speed skating – women’s 3,000m relay finals
20.10 GMT Men’s ice hockey, quarter final 4: USA v Sweden
20.27 GMT Short track speed skating – men’s 500m finals
An email! Hello Lydia Wright.
“Loving the live updates, it has been great all day! I am just confused about why the Team GB men need Italy or Norway to win one of their matches tomorrow? If Canada and Switzerland win, won’t the table stay the same?”
Arghg, apologies Lydia, I’m confusing myself and everyone else. I’ll go back and tweak the entries. You’re quite right, GB need either Italy or Norway to lose, otherwise they can both leapfrog Team GB who are currently third.
Men’s ice hockey quarter finals: the Boston Bruins’ David Pastrnák puts Czechia 2-1 ahead with a pitch perfect lofted drive into the goal. Much note taking by the men in suits standing behind the Canadian team. It’s the first time Canada have been behind in this tournament.
Men’s ice hockey quarter finals: one of the Canadians has lost a stick, Czechia charge on goal but can’t capitalise. Some confusion as a Canadian player impedes a Czech – he does charge him into the wall to be fair – and is put in the sin bin. A power play for Canada.
Men’s ice hockey quarter finals: Czechia draw level! A first goal of the tournament for Lukáš Sedlák.
Men’s ice hockey quarter finals: gold medal favourites Canada lead Czechia 1-0 in the first period, 19 year old Macklin Celebrini slotting the puck through the legs of the goalie.
Slovakia are already through after beating Germany 6-2.
Ukraine will boycott the opening ceremony of next month’s Winter Olympics after the International Paralympic Committee’s decision to allow Russian and Belarussian athletes to compete under their country’s flags.
No medals for the very good wolfhound, Nazgul. My dog glances up from the sofa, closes her eyes and shuffles into a tighter ball.
Men’s Curling: Czechia, who are bottom of the standings, currently lead China 9-5, as elsewhere in northern Italy, everyone pauses for a cup of tea.
🥇Gold for France in the women’s biathlon 4x6km relay
Women’s biathlon relay: while were otherwise distracted by the snowboarding, France snared another relay gold. They fought back from a slow first leg and the colourful Julia Simon, winner of the 15km biathlon, brought it home.
Sweden won silver and Norway the bronze.
Men’s Curling: Team GB live to breathe another day with the news that Switzerland have beaten Norway. Now they need either Italy to lose to Switzerland or Norway to lose to Canada tomorrow morning.
🥇Gold for 19 year old Marie Fukada in the women’s slopestyle
Women’s snowboarding slopestyle final: it looks good to me, and the “execution is perfect” but the commentators are hesitant. And it’s 87.48 – enough for defending champion Zoi Sadowski Synnot to leapfrog into silver, but not enough to catch Marie Fukada (87.48)
Japan’s Kokomo Murase (85.80) picks up bronze and Annika Morgan slips out of the medals. Hugs all round.
