Live Updates from Milan Cortina: Day 3 of the Winter Olympics

The third day of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina promises a thrilling schedule with five gold medals up for grabs. Yesterday’s events made headlines with American skier Lindsey Vonn’s unfortunate crash during the downhill skiing run. The 41-year-old, already competing with a torn ACL, was airlifted off the mountain and later underwent surgery for a broken leg.

**Alpine Skiing and Figure Skating:**

Breezy Johnson clinched the USA’s first gold of these Games in downhill skiing, followed by another gold from the figure skating team at the day’s end.

Today’s Highlights: Keep an eye on the four women’s hockey matches, particularly with Team USA playing at 2:40 p.m. ET.

Watch it live on: NBC, Peacock, USA Network (US), Warner Bros Discovery, HBO Max, Eurosport (Europe), CBC, Bell Media, Rogers Media (Canada).

**Ice Hockey:**

Team USA has announced a change in plans for their men’s hockey team, with upcoming practice sessions now open to media, contrary to earlier expectations of them being closed.

Key Questions: What do these freeski slopestyle athletes have for meals? Watching them flip through the air is quite a stomach-churning sight!

**Freeski Slopestyle Update:**

In women’s freeski slopestyle, Eileen Gu is leading after the first run, followed closely by Mathilde Gremaud. Solid performance from Canada’s Megan Oldham, who holds third place, seeming to reserve her full repertoire of tricks for later runs.

Ice Hockey:

Italy is off to a good start against Japan, leading 2-0 by the end of the first period in women’s ice hockey. Matilde Fantin scored both goals, capitalizing on a power play. This is a promising beginning for Italy, especially after a rough 6-1 loss to Sweden in their previous game.

Freeski Slopestyle:

Eileen Gu of China took the lead with an impressive score of 86.58 in the first run, performing never-seen-before tricks, while being cheered by a supportive crowd that included 2024 Olympic table tennis gold medalist Chen Meng.

**Britain’s Kirsty Muir:**

Britain’s Muir stumbled on her first run but remains a competitor to watch. Having previously won gold at the X Games in Aspen, she stands a chance of reaching the podium, which would make her only the second British freestyle skier to do so.

**Gamesmanship in Men’s Hockey:**

Canada’s men’s hockey team, led by coach Jon Cooper, has opted for closed practices citing limited space. This unusual move raises some questions about the strategic considerations at play.

**Megan Oldham’s Performance:**

Megan Oldham is a top contender in the women’s freeski slopestyle final. The 24-year-old Canadian has consistently medaled in world championship slopestyle events, securing silver in 2023 and bronze in other editions.

Other Competitors: Great Britain’s Kirsty Muir, the 2022 slopestyle silver medalist Eileen Gu, and gold medalist Mathilde Gremaud are all strong competitors in today’s events.

Bea Kim on Diversity:

The diversity of the United States is a strength according to snowboarder Bea Kim, who emphasized how varied perspectives and opportunities contribute to the nation’s unique identity.

Female Snowboarders Respond:

In response to a remark from President Trump regarding their teammate Hunter Hess, the four female halfpipe snowboarders from the U.S.—Chloe Kim, Maddie Mastro, Bea Kim, and Maddy Schaffrick—expressed pride in representing their country, while acknowledging current divides and the need for compassion.

Women’s Freeski Slopestyle:

The atmosphere is charged as athletes prepare for their slopestyle runs in Livigno. Mathilde Gremaud aims for Olympic history, rivaled by China’s Eileen Gu, both having demonstrated exceptional skill in previous Olympics.

Ice Hockey: Japan vs. Italy:

In the ongoing preliminary round match of women’s ice hockey, Italy has so far aimed two shots at Japan, with the score still goalless.

Alpine Skiing Fan Spotlight:

A Swiss supporter showcased his enthusiasm quite literally during the men’s combined event by donning an elaborate hairstyle dedicated to his team, witnessing Swiss athletes take prominent positions in the leaderboard.

Curling Mixed Doubles:**

With the mixed doubles round robin concluding, the semifinal line-up is confirmed. Italy secured a narrow victory over the USA and will meet them again with the hammer advantage. Great Britain faces off with Sweden in the other semifinal.