And that is me done for the night as another day ends at the Games. But what a day! What a lovely day! Team GB’s greatest ever in the history of the Winter Olympics. A mixed bag but not in the usual sense as Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale won the mixed snowboard cross then Matt Weston and Tabby Stoecker followed suit in the mixed skeleton relay. Team GB’s gold tally sits at a wondrous three now. Buona notte!
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Curling: So at 5-5 in this men’s round robin match between GB and Switzerland we are down to the final three stones each. The house looks very light as another two go by. It is anyone’s game. Switzerland lie with one. GB pop one in the house behind their blocker. I can’t see what the plan is but that is hardly surprising.
The Swiss unleash a bomb with their penultimate go but it bumps GB’s blocker into that one they just threw leaving the blocker in the house. The final shots on the way. Team GB will look to nudge the Swiss stone out while rolling across behind the red stone at the top of the house to lie one. Mouat lets fly but doesn’t get the roll. They are lying one though after knocking the Swiss out. The final yellow is on it’s way. And it is a perfect shot. Switzerland beat Team GB 6-5.
What a battle that was. The Swiss remain unbeaten at 5 wins and no losses while Team GB pick up a second loss with four wins and two defeats. Next up for Team GB is Norway tomorrow at lunchtime.
Your other scores: China 3-6 Canada, Norway 8-10 USA, Italy 10-5 Czechia
Round robin standings: 1 Switzerland 5-0; 2 Canada 4-1; 3 Team GB 4-2; 3 USA 4-2; 5 Italy 3-2; 5 Norway 3-2; 7 Germany 2-3; 8 Sweden 1-4; 9 Czechia 0-5; 9 China 0-5
Curling: GB knock into that stack and lie one as a result but the Swiss have a chance to replace it with two of their own on their penultimate throw. It is on track, scrub, scrub, scrub and they have it. The pressure is on Bruce Mouat as he sends GB’s second-last sliding away. He has a steely glare as his partners sweep it … through a tiny window of two reds and into the centre to lie one.
Switzerland let their last go but bump a red Mouat was able to glide past showing just how special the GB curler’s shot was. Mouat lets fly again and he is going for the win! And .., and … and he bumps a yellow to stop his effort just short of being the match winning stone. They settle for one as GB level it at 5-5 and go to the extra end! Aaaaaah!
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Curling: Here we go then. The final end. Tautologous? Maybe. Dramatic? hell yeah! Though someone in the crowd chant/singing ‘Speed of Sound’ by Coldplay is a thorn in the tension at the curling centre. Alas, you can’t have everything. At halfway the Swiss have one right in the target with blockers all over the ice. GB plop one through the melee right on top of that Swiss rock in the inner green ring. The Swiss then sandwich it with another yellow. GB respond with another forming a yellow/red/yellow/red vertical stack. Three left each.
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Curling: Switzerland sitting very pretty with three stones left each as they lie three, as they say aka they would score three points if we ended the … end now. GB let a clever one go to bump the short blocker in the pack of yellows. It is really rather good as it beats out two of those Swiss three. Switzerland match it to lie three again with two rocks remaining for both.
Bruce Mouat now and he throws a nuclear bomb to clear out all three. The triple! Astounding play from GB’s stone-throwing supremo. Switzerland’s answer is well short, a clear error. Mouat goes again with the final draw into the house behind the Swiss guard. GB lie with one but it is too heavy leaving the Swiss with an easy shot for 5-4. One end to play.
Curling: I’ve dug some dark chocolate out the back of the fridge to power me through the final ends. Let’s pretend it’s Swiss so I have a foot in both camps. Do you keep your choco in the fridge after you’ve got started? Or are you a sane individual and would never have any leftover because … chocolate. I digress as the hammer holding Team GB let their fourth-last stone fly in the eighth end to knock out a couple of Swiss yellowstones. Roger Federer’s red and white army lay in another blocker as they hold one in the centre at present. GB off again and it a perfect carom off the blocker that then knocks that centre yellow out. GB’s red the closest now in the outer blue ring.
Two to go each. Switzerland curl a yellow into the green inner ring off centre to place it behind a yellow already sitting on the ice. GB take a timeout to mull their final shots. I’m going to be bold and say curling is more like snooker on ice than chess. Any takers? Switzerland have left a potential chance for two points as Bruce Mouat and company take serious stock of the opportunity. Stones away! They are brushing like mad and just settle for the equaliser: Team GB 4-4 Switzerland. Two ends to play.
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Curling: Switzerland hold the hammer in end seven, with two stones remaining they are seriously scheming up this throw as they try to retake the lead at 3-2 down. It is a sneaky one that just misses the guard and knocks GB’s red rock out of contention. The Swiss are sitting with two as Bruce Mouat sets his final stone curling away. “It’s good” is the cry. Only it isn’t and the Swiss snatch two points as a result. Score with three ends remaining: Team GB 3-4 Swizterland
Meanwhile, some words from Bryan Armen Graham in Milan at the speed skating. The report of Femke Kok’s blistering women’s 500m win …
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Curling: And back in Team GB’s big one with Switzerland they lead 3-2 after six ends. We resume at the top of the seventh. Can they keep on top to seal a crucial win for potential qualification to the semi-finals? Let’s see.
🥇Anna Odine Strøm wins women's large hill ski jump
What a final. What an Olympics for Strøm who bags a second gold medal in Cortina after winning the normal hill already. Her style points the difference on the day. Your final positions:
Anna Odine Strøm (Nor) 284.8pts
Eirin Maria Kvandal (Nor) 282.7
Nika Previc (Svn) 271.5
The Norwegians way out in front for the 1-2 as they take a massive lead in the medal table on 12 golds. The Italians second with eight and USA third with five and eight silvers.
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Ski jumping: Silje Opseth takes flight but is a bit short. Will the judges favour her? She can only make third with two to go. Anna Odine Stroem now. It is absolutely MASSIVE. She sits first. The Norweigan applies the pressure to Eirin Maria Kvandal jumping last with a 148.1. Stroem or Kvandal then? It is going to be mega tight as Kvandal goes lloooooong. Will the style points get her over the line? Her 142.1 is not enough as Stroem wins her second gold of the Games on the large hill.
Ski jumping: We have a new leader! Sweden’s Frida Westman is in the hot seat with a big one of 139.4. Nika Previc boots her out immediately though. The Slovenian puts in a huge 143.2. Now for the Norweigans, checks notes, four of them! Heide Dyhre Traaserud can only make third place with three Norway jumpers to go.
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Ski jumping: These drone shots following the athletes in the women’s large hill are just breathtaking. You get such a feel for the aerodynamics as they take flight with those big shoes stuck out in front of them. A couple of Japanese jumpers are just not out over their skiis enough and can’t trouble top spot. Lisa Eder still in first with seven still to take that leap of faith.
Ski jumping: Wow! Slovenia’s Nika Vodan soars through the night air and takes the second with a massive second jump of 137. Agnes Reicsh jumps into third for Germany. Eder still top for Austria. But some real heavy hitters still to come.
Ski jumping: Austria’s Lisa Eder has knocked Abigail Strate of Canada off the top with a massive jump of 141.6pts giving her a leading total of 257.6. Yuka Seto follows and leaps into bronze position for Japan!
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Andy Bull’s report from Stoecker and Weston’s history making run for Team GB. Forza!
Curling: Switzerland tie it up at 2-2 with Team GB after end four. The Brits have the hammer as this clash simmers away.
Ski jumping: And we are into the final medal event of the evening in the women’s individual LARGE hill. It is large as well. I jump in (get it) with Nicole Maurer of Canada laying down a big 126m effort in the final round putting her third as it stands. In first is Abigail Strate of Canada on a total of 243.6, Selina Freitag is second for Germany. We still have about 20 left to lift off.
Curling: Advantage GB! It is all coming up roses for the Brits at the Winter Olympics on Stupendous Sunday! The Swiss go for a fancy bank shot to try and take a couple of points but muck it up and Team GB steal the stones (and a point).
End three: GB 2-1 Switzerland in the men’s round robin
Other scores as they stand: China 0-1 USA, Norway 0-5 USA, Italy 3-2 Czechia
Read it and weep (but in a good way), Great Britain! Team GB up to 12th in the medals after sealing a frankly ludicrous third gold in the skeleton mixed relay.
Curling: And off we go to the curling arena! Curling cauldron more like.Second-placed Britain are taking on the unbeaten Swiss in the round robin and it is Team GB 1-1 Switzerland as we approach the end of the, err, third end.
🥇Team GB win skeleton mixed relay gold
Tabitha Stoecker and Matt Weston take a bow! They have won the first ever gold medal in skeleton mixed relay at the Winter Olympics to put Team GB on three gold medals in total at the Games.
Stoecker’s time of 1min 00.77, (the fourth best of the women’s runs) gave Weston a fairly chunky +0.3sec disadvantage but the men’s Olympic champ smashed the Germain pair into second with a 58.59, the best of the men’s times for a total time of 1:59.36. The final results:
Team GB (Stoecker/Weston) 1:59.36
Germany (Kehrer/Jungk) +0.17
Germany (Pfeifer/Grotheer) +0.18
Team GB (Tarbit/Wyatt) +0.29
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Skeleton: Can GB take gold? Tabitha Stoecker has an electric start and is just faster at the midpoint than the German pair in second. But Stoecker can’t maintain it as she skids this way and that to leave Matt Weston a +0.3sec defecit to overhaul. Weston’s start is fantastic, they have a real shot here. His line is perfect. He builds speed and is in the greeen!!! The Olympic men’s champion might just do it. He DOES IT!!! Team GB earn a third gold of this Games!
Skeleton: Germany again. What’s Deutsch for deja vu? Anyway, Jacqueline Pfeifer is a nose behind her countrysledders after looking like she was going to open up a lead. Christoper Grotheer, the three-time mixed relay world champion, shoots off with a slow start but it isn’t how you start it is how you finish people. As the rain thunders off my windows, Grotheer thunders through Cortina but is +0.01 behind Kreher/Jungk. Two German medal are confirmed with the standings before GB’s final pair thus: 1. Germany (Kreher/Jungk) 2. Ger (Pfeifer/Grotheer) 3. GB
Skeleton: Germany look to answer that special effort by GB but Susanne Kreher is +0.12 on Tarbit after the opening run. Axel Jungk to go now who is a team specialist. The smiling assassin if ever there was one he wears a giant grin below an epic handlebar moustache. And we’re off! Jungk brings the funk all the way down as he sends Germany top of the pops with a mighty run of 58.94. Germany lead! Total time of 1:59.53.
Skeleton: Team GB’s Freya Tarbit hits the ice. And hits it hard with a great start and it stays grrrrreat for Tarbit. A phenomenal run, she hits mach 10 with the fastest women’s run so far in 1min 00.47sec. A huge lead of almost -0.4 as Marcus Wyatt looks to put the Brits in pole. He crouches like a young Bruce Forsyth and off we go, the blue bomber is almost half a second ahead at the first bend! At halfway he is still well ahead. It is is looking very good. It is very good! By 0.28sec Team GB lead the mixed relay in 1:59.65! Unbelievable.
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Skeleton: Austria are up against it as Janine Flock, the women’s skeleton Olympic champion, gets a jump start penalty. What a shame as she would have been -0.17 on the Chinese leaders at the midpoint. Her sled just moved a few millimetres before setting off. Dash. Samuel Maier can’t perform a miracle as Austria finish fifth (they would have been second without the penalty) and only four teams remain. Two British and two German pairs. Achtung, baby!
Skeleton: “Track records are track records,” offers the TNT Sports commentator. Umm … what? Anyway back to the action. China out again as Zhao Dan nudges a nervous foot out to hold her line but is rapid giving her partner a -0.29 advantage to work with. Chen Wenhao nods in the beautiful assist from Zhao to lead the mixed relay! Their time is 1:59.93.
Men’s hockey final score: Canada 10-2 France. The Maple Leafs didn’t let up in the final period as they scored another four goals. Nine different players struck for Canada with Macklin Celebrini leading the celebrations with a double to seal the win.
Skeleton: Ouch! Korea are in trouble before they have even started as Hong Sujung smacks the wall after the opening corner and keeps hitting a few more as she goes down. So pivotal to get the line right from the first instance otherwise you’re kaput. That said Korea finish a creditable fourth as it stands.
Seven remain as we cross the halfway stage. Now Italy’s second pairing and a chance at redemption after the home team’s first pair were penalised. Alessandra Fumaggali is off like lightning with an unbelievable opening reaction time of just 0.07, the fastest so far. And it pays off as the Italian puts them -0.02 on the leaders. Amedeo Bagnis has the keys to a gold medal potentially if he can deliver a blinding run. After the second split he is +0.15 and needs to find some pace. He does! The gap only +0.04 at the fourth. He crosses the line in -0.35 … ITALY LEAD!!! Total time: 2:00.04. Amazing.
Skeleton: China stay top after a jump start penalty for Valentina Maragaglio of Italy. That is the home hopefuls medal chances shot to pieces as they sit fifth of 16 teams. Next more USA action as the world champion pair hit the track. Mystique Ro is pure dynamite with a fastest run for the women in 1min 01.08sec. Can Austin Florian get revenge on China for the US? Yes! Florian blasts down in 59.31 to set a new track ecord in 2:00.39. The medals at this stage are 1. USA 2. China. 3. USA
Skeleton: This mixed relay is really hotting up as China’s Liang Luxin pips Chloe Kelly’s time by 0.03sec as Lin Qinwei prepares to finish the job and knock USA off their perch. Ling takes a big breath and straps on his shiny black helmet, crosses his arms in determination and thunders away. His start gives him a +0.3 lead which he holds on to through the middle then keeps adding to it with every split. China finish with a team track record in 2min 00.66 sec. A huge +0.77 lead over USA in second.
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Skeleton: Team USA are off to a flier after their first slider Kelly Curtis rattles off a 1min 01.30 to give Dan Barefoot a 0.35 advantage at the halfway stage. He powers down and assumes the pencil on tea tray position. One corner, two corners, three and he has a 0.61 lead at the middle section. He keeps rollcking along but he bobs a bit on the big bank and loses speed. Oooooh he nips ahead of Denmark by 0.15 to give USA the lead with a time of 2min 01.43sec.
Curling: Coming up at 6pm GMT in the men’s round robin we have a crunch encounter between Switzerland and Team GB. Or first v second in the table. The Swiss unbeaten with four wins with the Brits on four wins and one defeat. It could be an absolute cracker of chess on ice. Kasparov v Fischer with brooms. We love it.
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Skeleton: Jane Channell scoots round the Cortina track in double quick time in 1min 01:57sec just one tenth faster than her Latvian rival. A nice little edge for Josip Brusic to work with as he sets off down the frozen water slide. Not the best from Brusic who leaves Canada almost a second behind Latvia in second.
Skeleton: We are witnessing history at the Winter Games with the first outing for the mixed team event in skeleton bobsleigh. Latvia start us off with the first run of the final. The format sees the female sledder bomb down, then immediately after her male partner follows to set the total time. Marta Andzane finishes in 1min 01.67sec with Emil Indriksons going in 59.99 to set a total time of 2:01.66 for Latvia. That is our benchmark. And this is a one and done event. You mess it up and you’re outta here! Let’s goooo. Canada up next …
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And what do we have here? A day nine gallery from our crack team of picture editors with the best images from today at the Games. Enjoy.
Hockey: As the second period closes Canada are out of sight 6-1 up against France. Macklin Celebrini and yep, my boy, Sidney Crosby with the fifth and sixth goals. That makes it six different scorers for Team Canada who will, barring a minor miracle comeback, top group A with three wins from three. Here’s hoping the won’t celebrini too hard after the final whistle. Still a long road to gold left to skate.
Didn’t I tell you me and Sidney went way back? This is me as a baby reporter at the Sochi 2014 Games. I had just sneaked into the athletes’ village canteen to get a free McDonalds and who should arrive but the entire men’s gold winning hockey team. Team Canada! I had to get a selfie with Mr Crosby. I then shared a Big Mac with the whole gang. What a day. Take me back! Well to the Winter Games, not Russia.
Hockey: Cale Makar puts Canada into a 4-1 lead over France and it is none other than my old mate Sidney Crosby with the assist. The veteran all-star with his second of the game as he takes almost grabs another. He skates off for a break.
Speed skating: For context Kok’s Olympic record time of 36.49sec was 0.45 faster than the previous mark set by Japan’s Nao Kodaira back in 2018. Holy smokes!
Speed skating: I need to take a breath after that unbelievable sprint from Femke Kok. Your final positions in the women’s 500m:
Femke Kok (Neth) 36.49sec (Olympic record)
Jutta Leerdam (Neth) +0.66
Miho Takagi (Jpn) +0.78
Great to see Takagi hold on to a medal after her rapid run early in the program. Otherwise it is business as usual for the mighty Dutch as they prevail with a 1-2. Incredibly it is an exact reverse of the women’s 1000m earlier in the Games. Leerdam took the gold with Kok second. Orange crush.
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🥇Femke Kok wins gold with Olympic record in women's 500m speed skating
Femke Kok and Erin Jackson slice through the ice. The final big name pairing. And they are so, SO fast at the first split both looking good for a medal but Kok plays a beautiful bend to leave Jackson trailing. Kok crosses the line and OBLITERATES the women’s 500m speed skating Olympic record in 36.49sec. The Dutch skater adds gold to her silver earlier in the Games.
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Speed skating: False start for being slow to get down there. Strange considering it is the opposite of going early but it doesn’t affect our skaters who were looking great right until the end their but Anna Boersma and Yukino Yoshida both make mistakes from medal positions to fall way back as they cross the line. Last pair on the way …
Speed skating: The Netherlands are on the track. Watch out! But oh no a very slow start puts Jutta Leerdam up against it from the off. She slingshots round the outside into the home straight AND WOW! Leerdam bursts over the line in 37.15sec into first place! She shakes her head though, the orange rocket could have been even quicker.
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Speed skating: The power and dynamism of this event, how smooth it all looks as they sprint-skate at full throttle is just incredible. Italy’s Serena Pergher scorches into second 37.30sec (just two hunfreths down on the leader) while Canada’s Beatrice Lamarche has just moved third with a time of 37.53.
Speed skating: Click. Clack. Click. Clack. Click. Clack. Rio Yamada click clacks her way to second with a time of 37.78sec to form a Japanese 1-2 in the women’s 500m. Still a half second down on her compatriot Takagi in pole.
Hockey: Canada have taken a commanding 3-1 lead over France as the first period closes. They are aiming for a third win in three and Mark Stone has the big boys looking very good to do exactly that.
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Speed skating: Miho Takagi has just ripped round the track in 37.27sec to set a new fastest time. The Japanese skater already has bronze at the Games and was almost a second and a half faster than the previous best time with that run. In second place is Canada’s Brooklyn McDougall with Wang Jingziqian of China in third as it stands.
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Reportage from our very own Andy Bull from the slopes of Cortina on Federica Brignone winning an incredible second gold for Italy in the women’s giant slalom. The home favourite carving out a piece of Winter Olympics history!
Curling: Our ice-side reporter Beau Dure checks in on the USA stealing victory from China in the women’s curling …
“The USA were completely out of that game. They had to steal in the ninth and 10th ends. Brilliant shot by Tabitha Peterson with her last in the 10th, and that may have psyched out China, which opted for a circus shot rather than a precise draw.”
Final score: USA 6-5 China
That result puts USA second in the round robin table and set well to make the knockout semi-finals.
Speed skating: Team GB’s Ellia Smeding has just crashed over the line in 38.93sec in the women’s 500m final. Our commentator says “that was pacy”. Pacy and painful as she sets the benchmark time but also smashes into the barriers.
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Hello! We are straight into the action with a flurry of goals in the men’s hockey. Canada were pegged back by France but have retaken a 2-1 lead in the first period. Tom Wilson put Équipe Canada ahead after 9 minutes then Floran Douay hit back 13 seconds later with Devon Toews smacking in the second.
Aha, Graham Searles is here to relieve me, so I’ll budge up and allow him to get settled and ready for that final coming up seven minutes from now. Peace out.
The final of the women’s 500m speed skating gets going soon, at 4.03pm. Femke Kok is favourite, but once they get bousting, anything can happen and probably will.
What about Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, then? No one has won as many Winter Olympic gold medals as he – another, in the 4x7.5km relay, means he has a princely nine. You’d take it.
Sweden look set to finish off GB in the curling, banging two out of the house, and that completes a 10-7 win. Elsewhere, USA and China are level at 5-5, with Korea up 6-5 on Japan.
We’re playing the 10th end of the GB v Sweden women’s curling, Sweden up 9-7 with the hammer, the gap having been narrowed.
And yet more sport!
Reminder: it’s a historic day for Great Britain, with Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale winning gold in the mixed team snowboard cross, the team’s first ever in a snow sport.
Shortly, Canada will take on France in Group A of the men’s ice hockey. The format means each team plays the three others in its pool – there are three of them – with the winners and best second-place moving into the last eight, while the others must play a qualification playoff.
The women’s curling is still going on, Sweden leading GB 9-5 playing the ninth. They look very strong and will take some beating, while it’s South Korea 6-3 Japan and China 5-4 USA.
France lose their chain and are gone; the Netherlands hang on, to join Italy, USA and China in Tuesday’s semi-finals.
France are closing, but they’ve got a lot of work to do, up to fifth but with the Netherlands looking strong enough.
Netherlands are going well, in fourth place overall, while France are seventh. But there’s a way to go yet…
China go third, Norway fourth, meaning Germany and Japan have gone; the Netherlands and France will now complete the stage.
Now it’s China looking oiled, much more so than Norway and inside Italy’s time. The gap is 2s.
Wow, in the men’s pursuit speed skating, Italy edge USA in 3:38.40; both will feel confident of making the last four.
Back with the curling, Sweden lead GB 8-5 playing the eighth, while China lead USA and Denmark Italy, 5-3 and 7-1 respectively.
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Italy and USA are both much better than Germany and Japan, the latter leading by a second or so. They look slick as you like, I must say.
Japan, though, lose their train and now Germany look good, linked like elephants; they finish in 3:45.28, Japan in 3:48.14. USA and Italy come next.
The men’s team pursuit will soon get going. We’ve got four heats, four fastest times into the last four, and Japan take on Germany in the first, into their train far quicker – see below.
Goodness me, we’ve so much sport for you it feels wrong.
In the curling, GB are taking a good, honest, old-fashioned slapping off Sweden. They trail 8-3 playing the seventh, and this is only going one way.
Leeds have beaten Birmingham 4-2 on pens so move into round five of the FA Cup.
We’re an hour and a bit away from the chaos of the women’s 500m speed skating final. Femke Kok of the Netherlands is favourite, but Erin Jackson, USA’s defending champ, will be in the conversation, with Jutta Leerdam, she of the boyfriend with the broken jaw, and bad opinions, also racing.
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In Colombo, one of the classic matchups in word sport is building…
BBC have taken us to the curling, with Sweden now leading GB, who have the hammer, 7-3 playing the sixth.
I’m watching Mia Brookes in the qualifying of the women’s slopestyle. She fell first run and this is better, but her jumps aren’t working for her today; her score of 56.53 means she’ll not be qualifying for the final. She’ll be better for this experience, though, and at only 19, has plenty of time to improve and return.
On BBC, they’re talking about the impact that gold’ll have on boarding in the UK – and though, who knows, maybe that’ll turn up another gold medallist, it’s not really about that. Rather, it’s on the many people who’ll find a new joy to elevate their lives, which is what it’s all about.
We’re playing extra time at St Andrew’s. If neither Birmingham nor Leeds score in the next nine minutes or so, we’ll go to penalties.
Ah, from 3-3 to 6-3, Sweden, whose 100% leaves them top of the women’s curling pool, now lead GB. Elsewhere, Korea are up 3-2 on Japan and Denmark 4-1 on Italy and China 4-1 on USA.
Aha, Sean Ingle’s snap report is with us…
I can’t wait for our interviews, surely soon come.
The camaraderie between Bankes and Moioli is lovely to see. Those two have been racing each other a long time and are clearly delighted by each other’s success.
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The union flag is raised – not on a suburban high street, which is a pleasant relief – and now it’s time for photos. I’d like to know where they’re going out tonight.
Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale climb up on to the podium, pump fists, and bow heads. Gold medals are lowered thereupon, and they’ve done it! The endeavour of a lifetime, realised in metal, and goodness only knows how the blithering [redacted] they’re feeling in this moment. Anthem time.
🥇Lisa Vittozzi of Italy wins gold in the women's biathlon
Never in doubt, an incredible effort. Kirkeeide of Norway takes silver, Minkkinen of Finland bronze.
France accept their bronze, Italy the silver – we can assuage our regret at missing out on another rendition of Il Canto degli Italiani – and the moment is almost upon us.
Among the boarding community, there’s major excitement about, let me reiterate, GB’s first-ever gold medal in a snow sport. Jenny Jones, who won bronze in slopestyle at Sochi 2014, is close to tears, and here comes the medal ceremony!
Back to Bankes who is bank, she went out of the individual event at the quarter-final stage and was so disappointed. But now look!
Coming up: the quarter-final of the men’s speed skating team pursuit at 3pm, Canada v France in the men’s ice hockey and the women’s 500m speed skating final at 4.03pm.
In the women’s biathlon, Kirkeeide of Norway leads by 5.5s from Vittozzi of Italy, from Jeanmonnot of France, from Minkkinen of Finalnd.
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In the women’s curling, GB and Sweden are level at 3-3 playing the fourth; GB are currently seventh in the standings, Sweden top.
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Thanks Yara and what a time to return! What I loved about this, well obviously all of it, but when she completed the run, Charlotte Bankes was just so calm, like she’d done the most natural thing in the world, no more than was expected of her and she expected of herself. That’s GB’s first ever gold medal in a snow sport, and I can’t wait to hear from those who’ve brought it home.
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Daniel Harris is back to take you through the reaction after that incredible race!
🥇 Bankes and Nightingale lead Great Britain to gold in mixed team snowboard cross
Good start from Bankes and she knows she can reel Casta but there is a threat in third from Moioli … A little bobble from Casta and Bankes shifts into gold medal position … Can she stay in pole position into the final section? YES! GREAT BRITAIN WIN GOLD! Their first ever Olympic medal in this event!
Bankes is cool, calm as she crosses the finish line. Meanwhile, Nightingale has absolutely launched himself into the GB fans. Italy take silver and France with the bronze.
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Snowboard: Great start for Nightingale, he takes second but is pipped quickly by Lambert, but the Australian makes a mistake and Nightingale is back in second, and he puts GB into silver-medal position with France in first. Women are up next.
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Snowboard: GB are in competition with France, Australia and Italy. Huw Nightingale is in gate four.
Snowboard: The small final has just finished. France finish fifth and Switzerland sixth after a photo-finish. Phew! Now onto the medals …
Snowboard: On to the mixed team cross final. Four teams, three medals. And with the way Great Britain have been racing, surely, surely they come away with something here.
🥇 Brignone wins second gold of Games in women's giant slalom
What a fairytale story for the Italian as she comes home in first place with a time of 2:13.50.
From coming back from a serious injury right before the Games. It is a dram and the Italian crowd know it – they are going wild!
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Snowboard: Bankes tucked up into second but here she comes, almost throwing off Castor of France and she speeds into first in the final straight. Wow! GB into the finals with a win in the semis. Great team effort!
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Snowboard: Huw Nightingale has a great start and that is the best first section from him today. He settles into second behind France and finished 0.03sec behind. Switzerland get sagged and so Bankes will only be racing against two, realistically. Back at the top, Bankes is getting a new board set up.
Snowboard: Semi-finals here we go! GB’s Huw Nightingale and Charlotte Bankes are in the first one here alongside France, Switzerland and Australia.
Alpine skiing: Mikaela Shiffrin is next. Let’s see if she can improve on her 7th placed finish … she skis down well but her speed is conservative and she is 0.25sec behind the current leader, Lara Della Mea of Italy after a few really late turns. Sixth for now and off the podium. She waves to the supporters who will be rooting for her in the slalom in two days’ time.
Alpine skiing: Asja Zenere of Italy leads the second run after 12 racers in the women’s giant slalom second run.
Snowboard: Huw Nightingale loses ground in his race and finishes third, 1.09sec behind Canada’s Eliot Grondin. That gives Charlotte Bankes a lot of work to do.
But not a problem for her! She moves to the lead from the inside and then is stuck in second but at the final stretch she edges ahead of Australia’s Mia Clift. Bankes and Nightingale are through to the semi-finals. “British finally have something to cheer about in the snowboard cross,” says Ed Leigh on BBC Sport commentary.
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Snowboard: The mixed team cross event has begun with Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale of Team GB in action. France 2 and Switzerland 1 take the first two spots to qualify for the semis.
GB up next!
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Alpine skiing: On to the women’s giant slalom. Italy’s Federica Brignone is ahead by 0.34sec after the first of two runs. The 35-year-old already won gold in the super-G earlier at these Games and is competing after recovering from multiple leg fractures and a torn anterior cruciate ligament which she suffered last April.
Lena Duerr of Germany is second, 0.34sec behind and Brignone’s teammate Sofia Goggia is third.
Mikaela Shiffrin of the US, looking for her first Olympic medal in eight years, sits seventh, just over a second back. Shiffrin, the 2018 Olympic champion in this event, is trying to bounce back after a disappointing fourth place finish in the combined earlier in the Games, when her sluggish slalom run dropped Shiffrin and teammate and reigning Olympic downhill champion Breezy Johnson from first to fourth.
Shiffrin promised she would learn from her slalom run in the combined. While she was solid and never came close to danger, she also could not quite find the speed of the leaders. None of her four timing splits ranked in the top four among early competitors.
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Summary of the day so far
If you’re just joining us, here is what has happened on day 9 so far:
Johannes Høsflot Klæbo led Norway to victory in the men’s 4x7.5km cross-country relay to win a record ninth career Olympic gold. The 29-year-old has won four gold medals at these Games and is widely expected to take another two in the men’s team sprint and 50km classic race on Saturday.
After a miserable start to the Olympics for the much-heralded Swedish biathlon team, Martin Ponsiluoma managed to shake off the dust with a perfect series of five shots on the final shoot and superb last lap to grab gold in the men’s 12.5km pursuit. The 30-year-old piled the pressure on the leader Emilien Jacquelin of France, who missed twice to incur two costly penalty loops and open the way to victory for the Swede.
Canada’s Mikael Kingsbury won gold in the new Winter Olympics sport of dual moguls, claiming victory three days after narrowly missing a win in the single-format moguls. The 33-year-old Kingsbury, the oldest man racing in dual moguls, has claimed a medal in each of the four Olympics he has competed in. It was Canada’s first title of Milano Cortina.
Bruce Mouat’s British men’s team picked up a 9-4 curling round-robin win over Germany, while Olympic champions Sweden suffered their fourth loss of the campaign to leave their title defence on the brink, losing to the United States 8-5.
Bobsleigh: The first two heats have finished in the women’s monobob. Germany’s Laura Nolte has a 0.22sec lead over Elana Meyers Taylor of the United States, with a combined time of 1:59.12. She has delivered the two cleanest runs by far, mastering this tricky track better than most.
The Beijing 2022 champion Kaillie Humphries Armbruster of Canada moved into a third in the second heat, followed by Switzerland’s Melanie Hasler and Kaysha Love of the US. Heats three and four are tomorrow.
🥇 Norway win cross-country skiing in the men's 4 x 7.5km relay as Klæbo breaks gold medal record
Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo crosses the finish line well in first and he is surrounded by his teammates. He is the first Winter Olympian in history to win nine golds. And he still has a couple more events to go at this Olympics.
Klæbo surpasses the record that his compatriots Marit Bjørgen, Ole Einar Bjørndalen, Bjørn Daehlie, who all had eight golds before Milano Cortina.
Victor Lovera helps France win their first medal in this event to take silver and Italy’s Federico Pellegrino pips Finland to bronze.
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Thanks Daniel and hello all. Klæbo’s extended his lead to about 21sec now. He is almost there …
Righto, I’m off for a break, but Yara El-Shaboury is here to call Klæbo home. What a ludicrous freak of nature he is; amazing behaviour.
Gosh, Lovera is indeed paying for the effort which halved the lead and, with a circuit to go, Klæbo is 19.5s ahead, his ninth gold medal so close he can almost feel it breaking. History has its eyes on him.
Klæbo continues, daintily skipping around a corner before focusing on forcing his way uphill; meantime, Rob Walker notes he’s two more events to come, so who even knows what sort of record he’s setting as he continues in pursuit of a ninth gold.
Heat two of the women’s monobob is over, Nolte of Germany leading overall. But with Meyers Taylor and Armbruster Humphries of USA just 0.22 and 0.31 behind, in second and third, tomorrow is on.
France cut the lead to almost 6s, but how much puff has Lovera exhausted putting requisite effort in? Klæbo has a look over his shoulder, then powers on uphill; he’s in a race here.
Tagged in, Klæbo gets himself away with a 12.2s lead over France; Finland are third. But this is all about the ridiculous Norwegian. History is his for the skiing yourself half-dead then taking.
Norway lead the men’s 4x7.5km relay by around 20 seconds. Klaebo’s ninth gold is so close, and what a party he’ll be having tonight if he can see it out.
Armbruster Humphries is 40; goodness, to still be doing this.
Oooh, Hasler of Switzerland is going well and she takes the lead in the monobob, but now Armbruster Humphries of USA, the reigning champ – fourth on the first run – is away. Can she move up the leaderboard? It looks that way as she nails the course … and she’s 0.47 inside the leading time, going into the gold-medal position.
I’m also watching the second run of the women’s monobob, which isn’t a haircut; the third and fourth, which will decide the medals, are tomorrow but, in the meantime, Buckwitz of Germany leads.
In this relay, the first two team members use classic technique and the second two freestyle.
Norway still lead, which means Klaebo is in with a chance of his ninth gold medal. I think he’s on the anchor leg, but for now his teammate Hedegart is ploughing on.
Norway are well ahead now in the men’s 4x7.5km relay, coming into the stadium, and the leas is 10.2s; Finland are second, Italy third and France fourth.
The relay course has hills they kind of skip up, followed by some downhill on the other side; Norway lead from Finland, the gap widening, with Canada and USA third and fourth and we come towards the end of leg two, two more to go.
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My goodness, this men’s 4.75km relay looks deeply unpleasant. Norway lead, from Finland, from USA, from Canada, but it’s close, 1.8s separating the first four.
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Don’t forget: coming up at 12.30pm, we’ve got the second and final run of the women’s giant slalom, Brignone of Italy, super g gold medalist, with a decent lead having come back from shattering her leg at the end of last season.
Also going on:
Txema’s run is competent enough but nothing wowing, then out of nowhere, looking to turn it up on his second run, he catches a toe-edge, and that’s the end of his competition. On the plus side, though, he’s fine, and he’ll be back.
Kira Kamura, Japan’s big air gold medalist, covers himself in mediocrity with a 69.20 mark; that leaves him 12th with, I think, only 12 going into the final. Menzies of Australia, Kleveland of Norway and McMorris of Canada are through, having gone above 81; now here comes Txema…
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Txema is a tremendous name. Mazet-Brown was born on Réunion, near Madagascar, to a French father and a British mother, growing up in New Zealand and, at 19, has plenty of time to get as good as he’ll need to.
The men’s 4x7.5km relay is under way in the cross-country skiing, Klaebo going for a record ninth golsd, while Txema Mazxet-Brown is repping for GB in the men’s slopestyle snowboard quallies.
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🥇 Mikael Kingsbury of Canada wins gold in men's freestyle skiing dual moguls
He is the event’s first champion having won moguls gold last time out; Horshima takes silver for Japan, with Graham having secured bronze for Australia.
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Horshima can’t do anything with the second jump! Golds is going to Kingsbury!
Off they go and both nail the first jump but Horshima is losing control!
Now for the final, Horshima of Japan versus Kingsbury of Canada, the favourite…
The judges take a while to reach a verdict in the men’s moguls bronze-medal run-off ... but Graham of Australia beats Shimikawa of Japan 20-15.
🥇 Martin Ponsiluoma wins gold for Sweden in men's biathlon 12.5km pursuit
Lægreid of Norway takes silver and Jacquelin of France hangs on for bronze.
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Here we go with the mogul small final, Shimikawa v Graham, for the bronze, and Shimikawa leads but Graham comes from behind to finish first; who will take bronze?
The final of the dual moguls is imminent; in the biathlon, Ponsiluoma leads Laegrid by 20.6.
Beef on ice.
More more more more more more more.
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Time for the second semi of the men’s dual moguls, Graham of Australia against Horshima of Japan, and they both give the run a lesson, Horshima coming from behind to finish first … and snatch a 21-14 win. He meets Kingsbury in the final.
Laegrid of Norway is past Jacquelin now, with Perrot, also of France, chasing him; Ponsiluoma leads by 19s.
Ponsiluoma is still killing it in the biathlon, but Jacquelin is being chased and he’s struggling.
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It’s time for the semis of the men’s dual moguls. The intensity of this tournament is brilliant and our first ruckus puts Kingsbury against Shimakawa, and the Japanese loses the run of himself! Kingsbury of Canada eases into the final and will take some beating.
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It’s getting real in the men’s biathlon, Ponsiluoma now leading Jacquelin but by a way, and he’s clear! The French lad looks shot!
In the men’s biathlon, Jacquelin of France leads, from Ponsiluoma of Sweden from Laegrid of Norway from Christiansen of Norway.
Ikuma of Japan sorts out Walczyk of USA in the latest mogul quarter, which naturally puts us all in mind of this:
Good work from Bruce Mouat, who bins a couple of red stones from the house, and if he can land another, Germany will probably call it a match. He does, the handshake comes, and that’s that.
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We’re playing the ninth end in the curling, GB leading Germany 7-4; they face Switzerland, the current round robin leaders, later in the day, and look a serious medal contender; their one loss came 9-7 to Italy.
Ach, Yung of South Korea skis right across the course and he’s out, so Kingsbury of Canada, which sounds odd to those of us familiar with London NW9, is into the semis.
Back to the moguls, it works like a knockout cup competition, Wallberg now taking on Shimakawa of Japan, he beats him down … and is shocked to find he loses 19-16. I love this format.
Back with the curling, GB lead Germany 7-4 after eight, but having just lost an end 2-0, aren’t quite home yet. Currently, they sit joint second in the standings with Canada, their record 3-1; Switzerland are top with 4-0.
The drop as they start the mogul run is not pleasant. Kingsbury of Canada, the OG, sees off Kolmakov of Kazakhstan 23-12, then Mickel of USA wallops Woods of Australia 32-2, and Graham of Australia dispatches Stegfeldt of Sweden 27-8.
Ahhhh.
Great headline too. I was in Ibiza last summer and saw the incredible David Morales remix Love is in the Air, not this version but this is all I’ve got.
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Ah, the way the moguls work is with two competitors racing down against each other, with points awarded for speed and tricks – they leap down the track hitting bumps and doing everything you’d never, ever, want to do, with the loser going out and, in the third race, Jung of South Korea massacres Gay of France 26-9.
Back with the men’s curling, GB lead Germany 7-2 playing the eighth, while Norway are up 6-5 on Italy and USA 6-3 on Sweden,.
This mogul situation might be the most terrifying thing yet. Viel of Canada has just clattered himself, but Wallberg of Sweden now bousts down to score 27.
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Coming up next: starting roundabout now, we’ve got the quarters of the men’s dual moguls; at 10.15, it’s the biathlon men’s 12.5km pursuit, medals awarded; at 10.46, it’s the final of them moguls; and at 11am, Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, who on Friday equalled the Olympic record by taking an eighth gold, is gunning for a ninth in the men’s 4x7.5km cross-country skiing relay.
Back with the men’s curling, GB lead Germany 5-2 playing the seventh, and this is near enough over as a contest.
That’s it with run one of the women’s Super G. She completely disarmed that course,” Chemmy Alcott says of Brignone. The second and final run is coming up at 12.30pm GMT.
Durr of Germany looks good on as she weaves down the giant slalom course, and this is very good; she finishes 0.34 off the lead in second, and behind her Goggia of Italy also puts down something serious, news of the line to take wending its way back up to the top of the course. She slots in third, 0.46 off the lead, and now Brignone is in sight, while Shiffirin is seventh.
In run one of the monobob, Laura Nolte of Germany leads the first run, with Nicoll of GB 14th, 1.10 off the lead.
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Brignone smashed her leg at the end of last season, fought her way back, and now look!
Goodness me, she’s almost perfect as she nears the end, and 1:03.23 is her time! That puts her 0.74 up on Colturi, Hector and Stjernesund, plus a whole 1.02 on Shiffrin!
This downhill course is so sporting. Gasienica Daniel of Poland is doing nicely, like the others before her, then makes a huge error lower down and is 10th. But have look! Brignone, champ in super g, is taking this run to school! She is killing it!
Britain now lead Germany 5-2 in the men’s curling, all over them. Elsewhere, Italy are up 5-4 on Norway and USA 4-2 on Sweden.
All this talk of Hector…
In the curling, okaying the fifth end, GB still lead Germany 4-2, playing the fifth, while Valerie Grenier of Canada, whose had a bad Games so far but love a giant slalom, whizzes down the course and this is a decent run; she goes fifth, 0.29 off the lead, but Colturi, who chose Albania not Italy, is killing it! She’s in with a chance of taking the lead … and she finishes in 1:03.97! A third to record that time, and she leads alongside Stjernesund and Hector.
Scheib from Austria is another with a chance of taking the lead as she canes it down the bottom section of the course, but another who can’t go clean, going far too wide on a gate, and slots in fifth, 0.39 off the lead. There are going to be a lot of these in with a chance of a medal in the second run, coming up at 12.30.
Also going on:
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In the curling, GB now lead Germany 4-2; in the women’s giant, Thea Louise Stjernesund or Norway and Sara Hector of Sweden lead with 1:03.97, but Moltzan of USA is flying down … but mistakes on the lower half means she must be content with fourth; Mikaela Shiffrin of USA, the consensus goat, is third, 0.28s off the lead.
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Preamble
Buongiorno a tutti e benvenuti alle Olimpiadi invernali 2026 – nono giorno!
There’s so much action today it’s almost indecent, and there’s some going on right now, GB men taking on Germany in the curling round robin – it’s 2-2 playing the fourth and they’ll be back this evening to take on Switzerland.
Otherwise, we’ve got both runs of the women’s giant slalom, the first starting as we speak, with Adele Nicoll, the British shot-put champ, going in the monobob, heats starting now; Txema Mazet-Brown is in the snowboard slopestyle, starting at 9.20; with the men’s 12km pursuit biathlon and the dual moguls freestyle skiing are our mid-morning medals.
Around lunchtime, Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale are in the snowboard cross mixed team event; Maisie Brooks goes in the snowboard slopestyle qualification; and there are medals to be seized in the mixed snowboard cross team and women’s biathlon 10km pursuit.
Then around teatime, Tabby Stoecker and Matt Weston, along with Freya Tarbit and Marcus Wyatt, contest the mixed team skeleton, medals to be awarded; Anastasia Vaipan-Law and Luke Digby attack the figure skating pairs; we’ve the women’s 500m speed skating chaos; and the women’s individual large hill ski jump.
Esattamente! Andiamo!
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