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Tag: Olympics

  • Vibe Shift: Patriotic Optimism Is Back, Baby | RealClearPolitics

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    The nostalgia created by the U.S. men’s hockey team for a more innocent time is transforming the nation, reminding us that we are one nation under God, and infusing the country with optimism.

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    Batya Ungar-Sargon, Substack

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  • After going for gold, Canes come back from Olympic break striving for silver

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    A 20-day break for the Carolina Hurricanes ends on Thursday as the closing push of the NHL regular season begins and the focus returns to a familiar goal.

    Three Hurricanes players participated in the Milan Cortina Olympics and all three were medalists for their respective countries. Defenseman Jaccob Slavin (U.S.), forward Seth Jarvis (Canada) and alternate captain Sebastian Aho (Finland) all got recognition on the final day of Olympic play. Now, they’re back in the states and face a stretch of 25 games in 48 days before the postseason grind in search of more hardware. 

    Slavin has been part of a Canes core group that’s routinely reached the playoffs and been in conversations for Stanley Cups but has yet to break through. The two-time winner of the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy was still grateful from winning the Gold Medal with Team USA, a first for the program since 1980s famous “Miracle on Ice” in Lake Placid, New York.

    “It was such an amazing group of guys that we won that with,” Slavin said to the media on Wednesday. 

    Now that he’s won gold, it’s a silver cup he’s eyeing. 

    “There’s a lot of happiness to be had in that, but at the same time, it makes you taste victory,” Slavin said. “Now it’s like, I want to come back here and do it with these guys, the Canes, and be able to win a Cup with them – the guys you battle with all year long.”

    Jarvis was part of Canada’s Silver Medal effort, a disappointing outcome for the favorites, but spoke of another opportunity in the future. Jarvis is 24 and would be 28 for the 2030 Olympics. 

    “It’s a reminder that we didn’t finish the job,” Jarvis said. “We didn’t win… I’m gonna keep (my medal) and be proud of it, but it’s motivation for hopefully, if I get another chance, to do right by it, and then come home with gold.”

    It was the first Olympic playing experience for Aho. Finland stayed with Canada in the semifinal until a goal with 35 seconds left sent Canada to the Gold Medal game. Aho scored in Finland’s 6-1 win against Slovakia for the Bronze Medal.

    “We enjoyed every second of it,” Aho said. “That’s what you have to do. You have to make the most of it when you’re there. I’m really proud of how we played, but also, while playing our tails off, we had some fun. It was a great experience.”

    Aho did not practice on Thursday, but coach Rod Brind’Amour said he “should be” good to go this week.

    The Canes are at the top of the Metropolitan Division and two points behind Tampa Bay, who they face tonight at Lenovo Center. They won five of six games entering the break. Next week brings a west coast trip with games against Seattle, Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary. Another playoff spot is basically on ice and would put Carolina the in the postseason for the eighth straight year.

    Goaltender Brandon Bussi’s emergence has been a key component of the Canes’ 36-15-6 record. The 27-year-old, who signed off waivers, has arguably been the Canes’ most impressive player for the first four months of the season. Bussi was not an Olympic participant, but had an equally important break by signing a three-year extension with the team. He’s got a 23-3-1 record with a 2.16 goals against average and a .908 save percentage.

    Bussi was in the starter’s crease for practice Thursday morning.

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  • Macklin Celebrini welcomes pressure as spotlight on Sharks starts to grow

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    SAN JOSE – Macklin Celebrini had just finished his first practice back with the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday – after an unforgettable Olympic experience — when he entered a room filled with cameras and reporters.

    “Most media we’ve had. Ever,” Celebrini said. “Starting to feel like a Canadian market.”

    And a reflection of his growing popularity, as Celebrini’s record-setting performance at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics – capped by a gold medal game watched by tens of millions of fans — raised his profile here at home and across the NHL.

    Roughly a dozen news outlets, several more than usual, attended the Sharks’ practice on Wednesday as Celebrini skated with his teammates for the first time since he returned from Italy late Monday night.

    Some of those local media outlets were at a Sharks practice for the first time this season, underscoring the team’s growing relevance and Celebrini’s reach as one of the Bay Area’s most recognizable sports figures.

    “I know Mack is certainly proud to be Canadian, and he should be,” but we were also proud to represent, you know, San Jose Sharks, the Bay Area, the community around here, the fans, obviously, he’s become, you know, the face of the franchise, in a sense,

    Thursday’s game against the Calgary Flames, which begins a six-game homestand, is trending toward a sellout crowd of 17,435.

    Tickets are also scarce and pricey for San Jose’s weekend games against McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday and goalie Connor Hellebuyck – who made 41 saves for Team USA in the gold medal game — and the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday.

    The Sharks have already sold out 12 of 26 home games this season, after having capacity crowds in 15 of 41 games at SAP Center last season.

    “This was the goal,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “Not to talk to this many media people, but the goal was to get the energy back in the building and get people talking about the Sharks again, and I think the players did a great job of doing that.”

    San Jose Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini speaks about his experience representing Canada at the Olympics during a press conference at Tech CU Arena in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) 

    “This homestead is going to be pretty much sold out,” Warsofsky added. “Crowds and people are going to be excited to see our team play again.”

    As excited as Celebrini was to be back in San Jose, there was still some bitterness as to how the Olympic tournament ended.

    Playing alongside the game’s greatest player in Connor McDavid, Celebrini had a tournament-leading five goals in six games, and his 10 points made him the highest-scoring teenager in an Olympics involving NHL players.

    While Celebrini on Wednesday expressed gratitude for the opportunity to represent his native country of Canada on hockey’s biggest international stage, where he played with several of the game’s greatest stars, there remained – reasonable or otherwise — a feeling of failure.

    Celebrini and the Canadians did enough to beat the United States in Sunday’s gold medal game at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Italy. But the heart-stopping final came down to 3-on-3 overtime, where New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes scored the winning goal, handing the Americans a 2-1 win and their first Olympic gold medal in men’s hockey since 1980.

    For anyone who thought Celebrini would now be past the disappointment of losing the men’s hockey gold medal game, think again.

    “A lot of those guys I looked up to my whole childhood, and it was an honor play with them and be around them every single day,” Celebrini said at Sharks Ice. “But it sucks. It’s a little sour that you look back at it and just didn’t get the job done.”

    How long does he think that sour feeling will last?

    “Forever,” Celebrini said.

    San Jose Sharks' Macklin Celebrini (71) and San Jose Sharks' Vincent Desharnais (5) talk during the first practice after the Olympics at Tech CU Arena in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
    San Jose Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini (71) and San Jose Sharks’ Vincent Desharnais (5) talk during the first practice after the Olympics at Tech CU Arena in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) 

    Now the Sharks are hoping other Olympians, Sweden’s Alex Wennberg, Switzerland’s Philipp Kurashev, and Slovakia’s Pavol Regenda, can use the pressure of an Olympic tournament – and the disappointment that came with it — to their benefit as their playoff chase resumes.

    Celebrini said playing with McDavid, the NHL’s leading scorer before Wednesday and a three-time Hart Trophy winner, and Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon, the league’s second-leading scorer, showed him “where the bar is at.”

    “Those guys play with such pace, and they think the game so fast, and the level that they play at, the practice that they play at, probably the fastest practices I’ve ever been a part of.

    “Just being around them, practicing with them, playing with them, it’s a different level.”

    The Sharks’ homestand is going to be vitally important to any postseason hopes, as they entered Wednesday five points out of a playoff spot with 27 games left to play.

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    Curtis Pashelka

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  • Tricome: The U.S. men’s hockey team really couldn’t help itself

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    Team USA finally beat Canada to win gold. It was monumental, and the celebration and medal ceremony was beautiful. Then they got into the locker room, and just had to bring politics into it.

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    Nick Tricome

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  • Flavor Flav Invites U.S. Women’s Hockey Team to Vegas

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    As the U.S. Men’s hockey team heads to the White House following their Olympic win, the gold-winning women’s team are offered a trip to Vegas with Flavor Flav

    The women’s and men’s U.S. hockey teams jointly made history at this year’s Milan-Cortina Games, both receiving gold in an Olympic sweep. Despite both teams achieving wins, only the men’s team received a phone call from the White House. 

    The men’s U.S. hockey team faced controversy over the weekend when a video of the phone call with President Donald Trump went viral. In the video, the president jokes that he would “have to bring the women’s team” to the State of the Union Address or likely face impeachment. The team then laughed in response. 

    Following the remark, a spokesperson for the women’s U.S. hockey team declined the invitation on behalf of the Olympic gold winners. 

    “We are sincerely grateful for the invitation extended to our gold medal–winning U.S. Women’s Hockey Team and deeply appreciate the recognition of their extraordinary achievement,” the USA Hockey spokesperson said. “Due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments following the Games, the athletes are unable to participate.”

    Rapper and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Flavor Flav, in turn, invited the group to join him in Vegas for “good times.”

    “If the USA Women’s Hockey team wants a real celebration and invite, I’ll host them in Las Vegas,” Flav wrote on social media on Monday.

    The rapper, who is an Olympic enthusiast and sponsor for the U.S. women’s water polo team, later posted a formal invitation on social media, to which he said the team has officially accepted. 

    In an Instagram post shared by the U.S. women’s hockey team, many brands showed up in the comments to offer partnerships, including StubHub, Liquid I.V., TOMS and BÉIS Travel.

    The women’s Team USA defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime on Thursday. In similar fashion, the men’s team defeated Canada 2-1 on Sunday, also in overtime. 

    Tuesday morning, members from the men’s team flew from Miami to Washington D.C., in what appeared to be a U.S. government plane, shown in images posted by forward Matthew Tkachuk. The team met with Trump for a photo-op in the Oval Office. 

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    Taylor Parise

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  • Alysa Liu reveals the surprising story behind her lip piercing

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    Alysa Liu has captivated the world with her infectious joy, incredible talent and alternative style, the latter of which is rarely found in the world of competitive figure skating. 

    The 20-year-old Olympic champion is easily recognizable for her black and blonde-striped hair and for her silver lip piercing that only appears when she smiles. 

    © Getty Images for USOPC

    Smiling wide

    Alysa recently shared insight into the frenulum piercing, which sits in the middle of her upper gum and rests on her frontmost teeth, revealing that she did it herself at home.

    “I pierced it a little over two years ago now,” she told TMJ4 News. “I had my sister hold up my lip, and I was looking in the mirror, and I had my piercing needle and then – yeah, I just put it through.”

    alysa liu gold medals© Getty Images for USOPC

    Halo hair

    Alysa later shared with reporters the story behind her unique hairstyle, which features rings of blonde that she has dubbed “halos”.

    “I originally actually wanted raccoon stripes three years ago, but I was like, ‘Too much, too long, and it’s going to be hard to upkeep,’” she said during a press conference in January.

    “Then I thought, I kind of want to be a tree, add a new ring every year, and so I did my second one the next year. It just grows out, and then so this year, I just did the same thing. I’m just gonna keep adding one every time.”

    alysa liu and amber glenn gold medals© Getty Images for NBC

    Alternative Alysa

    The two-time gold medal winner has a distinctive style off the ice, too, which she called “alternative”.

    “I love masculine style so much. I feel really comfortable in it. Off the ice, I don’t dress as feminine. To me, that is skating,” she explained to Cosmopolitan.

    “I’ll wear skirts, too, but I definitely love a good masculine street style. When I am at public events, and I’m wearing my usual style, people will say, ‘Oh, I thought you were, like, a snowboarder.’ I take it as a compliment. I like throwing people off,” she added.

    Changing the game© Getty Images

    Changing the game

    Alysa retired from skating in 2022 and returned to the sport in 2024, with several stipulations for her coaches the second time around.

    “I made a deal with my coaches: No one tells me what I’m gonna wear. No one tells me how my hair is gonna be. No one’s gonna try to change me. I’m going to pick my own programs and skate the sessions I want to skate,” she told the publication.

    “Y’all are my coaches. You guys are going to help me and lead me in training, but I’m structuring it the way I want to.”

    alysa liu gold outfit skating© NurPhoto via Getty Images

    Staying strong

    The California native added: “They mentioned some judges and higher-ups might be concerned. I said if they tell me to dye my hair back, I will quit. If they don’t like it and they want to give me less scores or treat me differently, that’s on them. If I change my hair, it’s gonna be because I wanted to.”

    Alysa’s infectious energy won her millions of fans worldwide following her winning performance at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympic Games in February.

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    Faye James

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  • USA men’s hockey draws criticism after Olympic win over Canada

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    On Sunday, Feb. 22, the 2026 Winter Olympics officially closed out its final event with Team USA men’s hockey taking on Team Canada, with a 2-1 final tally.

    This wasn’t just any hockey game. This game pit two rivals against each other, and adding to the drama, it ended in a close overtime win for Team USA.

    With that win, Team USA ended their gold medal drought in men’s hockey, following Jack Hughes’ final goal to get that 2-1 score. The win marks the U.S.’s first gold medal in men’s ice hockey since 1980.

    But, not everybody is happy with the result of the game. Following the win, Canadian ice hockey player Evander Kane took to social media to give his two cents about the outcome, and he wasn’t happy with it.

    In a post on X just minute after the game, he stated, “3 on 3 should never what determines a championship game,” obviously not happy with the outcome.

    Followers responded, one stating, “Makar causes 2 goals. That’s what shouldn’t have happened.” Another added, “100% agree, that’s not a good way to decide.”

    “Here come the excuses for our Canadian friends,” one more said. “Can’t agree more,” one more stated.

    After Jack Hughes’ winning goal, he told reporters, according to ESPN, “Your whole life you’re always going up against things. There’s always new adversities, new challenges. Every single player in that game went through so many things.”

    He added, “It’s a journey, the whole lifetime of work. I’m just a part of that. I think every single person in that game can be proud. Obviously, a great game and we had the better outcome but just a great game between USA and Canada.”

    More sports and Olympics news: Mikaela Shiffrin had a 2-word response to the Olympic men’s hockey final

    Now, the final Olympic medal count is here, and Norway has earned the title of the No. 1 country in the 2026 Winter Olympics. They notched with 41 medals, 18 of which were gold, 12 of which were silver and nine bronze, according to Olympics research.

    More sports and Olympics news: Mikaela Shiffrin Reveals What Led to ‘Today’ Show Slip-Up From Olympics

    The United States rounded out the Games in the No. 2 slot with 33 total medals, 12 of which are gold and silver and nine bronze. Coming in at No. 3 is the Netherlands at 20 total medals: 10 gold, seven silver and three bronze.

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  • For Macklin Celebrini, things are about to change after historic Olympic effort

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    San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini stood stone-faced as an Olympic silver medal was placed around his neck on Sunday at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena.

    This wasn’t what Team Canada’s youngest player wanted. Or expected.

    Celebrini and the Canadians lost 2-1 to the United States in a heart-stopping final as New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes scored 1:41 into 3-on-3 overtime to give Team USA its first gold medal in men’s hockey since the Miracle on Ice team stood atop the podium in Lake Placid in 1980.

    During the 12-day tournament, the first to include NHL players since 2014, Celebrini finished second in scoring with 10 points, becoming the highest-scoring teenager in Olympic men’s hockey history. Still just 19, he was named to the Olympic all-tournament team, as his five goals led all skaters.

    All of that did little to ease the sting of Sunday’s loss for the ultra-competitive Celebrini.

    “The whole time, we believed in ourselves,” Celebrini said. “We had lots of chances, I had lots of chances I missed. You get put in those situations, you have to capitalize on your opportunities, and I didn’t.”

    Still, during the Games, Celebrini grew from being one of the NHL’s coolest stories this season and a burgeoning Bay Area star to having a much bigger international profile while cementing his status as one of the game’s greatest players.

    From the start, Celebrini fit in seamlessly alongside the NHL’s leading scorer, Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, and regularly played during Canada’s most high-leverage moments.

    Just before Hughes’ goal Sunday, Celebrini was on the ice with Vegas Golden Knights forward Mitch Marner. Those two combined on an overtime goal that lifted Canada past Czechia in Wednesday’s quarterfinals.

    Canadian forward Nathan MacKinnon was moved onto a line with McDavid and Celebrini early in round-robin play. The longtime center played right wing on that line and said, “I understand the position and obviously playing with the best player in the world (in McDavid), and maybe the second-best player in the world, in Macklin, it was a lot of fun.”

    MILAN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 22: USA’s #74 Jaccob Slavin (2L) and Canada’s #17 Macklin Celebrini vie for the puck during the men’s gold medal ice hockey match between Canada and USA at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games on February 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Julien de Rosa – Pool/Getty Images) 

    Now, it seems, nothing will be the same for Celebrini, who is still more than three months away from his 20th birthday.

    Thanks to the massive viewership numbers that were expected for Sunday’s game, Celebrini will no doubt become more visible wherever he goes. As time goes on, the expectations for him and the Sharks will also increase, and by playing so well this season and on the world stage, Celebrini will likely help San Jose become a more attractive place for free agents.

    Heck, since Celebrini and McDavid played so well together and found instant chemistry, there’s already been speculation that McDavid will leave the Oilers in 2028 when he becomes a free agent and joins the Sharks. We’ll see what happens.

    “If you want to see a special talent, come watch the Sharks,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said Saturday. “If you’re a hockey fan, if you’re not a hockey fan, you can just feel there’s a little bit of buzz around the area.

    “I’m getting texts from people back home (in Massachusetts), because we’re on late, and now they’re going to stay up and watch the Sharks. And credit to Mack, he’s been a big part of that.”

    Celebrini and the Canadians thought they let Sunday’s game slip away after badly outshooting the Americans 42-28, including 33-18 over the final two periods.

    Celebrini had two glorious chances to score when the Canadians were on the power play late in the third period, and MacKinnon missed a wide-open net from short range.

    MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 22: Brady Tkachuk #7 of Team United States shakes hands with Macklin Celebrini #17 of Team Canada after the team's 2-1 overtime victory in the Men's Gold Medal match between Canada and the United States on day 16 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
    MILAN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 22: Brady Tkachuk #7 of Team United States shakes hands with Macklin Celebrini #17 of Team Canada after the team’s 2-1 overtime victory in the Men’s Gold Medal match between Canada and the United States on day 16 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) 

    Of American goalie Connor Hellebuyck’s 41 saves, perhaps the most memorable was the one early in the third period on Devon Toews, where Hellebuyck used the knob of his stick to stop what could have been the game-winning goal from going in.

    “(Hellebuyck) was our best player by a mile,” said winger Matt Boldy, who scored a first-period goal to give the Americans a 1-0 lead. “He’s an absolute stud. He wants to be in those moments. He wants to make the saves. And he did just that, so he was definitely our MVP.”

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    Curtis Pashelka

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  • Renck: This was no miracle — only prideful Americans who ‘are best in the world’

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    The face of American hockey has a bloody lip, missing teeth and disheveled hair.

    Jack Hughes represents the best of us. Grit, toughness, pride, the willingness to sacrifice for others, no matter how messy or irrational.

    Forty-six years to the day of The Miracle on Ice, the Americans transformed hockey into a three-hour anthem in Italy.

    No politics, no posturing, no whining, just winning.

    U-S-A! 2, Canada 1.

    Former captain Mike Mike Eruzione was right. This was their team. This was their time. We will never forget 1980. But we no longer have to live in the past. Or have a Netflix account.

    The golden glow is back, returned by a spirited group of muckers, grinders and a breathtaking goalie.

    “It’s all about our country. I love the USA. I love my teammates. I am so proud of the Americans today. Unbelievable game by (Connor) Hellebuyck. He was our best player by a mile,” Hughes said on the NBC broadcast. “The USA Hockey brotherhood means so much. We are such a team. The brotherhood is so strong.”

    The Americans followed a script that creates goosebumps.

    They were underdogs, facing a Canadian team that boasted a battery of future Hall of Famers, including the Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar.

    Their roster was questioned, built in the image of Ford rather than Ferrari. Team USA general manager Bill Guerin wanted brawn and size, preferring players capable of preventing Canadian goals more than scoring them.

    They were inspired, hanging the No 13 jersey of Johnny Gaudreau in their locker room. Johnny and his brother Matthew were killed by a drunk driver in 2024. The Gaudreau family traveled to Milan on Friday and watched from the stands at Santagiulia Arena, eyes watering as former NHL teammates honored his memory.

    United States players pose for pictures with the jersey of the late Johnny Gaudreau (13) with his daughter Noa and son Johnny after their win over Canada in the men’s ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

    We all agree the Canadians probably beat the Americans in a best-of-seven series. But in one game, with all the pressure on the opponent, the U.S. relied on togetherness, leaned on chemistry built in the 4 Nations Face-Off.

    It is the beauty of the sport. The numbers can be lopsided. But it only takes one shift, one shot to change the outcome.

    It came at the 1:41 mark of overtime. In the required 3-on-3 format — a game like this deserved an even strength ending — Hughes took a pass from Zach Werenski and delivered the golden goal, sneaking it past Jordan Binnington.

    I screamed at the TV as many did across the country at breakfast watch parties. It was a primal outburst of appreciation and admiration.

    Canada had won every Olympics featuring NHL players. Their best was always better than everyone else. In 2010 in Vancouver, in 2014 in Sochi and at the 4 Nations last year.

    And they were the best team on the ice for two periods, even without injured captain Sidney Crosby.

    But they were playing with no elasticity, with the weight of a country that views hockey gold like the United States views Olympic basketball championships — as a birthright.

    The Americans’ plan was simple, if not unrealistic. Get ahead early, and survive the onslaught.

    Matt Boldy scored six minutes in. In a frenetic pace that even hardened commentators had never seen, Boldy chased down a bouncing puck and knifed between the Avs’ Makar and Devon Toews to score. It was the type of goal you see to win games, not start them, a testament to the magnitude of the matchup.

    United States' Matt Boldy (12) scores against Canada goalkeeper Jordan Binnington (50) during the first period of the men's ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
    United States’ Matt Boldy (12) scores against Canada goalkeeper Jordan Binnington (50) during the first period of the men’s ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

    How did he keep it on his stick and find the back of the net?

    “I don’t know,” Boldy admitted.

    The final two periods also defied explanation.

    The Canadians tilted the ice, and took aim at Hellebuyck. They outshot the Americans 33-18 over the last 40 minutes in regulation. Only one squirted through, Makar’s laser from top of the right faceoff circle.

    MacKinnon had chances, his rockets stoned or too wide. Connor McDavid raced free midway through the second period, failed to shift down and managed only a nudge into Hellebuyck’s pads. Macklin Celebrini, the future of the NHL, was left wanting on a breakaway.

    But the one everyone will be talking about forever was Hellebuyck’s denial of Toews.All alone just outside the crease, Toews had the puck with an open net. He swatted it and somehow a falling, bending, twitching Hellebuyck raised his stick for the deflection.

    United States goalkeeper Connor Hellebuyck (37) uses his stick to block a shot by Canada's Devon Toews (7) during the third period of the men's ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
    United States goalkeeper Connor Hellebuyck (37) uses his stick to block a shot by Canada’s Devon Toews (7) during the third period of the men’s ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

    This is when momentum became a movement. The Americans understood it. Hellebuyck was holding onto the rope. He needed someone, anyone, to tug with him.

    Hughes, 24, arrived straight out of central casting.

    He was a former No. 1 overall pick, who spent the early part of his career burdened by expectations. He has only reached the playoffs once with the New Jersey Devils.

    But he was from a family of patriots.

    His brother Quinn scored the overtime winner when USA defeated Sweden in the quarterfinals. Their mother Ellen Weinberg-Hughes worked as a consultant for the women’s gold medal team.

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    Troy Renck

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  • How to Watch the 2026 Olympics Closing Ceremony Without Cable to See the Final Celebration For Team USA’s Wins

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    All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, StyleCaster may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

    After more than two weeks of trials, triumphs, and tears, the 2026 Winter Olympic Games have almost come to a close.

    The 2026 Winter Olympics, officially known as XXV Winter Olympic Games, started on February 6, 2026, across Lombardy and Northeast Italy. The games saw the United States of America take home more than two dozen meals, including gold medals for fan-favorite figure skaters Ilia Malinin and Alysia Liu, who became household names after taking home the coveted prize for the United States.

    If you’ve followed the 2026 Winter Olympics from the beginning, you may want to be a part of the celebration closing out the multi-sport event before the world moves onto the 2026 Winter Paralympics on March 6. Read on for our secret on how to stream the 2026 Olympics Closing Ceremony for cheap.

    Sling is a StyleCaster sponsor, however, this article was independently written by our editors. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

    How to watch Olympics Closing Ceremony 2026

    Watch Olympics Closing Ceremony

    The 2026 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony airs on NBC, which is available to stream in select markets on services like Sling TV. Sling offers three plans with NBC in select markets: Sling Select, which starts at $29.99 per month; Sling Blue, which starts at $54.99 per month, and Sling Orange + Blue, which starts at $65.99 per month.

    As for which of Sling’s plans is right for you, Sling Select offers more than 10 channels and the ability to stream on up to three devices at one time; Sling Blue offers more than 40 channels and the ability to stream on up to three devices at one time; while Sling Orange & Blue offers more than 50 channels, the ability to stream on up to three devices, andeverything included in Sling Blue and Sling’s fourth plan, Sling Orange. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch the 2026 Olympics Closing Ceremony with Sling.

    1. Visit Sling.com
    2. Click “Try Us Today”
    3. Enter your information and payment method
    4. Select your plan between Sling Select, Sling Blue, and Sling Orange & Blue
    5. Search for “NBC”
    6. Start watching!

    When does the 2026 Olympics Closing Ceremony air?

    The 2026 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony airs on Sunday, February 22, 2026, at 8:30 p.m. local time (11:30 a.m. PT/1:30 p.m. CT/2:30 p.m. ET) on NBC.

    Where will the 2026 Olympics Closing Ceremony be at?

    The 2026 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony will be held at the historic Verona Arena in Verona, Italy.

    Who will perform at the 2026 Olympics Closing Ceremony?

    Performers at the 2026 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony include Gabry Ponte (who was previously a member of the Eurodance group Eiffel 65), Italian singer Achille Lauro, Grammy-winning singer Alessia Cara, Italian music group Meduza; The Police drummer Stewart Copeland; and Italian actress Benedetta Porcaroli.

    The 2026 Winter Olympics are available to stream with Sling.

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  • Jack Hughes scores in overtime as US beats Canada for gold at the Olympics

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    By STEPHEN WHYNO

    MILAN — No miracle needed. The United States is on top of the hockey world for the first time in nearly a half-century.

    Jack Hughes scored 1:41 into overtime and the U.S. defeated Canada 2-1 in the gold medal final at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Sunday, claiming the nation’s third men’s title at the Games and its first since the “Miracle on Ice” on 1980.

    Unlike that ragtag group of college kids that pulled off one of the biggest upsets in sports history 46 years ago by knocking off the heavily favored Soviet Union, the Americans in Milan were a machine that rode goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and a stacked roster full of NHL players through the tournament unbeaten.

    Hellebuyck was by far the best player on the ice, stopping 41 of the 42 shots he faced as Canada tilted the ice toward him. He made the save of the tournament by getting his stick on the puck on a shot from Devon Toews in the third period, then minutes later denied Macklin Celebrini on a breakaway — something he also did to Connor McDavid earlier.

    It was only fitting they needed to go through Canada, their northern neighbor that beat them at the 4 Nations Face-Off a year ago and has claimed hockey supremacy for quite some time, winning every international competition over the past 16 years that featured the world’s best players.

    Not anymore.

    Winning a fast-paced, riveting game that was full of big hits and plenty of post-whistle altercations, the U.S. got a goal from Matt Boldy 6 minutes in and led until Cale Makar tied it late in the second period. Hellebuyck and the penalty kill was a perfect 18 for 18 at the Olympics.

    The U.S. finally came through after generations of churning out talent from the grassroots level like a production line. All but two of the 25 players on the team went through USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program.

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    The Associated Press

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  • Olympics-Ice Hockey-US Claim Long-Awaited Gold by Beating Canada in Overtime Thriller

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    By Trevor Stynes and Amy Tennery

    MILAN, Feb 22 (Reuters) – The United States ended ⁠a ⁠nearly half-century wait for Olympic men’s ⁠ice hockey gold with a 2-1 overtime victory against Canada in a thrilling final on ​Sunday, with Jack Hughes delivering their third title and first since 1980 with the winning shot.

    Hughes left it all – including at least ‌one of his teeth – out on the ‌ice in a nerve-jangling triumph exactly 46 years to the day of the iconic U.S. “Miracle on Ice” victory over the ⁠Soviet Union en ⁠route to gold in Lake Placid.

    It came down to three-on-three play where Hughes collected ​a pass from Zach Werenski and fired into the net one minute and 41 seconds into the extra period, flashing a bloody, chipped grin after receiving a high stick to the face in the third period.

    The goal resulted in gloves, helmets and sticks flying over the ​ice as his teammates ran to smother the American hero.

    Matt Boldy had put the U.S. ahead after six ⁠minutes with ⁠the Americans’ first shot of ⁠the game before Canada ​levelled through Cale Makar to set up a nail-biting final period after U.S. goalie Connor Hellebuyck made 40 ​saves over the 60 minutes.

    Billed as ⁠the showpiece match the ice hockey world wanted to see following the return of NHL players to the Games after a 12-year absence, the North American rivals did not disappoint.

    Fans at the Santagiulia arena poured out duelling chants of “USA!” and “Canada!” as the players traded blows.

    It took until the sixth minute for the U.S. to get their first shot off, but they made it count.

    Boldy ⁠juggled the puck on his stick on his way past two Canadian defenders and slipped a backhander ⁠beyond the goalie.

    The U.S. had not conceded on a power play all tournament but with two players in the penalty box that impressive statistic came under threat. The Americans held firm during five-on-three play midway through the second period.

    Canada, however, finally found a way past Connor Hellebuyck in goal with less than two minutes to the final interval. Devon Toews’ pass found Makar in acres of space and the Canadian defenceman made no mistake with his wrist shot.

    The U.S. squandered a prime chance to avoid overtime when Sam Bennett, a last-minute replacement on the Canadian roster, got sent to the penalty box for four minutes after whacking Hughes across ⁠the mouth in the third period.

    However, the fans’ desperate screams did nothing to inspire another goal as the clock wound down.

    Four days after his older brother, Quinn, delivered the kill-shot in the Americans’ quarter-final win, it was Jack Hughes’ turn to shine and he proudly flashed his battle-dented smile as he wrapped himself in the ​American flag.

    Finland, gold medallists four years ago, took bronze on Saturday with a 6-1 win over Slovakia.

    (Reporting ​by Trevor Stynes and Amy Tennery; Editing by Ken Ferris)

    Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters.

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    Reuters

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  • When are the next Olympics? What to know for 2028 Los Angeles Games

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    Seventeen days of thrilling action in Milan Cortina has come to an end.

    Italy delivered on major storylines and success, ranging from Norway continuing its domination on the medal table while Team USA set a personal Winter Olympics record with the number of golds won, as Mikaela Shiffrin, Elana Meyers Taylor and more American athletes made history.

    The next Winter Olympics will take place four years from now, but the wait for the next games is half that.

    Here’s everything to know about the next Olympics after Milan Cortina:

    When are the next Olympics?

    While the next Winter Games will transpire in 2030 four years from now, the next Summer Olympics is set for 2028 — four years after the Paris Games.

    Where will the next Olympics be?

    The next Olympics will be headed to Southern California for the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games. The action will run from Friday, July 14 to Sunday, July 30.

    Which venues will be used at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics?

    Events will be spread out through over 15 zones in the Los Angeles area, including Long Beach, Inglewood, Venice and more.

    Not every event will be held in California, though, as stadiums in New York, San Jose, Columbus, Nashville, San Diego and St. Louis will host soccer games.

    The full list of official venues is on LA28’s website here.

    The LA28 team is already working on their own sustainability plans after Paris hosted the most climate-conscious Summer Olympics yet. National climate reporter Chase Cain talks with LA28’s head of sustainability about their climate goals for 2028.

    Previous Summer Olympics in the U.S.

    The 2028 Games will be the fifth Summer Olympics held in the U.S. Here are the previous four locations:

    The U.S. also hosted the Winter Games in 1932, 1960, 1980 and 2002, with the 2034 Olympics coming to Utah.

    Who will broadcast the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics?

    NBC will remain the broadcasting home for the Summer Olympics in 2028, as television and streaming rights in the U.S. will be with NBCUniversal’s platforms.

    Future Summer Olympics locations

    Beyond 2028, only the 2032 Summer Olympics have a confirmed host: Brisbane, Australia.

    Brisbane was picked Wednesday to host the 2032 Olympics

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    Sanjesh Singh

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  • Milan Cortina Olympics to close at Verona Arena as the Olympic flag passes to France for 2030

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    VERONA, Italy — The Milan Cortina Olympics end Sunday with a closing ceremony inside the ancient Verona Arena, roughly mid-distance between the far-flung mountain, valley and city venues that made these the most spread-out Winter Games in Olympic history.

    The 2½-hour ceremony will celebrate Italian music and dance, both classic and contemporary, headlining internationally acclaimed ballet dancer Roberto Bolle along with popular Italian singer Achille Lauro and DJ Gaby Ponte.

    Organizers are expecting some 1,500 Olympians, a bit over half those who competed in the Games, to parade into the monument built in the first century for gladiator fights and exotic animal hunts.

    They will enter en masse behind a pair of flag bearers from each of the 92 participating nations, including biathlete Lisa Vittozzi and speedskater Davide Ghiotto for host Italy, and hockey player Hilary Knight and ice dancer Evan Bates for the United States – all gold medal winners.

    Some 12,000 spectators will join the athletes and officials for the closing ceremony. It will be much more intimate than the opening ceremony, which starred Mariah Carey and Andrea Bocelli inside Milan’s San Siro soccer stadium, attended by more than 60,000 people.

    The ceremony will celebrate Italian lyric opera, which has been recognized by the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO as a global treasure, but also pay tribute to contemporary Italian classics. Both opera and dance are at home in the stone amphitheater, which each summer hosts a popular opera festival with lavish productions and the gala dance performance titled Roberto Bolle and Friends.

    This is the first Games for the International Olympic Committee president, Kirsty Coventry, a two-time Olympic champion in swimming, who will oversee the ceremony alongside Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

    One of the key moments of the ceremony is when the Olympic flag is handed over to the next Winter Games host nation, France, and its flag is raised next to Italy’s and Greece’s.

    The Milan Cortina Games spanned an area of 22,000 square kilometers (8,500 square miles), from ice sports in Milan to biathlon in Anterselva on the Austrian border, snowboarding and men’s downhill in Valtellina on the Swiss border, cross-country skiing in the Val di Fiemme north of Verona and women’s downhill, curling and sliding sports in co-host Cortina d’Ampezzo.

    It’s a model that will remain for future Games, to avoid the expense of building new facilities. The 2030 Winter Games in the French Alps will stage events in the Alps and Nice, on the Mediterranean Sea, while speedskating will be held abroad in a venue to be decided.

    The closing ceremony will conclude with the Olympic flames being extinguished at the unprecedented two cauldrons in Milan and Cortina, to be viewed via video link. A light show will substitute fireworks, which are not allowed in Verona, to protect animals from being disturbed.

    A total of 116 medal events have been held in eight Olympic sports across 16 disciplines, including the debut of ski mountaineering this year, over the course of 17 days of competition.

    The Milan Cortina Paralympics’ opening ceremony will also take place in the Verona Arena, on March 6, and the Games will run until March 15.

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    Colleen Barry

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  • Jack Hughes scores in overtime as U.S. beats Canada for gold at Olympics

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    MILAN (AP) — No miracle needed. The United States is on top of the hockey world for the first time in nearly a half-century.

    Jack Hughes scored 1:41 into overtime and the U.S. defeated Canada 2-1 in the gold medal final at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Sunday, claiming the nation’s third men’s title at the Games and its first since the “Miracle on Ice” on 1980.

    Unlike that ragtag group of college kids that pulled off one of the biggest upsets in sports history 46 years ago by knocking off the heavily favored Soviet Union, the Americans in Milan were a machine that rode goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and a stacked roster full of NHL players through the tournament unbeaten.

    Hellebuyck was by far the best player on the ice, stopping 41 of the 42 shots he faced as Canada tilted the ice toward him. He made the save of the tournament by getting his stick on the puck on a shot from Devon Toews in the third period, then minutes later denied Macklin Celebrini on a breakaway — something he also did to Connor McDavid earlier.

    It was only fitting they needed to go through Canada, their northern neighbor that beat them at the 4 Nations Face-Off a year ago and has claimed hockey supremacy for quite some time, winning every international competition over the past 16 years that featured the world’s best players.

    Not anymore.

    Winning a fast-paced, riveting game that was full of big hits and plenty of post-whistle altercations, the U.S. got a goal from Matt Boldy 6 minutes in and led until Cale Makar tied it late in the second period. Hellebuyck and the penalty kill was a perfect 18 for 18 at the Olympics.

    The U.S. finally came through after generations of churning out talent from the grassroots level like a production line. All but two of the 25 players on the team went through USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program.

    That group of 23 includes captain Auston Matthews, the top line of Brady and Matthew Tkachuk and Jack Eichel, and the second set of brothers, Jack and Quinn Hughes. Much of the team played together either at the program, under-18s, the world junior championship or some combination of them.

    The U.S. winning silenced criticism of general manager Bill Guerin and his management group choosing a roster full of experienced veteran players to fill specific roles and leaving four of the top 10 American goal-scorers in the NHL this season at home. Some decisions were no-doubters, like coach Mike Sullivan giving the net to Hellebuyck, who was the best goalie in the tournament.

    Canada, back-to-back Olympic champions in 2010 and ’14 and winners of three of the first five, fell short while playing without injured captain Sidney Crosby. The 38-year-old two-time gold medalist and three-time Stanley Cup champion left the quarterfinal game against Czechia and sat out the semifinal game against Finland.

    McDavid, the widely considered best player in the world who wore the “C” in Crosby’s absence, suffered another devastating defeat on the doorstep of a title. He and the Edmonton Oilers have lost to Matthew Tkachuk and the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final each of the past two years.

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    Associated Press

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  • Why Warriors are rooting hard for Macklin Celebrini ahead of USA-Canada Olympic gold medal match: ‘That kid’s just unreal’

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    SAN FRANCISCO – Gary Payton II usually concludes his Warriors press conferences by saying “you guys are great” to the assembled media. 

    But following Friday morning’s practice, the jovial wing looked directly into the rolling camera and gave a clear order to the entire region. 

    Go watch Mack, alright?” Payton declared. “Everybody, wake up in the Bay, and watch Mack.”

    Less than 24 hours before the 19-year-old Macklin Celebrini leads Canada into an 5 a.m. PST Olympic Gold medal match with the USA in Italy, Payton predicted that those who woke up for the early puck drop would enjoy watching one of the sport’s all-time greats.

    “That kid’s just unreal, and I feel like he end’s up being one of those. You know, when it’s all said and done, it will be like Wayne (Gretzky), Sid (Crosby), Alex (Ovechkin), Mac,” Payton II said. 

    Members of both the Warriors coaching staff and roster could not wait to share stories about the hockey kid who grew up around the basketball franchise before being selected No. 1 overall by the local San Jose Sharks in 2024. 

    Celebrini’s father Rick, Golden State’s vice president of player health and medicine, has been with the Warriors since 2018. It seemed as if everyone who has been associated with the organization had good memories of young Macklin. 

    Coach Steve Kerr recalled watching Celebrini play in fullcourt pickup games against mother Robyn and older brother Aiden and younger sister Charlie at the team’s old Oakland facility.

    “It’s one of the fun parts of the job, seeing the families be a part of it,” Kerr said. “One of my great memories of my playing career was when my kids were able to be involved.”

    Watching Macklin star in-person for Canada has been Rick and the entire family, but the Warriors have been supporting him stateside too. 

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    Joseph Dycus

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  • Hurricanes sled hockey sends off local teen, headed to Italy for Paralympics

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    The Hurricanes sled hockey team held a send-off after their practice on Saturday for a local teen heading to Italy for the Paralympics.

    Kayden Beasley, 19, was one of 14 people named in the initial roster for the US Paralympic Sled Hockey team.

    Beasley is a double-leg amputee above the knees. Many of his players and mentors called his growth and progression something to see.

    “You could see that he had talent, just natural, God-given talent,” said his mentor, Rob Pickel. “But he also had a fire and a drive that a lot of kids don’t have.”

    He got back from training in Colorado late Friday night and was practicing Saturday morning at Polar Ice in Raleigh with the Hurricanes Sled Hockey team.

    Team USA’s quest for a fifth-straight Paralympic gold medal begins in Milan against host Italy on Saturday, March 7.

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  • Lindsey Vonn’s Dog Died the Day After Her Devastating Olympics Crash

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    In an a historic return to competitive skiing after years away, Vonn qualified for the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. An ACL tear (Vonn’s third) wasn’t enough to keep her from the Games, but a brush with a gate during her downhill run on February 8 ended that dream. And as Vonn was rushed to the hospital to treat what would be revealed to be a complex tibia fracture, Leo suffered a crisis of his own.

    “He had been recently diagnosed with lung cancer (he survived lymphoma a year and a half ago) but now his heart was failing him,” Vonn wrote. “He was in pain and his body could no longer keep up with his strong mind.”

    Doctors advised Vonn against travel until she underwent four surgeries to stabilize the break, so she had to bid her ailing pup farewell from afar. “As I layed in my hospital bed the day after my crash, we said goodbye to my big boy,” she wrote. “I had lost so much that meant something to me in such a short amount of time.”

    Vonn wasn’t able to return home until this week, when she documented a trip taken via private plane while still reclining in a hospital bed. “My injury was a lot more severe than just a broken leg,” she wrote Tuesday. “I’m still wrapping my head around it, what it means and the road ahead… but I’m going to give you more detail in the coming days.”

    On Friday she wrote that she’d just completed a fifth surgery in a hospital in the US. “It took a bit more than 6 hours to complete,” Vonn said. “It required a lot of plates and screws to put back together.”

    “With the extent of the trauma, I’ve been struggling a bit post op and have not yet been able to be discharged from the hospital just yet,” Vonn wrote, a circumstance likely worsened by the loss of her beloved pet.

    “It’s going to be a while before I emotionally process things but I know he will always be with me,” Vonn wrote of Leo as she announced his passing this week. “There will never be another Leo. He will always be my first love.”

    First published on Vanity Fair Italy

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    Massimiliano Vitelli

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  • A record-setting Winter Olympics: 6 golds and 16 medals for the US in women’s events set marks

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    CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — The U.S. women’s hockey team had just won Olympic gold, and veteran forward Kendall Coyne Schofield summed the moment up perfectly.

    “We did it!” she exclaimed.

    Plenty of American women — more than ever at a Winter Olympics — had the same sentiment at these Milan Cortina Games.

    When it came to winning medals, they indeed did it. And in record numbers, too.

    American women — not even counting mixed events — were up to six golds and 16 medals overall through some of the competition on Saturday, the next-to-last day of these Games. The previous U.S. winter women’s-only marks: five golds (done in 1992, 2002 and 2018) and 13 medals (done in 2014 and 2022).

    “Our team is so strong,” Milan Cortina women’s slalom gold medalist and Alpine legend Mikaela Shiffrin said. “We have so many incredible athletes and teammates and friends, and everybody just showed up with so much courage and heart here. And I’m so proud to be part of this American team.”

    The count goes to 20 medals for U.S. women from Milan Cortina when adding in mixed competition. More than 40 American women will leave the Games with at least one medal — another winter record for the U.S. And those numbers could keep rising, with some medal chances still left before the cauldrons get extinguished and the Games come to a close.

    “Team USA is crushing it and it’s friggin’ sweet,” said U.S. women’s bobsledder Kaillie Humphries Armbruster — a bronze medalist in monobob and a contender for another medal in the two-woman event on Saturday night. “Women’s hockey got gold, hell yeah. It’s all definitely motivating.”

    There was shiny motivation everywhere U.S. women could look.

    Shiffrin and downhill winner Breezy Johnson won golds in Alpine skiing, Elana Meyers Taylor won in monobob, Alysa Liu won the figure skating women’s singles gold (plus another gold in the team event for both men and women), Elizabeth Lemley took the Olympic title in freestyle moguls and the women’s hockey team rallied late to force overtime and then beat Canada for that title. Kaila Kuhn was part of a gold-medal win in mixed team aerials as well — the 11th for Team USA at these Olympics, the most by the Americans in Winter Games history.

    The U.S. men have been no slouches in Italy.

    But the U.S. women have been record-setting.

    “It’s iconic. It’s legendary,” U.S. bobsledder Kaysha Love said. “At the end of the day, I think that’s why we do this.”

    In fairness, the games have grown over time, which means more women have gotten the chance to become Olympians. There were 41 events for women (excluding mixed events) at Milan Cortina, compared with 37 at Turin in 2006 and a mere 12 at Lake Placid in 1980.

    Still, records are records. And this U.S. Olympic women’s team, as a total group, set a new standard.

    The 16 medals for Americans in women’s competition at Milan Cortina, and 20 when adding in mixed events, would top the total medals won by all U.S. athletes — men, women and mixed — in every Winter Games from 1924 through 1998.

    Freestyle skiing has delivered four of the 16 women’s medals for Americans in these Games; Jaelin Kauf got two of those, both silvers in moguls.

    “There’s an incredibly strong women’s team and moguls program in the US, (which is) exactly why it’s so good,” Kauf said. “We have become extremely dominant in the last handful of years, continuing to be the best women’s team in the world for four or five years now.”

    Clearly, success breeds success. Just ask Cory Thiesse.

    She became the first American woman to medal in Olympic curling. Thiesse won silver in mixed doubles with Korey Dropkin and got there, in part, because she was inspired by past success of others — whether they were in curling or not.

    “I know how important it was for me to have girls to look up to when I was growing up, not only in my own sport but other sports out there winning medals and seeing that on TV and dreaming big because of it,” Thiesse told the AP on Friday, one day before she and the U.S. women lost the bronze-medal match to Canada. “So, I just think it’s great for future generations.”

    U.S. men’s hockey coach Mike Sullivan said the American women who delivered this year are also planting seeds for 2030, 2034 and beyond.

    “What a terrific hockey team and they’ll be an inspiration for the next generation of girls growing up in the United States,” Sullivan said after the U.S. women topped Canada for hockey gold. “It’s crazy how far women’s hockey has come in the United States, and a lot of it is due to the teams like this and the girls that play on these teams. They inspire the next generation.”

    ___

    AP National Writer Eddie Pells, AP Hockey Writers Stephen Whyno and John Wawrow, AP Sports Writer Pat Graham and AP reporter Jennifer McDermott contributed to this report.

    ___

    AP Winter Olympics coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

    Coloradans making a difference | Denver7 featured videos


    Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what’s right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.

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  • Alysa Liu and Her ‘I Don’t Give a Damn’ Aesthetic Has Captivated The World

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    Then there’s her frenulum piercing, seen in photos as a piece of jewlery that extends through through the underside of her upper lip. Speaking with NBC, Liu explained that she did the piercing herself. “I had my sister hold up my lip, and I was looking in the mirror, and I had my piercing needle,” she said of the procedure from around two years ago. The home job was motivated by cost, she said in a 2024 podcast interview. “Getting pierced at a shop is really expensive for no reason,” she said, “so I thought I’d learn it myself, be a little DIY-girl.”

    Liu’s willingness to walk away from the sport and her devil-may-care attitude about her look has inspired social media excitement, such as an X post saying “alisa liu being the first woke idgafer alt baddie to win an olympic gold medalist.…THAT’S how you make america great again.”

    Part of that attitude is Liu’s refusal to compromise. “These titles are huge, but I don’t want them to overshadow who I am and what I do and what I am all about,” Liu said after winning her gold medal. “Winning isn’t all that, and neither is losing.”

    “Through retirement, I realized I am a little bit like a creative person, and I have these ideas. I have my own sense of fashion and I’m a little bit stubborn with it. I love choreography and music, and I do it on my own terms. No one tells me what to do.”

    Alysa Liu

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    Alysa Liu.

    Alysa Liu

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    Originally published in Vanity Fair Italy

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    Alessandra Paudice

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