Small margins and dramatic moments defined Day 10 at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, as athletes battled for medals across freestyle skiing, bobsled, Alpine skiing, women’s hockey, figure skating, and ski jumping. In freestyle skiing, Eileen Gu of China narrowly missed defending her big air title, earning silver with a combined score of 179, just behind Canada’s Megan Oldham, who scored 180.75. Gu came into the Games aiming for gold in three freestyle events and has already collected two silver medals, with the halfpipe still to come.
Her performance in big air was particularly notable, given that she had not competed in the discipline since winning gold in 2022. Switzerland’s Mathilde Gremaud, who defeated Gu in slopestyle last week, was forced to withdraw after a hip injury, leaving Gu and Oldham to battle for the top spot.
In bobsled, U.S. veteran Elana Meyers Taylor finally captured gold in her fifth Olympics, competing in the women’s monobob. The 41-year-old’s victory came by just four hundredths of a second when Germany’s Laura Nolte made a small mistake on her final run. Meyers Taylor’s triumph marks her sixth career Olympic medal, making her the most decorated Black athlete in Winter Olympic history and the oldest American woman to win gold at the Games. Her teammate Kaillie Armbruster Humphries took bronze, finishing just 0.08 seconds behind Nolte.
Small Margins and Historic Firsts Define Day 10 of Milan Cortina Winter OlympicsDramatic Alpine Skiing and Intense U.S.-Canada Women’s Hockey Medal Showdowns
The men’s Alpine skiing events were equally dramatic. Norway’s Atle Lie McGrath, leading the men’s slalom before the final run, straddled a gate and was disqualified. Overcome with emotion, McGrath threw his ski poles and walked into the forest alone, seeking a moment of peace. Photographers and officials eventually found him.
His Olympics have been especially difficult, as he competed while wearing an armband in tribute to his grandfather, who passed away on the opening day. Switzerland’s Loic Meillard ultimately won the gold, while giant slalom champion Lucas Pinheiro Braathen of South America had fallen earlier in the day, adding to the dramatic finish.
In women’s hockey, the United States and Canada advanced to another gold medal showdown. The U.S. dominated Sweden 5-0, with goaltender Aerin Frankel maintaining a shutout streak of 331 minutes. The Americans remain unbeaten and have allowed only one goal in the tournament, aiming for their first gold since 2018. Canada struggled past Switzerland 2-1, with captain Marie-Philip Poulin breaking the all-time Olympic scoring record, setting the stage for a thrilling U.S.-Canada final.
Historic Firsts and Record-Breaking Performances Highlight Figure Skating and Ski Jumping
Japan achieved a historic first in pairs figure skating, as Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara overcame a fifth-place short program to deliver a world-record performance in the free skate. Georgia earned its first Winter Olympics medal with Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava claiming silver, while Germany’s Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin fell to bronze.
In short track speedskating, the Netherlands’ Xandra Velzeboer won her second gold in the women’s 1,000-meter race, matching teammate Jens van ’t Wout’s two-gold total. Italy’s Arianna Fontana narrowly missed her 14th career Olympic medal, finishing fourth.
In ski jumping, Austria captured its first-ever Olympic gold in the men’s super team event. The competition was cut short due to heavy snow and wind, but the Austrian team was leading when the event was called, securing a historic victory.
From Gu’s near-gold performance in big air to Meyers Taylor’s long-awaited bobsled victory, emotional Alpine skiing moments, historic figure skating records, and the ongoing U.S.-Canada hockey rivalry, Day 10 showcased the unpredictability, skill, and drama of the Milan-Cortina Winter Games. Small differences, personal triumphs, and historic milestones made this one of the most memorable days of the Olympics.
