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Tag: Olympics

  • U.S. pays tribute to Gaudreau brothers at the Winter Olympics

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    MILAN — Johnny Gaudreau was working hard to make the U.S. team heading to the 2026 Winter Olympics. He and brother Matthew Gaudreau watched the event growing up, always with eyes on playing in it.

    “It was their dream,” Jane Gaudreau said of her sons.

    What You Need To Know

    • The U.S. men’s hockey team will play for gold against Canada, and it has honored Johnny Gaudreau’s memory along the way

    • Gaudreau and his brother Matthew Gaudreau died on Aug. 29, 2024, when an SUV hit them as they rode bikes in New Jersey

    • Team officials say Johnny Gaudreau would have been on this roster
    • A blue No. 13 jersey hangs in the locker room near Matthew Gaudreau’s No. 21. Teammates say it keeps them close

    Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau died on Aug. 29, 2024, when they were struck by an SUV while riding bicycles near their hometown in New Jersey on the eve of their sister’s wedding. Their deaths shocked the hockey community, and they have been honored since with retired numbers, a memorial 5K and more.

    An elite player a decade into his NHL career and the all-time U.S. leading scorer in international play, Johnny Gaudreau was on track to be in Milan for the tournament that wraps up Sunday when the Americans play rival Canada for the gold medal. His father, Guy Gaudreau, said USA Hockey was gracious enough to tell the family their oldest son was on the projected roster.

    “He wanted to be on this team,” Guy Gaudreau said during the third period of the U.S. semifinal win on Friday night. “And it would’ve been nice if he’d been here.”

    The U.S. is honoring the Gaudreau brothers with a tribute to them in their locker room at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. A blue No. 13 jersey hangs there as a reminder of the player known as “Johnny Hockey,” who was beloved by so many on the national team and beyond.

    “It means everything — we all know he should be here with us,” said Dylan Larkin, who played with Johnny Gaudreau at multiple world championships. “He should be with us. We love him, and I like that we continue to think about him and I wouldn’t imagine it any other way.”

    Jane and Guy Gaudreau, along with Johnny’s widow, Meredith Gaudreau, and their two oldest children arrived in Milan on Friday. The Gaudreau parents had been planning a trip to Las Vegas and initially hesitated after USA Hockey invited them to attend.

    “Our two daughters, for 24 hours, they just kept at us: ‘You have to go. The boys would want you to do this. This would mean so much to John,’” Jane Gaudreau said. “It just means so much to our family, and we’re so excited to remember what our boys meant to hockey.”

    The Gaudreau family connections to players on the roster run deep, from Boston College to the NHL. In addition to the world championships, Johnny Gaudreau played with Noah Hanifin on the Calgary Flames and Zach Werenski on the Columbus Blue Jackets.

    “Johnny was close to a lot of guys in that room,” Hanifin said. “We know he’d be here with us, so we’ve been thinking about him and carrying him with us.”


    Werenski said after he and his teammates advanced to the final that Meredith Gaudreau reached out to his wife a few days earlier to let them know they were coming.

    “It’s great having them here, and it’s super special,” Werenski said. “We’re happy that we made it to the gold-medal game, so they can watch that and be a part of it. It’s on us to make them proud.”

    Not that it would have been much of a debate, but coach Mike Sullivan confirmed what management told the Gaudreaus: Johnny Gaudreau would have been on the team if he were still alive, based on his body of work and how well he has played in a U.S. uniform.

    “He was one of America’s very best,” Sullivan said. “He’s just a good person on the ice and off the ice, and I think he’s an inspiration to our players to this very day.”

    Players still talk about Johnny Gaudreau, and “all the stories are funny,” according to Charlie McAvoy, who played alongside him at worlds.

    “Just an amazing person, just an infectious personality,” McAvoy said. “The detail, really, with our staff and our equipment staff especially to make sure that he’s always with us, little reminders of him in the room, and they just go a long way. You always see them. They’re just gentle. They’re right there. But we know that he’s always with us.”

    Along with Johnny Gaudreau’s No. 13 jersey is that number on the wall alongside Matthew Gaudreau’s No. 21. It’s similar to what USA Hockey did a year ago at the 4 Nations Face-Off, when Guy Gaudreau took part in practice as a guest coach.

    This would have been Johnny Gaudreau’s first chance to play at the Olympics after the NHL did not participate in 2018 and 2022. But it almost certainly won’t be the last time his jersey hangs in the U.S. locker room at the game, a tradition that could continue for years to come.

    “I hope so,” Larkin said. “I sure hope so.”

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    Spectrum News Staff, Associated Press

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  • Alysa Liu brings fresh look: The two-time Olympic gold medalist with rings bleached in her hair

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    Go do it again because you’re gonna do this so again anyway. See, I think it’s. Whoever said quitters never win, never met Alissa Liu. I was done *** year before I quit. I knew I wanted to be done way before I actually announced my retirement. Olympic bronze medalist on the outside, miserable teenager on the inside. I didn’t care for my choreography, the dresses, um, that was all kind of picked for me, um, so I started to think like why am I doing this? And I just wanted to see my friends, my family. I was 16, homesick. She retired to become *** teenager, trading the icy cold for the warmth of family and friends, hiking the Himalayas and college at UCLA. Like I wouldn’t even step in the rank, honestly, I was low key, *** little bit traumatized. With the entrance and the exit, but two years later, the athlete who had been the youngest US figure skating champ at 13 and the first US female figure skater to land *** quadruple jump in international competition. Unretired. Not everyone thought Alyssa coming out of retirement was *** good idea, starting with her coach. I said, Please don’t. I really did. I said, Please don’t respect your legacy. Philip De Gallielmo has coached Alyssa since she was 5. We had *** Zoom call for about 2 hours, and the story is I had *** lot of glasses of wine over that 2 hours, and she talked me into. Her comeback. Just 7 months of training and *** lot of selfies later, Alyssa Liu won *** world title in the sport she left as *** child but returned to as an adult. Nobody’s ever taken this time off, come back and won the world championships. I have *** perspective that not many of the athletes. Right now in the sport have so many people. Their goal is Olympics, and when they get there and it’s over, it’s like they don’t know what to do. You’ve known her since she was 5 years old. What’s the biggest difference now in the coaching relationship because now you got *** 20 year old adult. My 5 year old Alyssa, or 6 year old Alyssa didn’t talk back. She didn’t even talk. Now she likes to talk back. No, now she’s in charge. It’s about Alissa showing what it’s like to love what you’re doing so much that you become the best in the world at it. The best in the world while also being the happiest girl on the ice, proving two things can be true and sometimes quitting is the quickest way to winning again. On the road to Milan Cortina, I’m Deirdre Fitzpatrick.

    Alysa Liu brings fresh look: The two-time Olympic gold medalist with rings bleached in her hair

    Updated: 9:25 AM EST Feb 20, 2026

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    The 2026 Winter Olympics are full of eye-catching moments of athletic excellence – ski jumpers in the air like flying squirrels, Breezy Johnson’s gold-medal downhill finish, and Ilia Malinin at the apex of a backflip on ice.But they’re also an opportunity to admire athletes’ individual expression, and there’s no better event for it than figure skating.Two-time Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu’s fashion and accessories are shaking up typical skater looks – and they’re integral to her presence at the Games.The 20-year-old made history as the youngest women’s national champion in history at age 13, but three years later, she announced her retirement. Now, at age 20, not long after coming out of retirement, Liu is skating on her own terms, having rediscovered her love of skating. Accompanying her new era is a wardrobe that feels more like herself.”Someone called my style alternative, and I’d agree with that,” she told NBC.Liu stands out with her smiley piercing, which goes through the frenulum behind the upper lip and is only revealed when she smiles. Her hair is also breaking the mold among skaters, with thick stripes bleached blond. She’s been adding one halo, as she calls them, per year since 2023, saying the stripes are like rings on a tree.On the ice, Liu now chooses her training outfits and has more of a say in the designs she sports. She’s been photographed training in spiral-adorned tights, and her skating dress at a recent championship featured a jagged hemline and elements drawn from Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” music video.Part of what motivated her decision to retire at 16, she has said, was how little control she had over her own life.”All my memories from back then are gone. I have no idea how I felt in the moment. I have watched it, and I was crying, and I seemed super happy, so I guess I was very happy,” she told Elle, reflecting on her wins at ages 12 and 13. “I didn’t enjoy skating back then because I didn’t make my own programs, I didn’t design my own dresses — I was just following orders.”As a teenager, she said she “grew to hate figure skating” and the demands of her training schedule. “All I wanted was to be with my family and friends at home, and live like a normal teenage girl.” Now, she told the AP, “I have ideas and concepts that I want to share with the world, so I’m happy to be here, versus last time I was kind of like, ‘Let’s get this over with.’ Now I want be here, and I don’t want this to end.”As for nerves at this year’s Games, she’s calm, cool and collected.”I don’t know what’s up with me,” she said. “They’re going to actually have to dissect my brain when I’m dead and figure me out.”PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=

    The 2026 Winter Olympics are full of eye-catching moments of athletic excellence – ski jumpers in the air like flying squirrels, Breezy Johnson’s gold-medal downhill finish, and Ilia Malinin at the apex of a backflip on ice.

    But they’re also an opportunity to admire athletes’ individual expression, and there’s no better event for it than figure skating.

    Two-time Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu’s fashion and accessories are shaking up typical skater looks – and they’re integral to her presence at the Games.

    The 20-year-old made history as the youngest women’s national champion in history at age 13, but three years later, she announced her retirement.

    Now, at age 20, not long after coming out of retirement, Liu is skating on her own terms, having rediscovered her love of skating. Accompanying her new era is a wardrobe that feels more like herself.

    “Someone called my style alternative, and I’d agree with that,” she told NBC.

    MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 08: Gold medalist Alyssa Liu of Team United States celebrates with her medal following the Medal Ceremony for the Team Event after the Men's Single Skating - Free Skating Team Event on day two of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Ice Skating Arena on February 08, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

    Jamie Squire

    Gold medalist Alyssa Liu of Team United States poses with the medal after the medal ceremony for the Team Event on day two of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena on Feb. 8, 2026, in Milan, Italy.

    Liu stands out with her smiley piercing, which goes through the frenulum behind the upper lip and is only revealed when she smiles.

    Her hair is also breaking the mold among skaters, with thick stripes bleached blond. She’s been adding one halo, as she calls them, per year since 2023, saying the stripes are like rings on a tree.

    On the ice, Liu now chooses her training outfits and has more of a say in the designs she sports. She’s been photographed training in spiral-adorned tights, and her skating dress at a recent championship featured a jagged hemline and elements drawn from Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” music video.

    Alysa Liu competes in the Women's Free Skating during the 2026 United States Figure Skating Championships at Enterprise Center on Jan. 9, 2026, in St. Louis, Missouri.

    Jamie Squire

    Alysa Liu competes in the Women’s Free Skating during the 2026 United States Figure Skating Championships at Enterprise Center on Jan. 9, 2026, in St Louis, Missouri.

    Part of what motivated her decision to retire at 16, she has said, was how little control she had over her own life.

    “All my memories from back then are gone. I have no idea how I felt in the moment. I have watched it, and I was crying, and I seemed super happy, so I guess I was very happy,” she told Elle, reflecting on her wins at ages 12 and 13. “I didn’t enjoy skating back then because I didn’t make my own programs, I didn’t design my own dresses — I was just following orders.”

    As a teenager, she said she “grew to hate figure skating” and the demands of her training schedule. “All I wanted was to be with my family and friends at home, and live like a normal teenage girl.”

    Now, she told the AP, “I have ideas and concepts that I want to share with the world, so I’m happy to be here, versus last time I was kind of like, ‘Let’s get this over with.’ Now I want be here, and I don’t want this to end.”

    As for nerves at this year’s Games, she’s calm, cool and collected.

    “I don’t know what’s up with me,” she said. “They’re going to actually have to dissect my brain when I’m dead and figure me out.”

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  • Figure skater Alysa Liu retired for two years: How the time away helped her skating

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    Whoever said “quitters never win,” never met Olympic figure skater Alysa Liu. Liu’s figure skating comeback has been remarkable: The 20-year-old is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the Milan Cortina Games and a 2025 world figure skating champ.Her free skate on Olympic ice on Thursday clinched the 20-year-old the gold, marking the first time a U.S. woman won an individual figure skating gold since 2002.”My family is out there. My friends are out there. I had to put on a show for them,” Liu told the Associated Press afterward. “When I see other people out there smiling, because I see them in the audience, then I have to smile, too. I have no poker face.”She sat in third place after the short program and is the top American in those standings. The approach she took was one with no pressure on herself.”I’m OK if I do a fail program. I’m totally OK if I do a great program,” she said after the short program, according to the Associated Press. “No matter what the outcome is, it’s still my story.”Looking at her career and why she leftLiu became the youngest U.S. figure skating champ at 13. She’s the first female figure skater to land a quadruple jump in international competition.But at age 16, she announced her retirement from figure skating. Liu said she hated skating by that point and had been planning her exit for a year before she did it. Liu had skated since the age of 5. Skating can be a solitary and controlled sport. She craved teen normalcy, time with friends and freedom. She put her skates in the closet and said she didn’t miss the ice at all. “I left the sport completely,” Liu said. “Like I wouldn’t step in the rink. Honestly, I was low-key traumatized.”Liu spent the next two years making up for lost time. She spent time with her siblings in Oakland, California. She’s the oldest of five kids. She hung out with high school friends, graduated and traveled the world, including hiking in the Himalayas. She enrolled at UCLA and picked up a new sport: skiing. Skiing reminded her of skating because of the sensation of the cold air on her skin. One day, she ventured into a rink with a friend. And, she didn’t hate it. In fact, she enjoyed it. Making a comeback She started skating again for fun and then floated the idea of coming out of retirement to her longtime coach, Phillip DiGuglielmo. “I said, ‘Please don’t.’ I really did. I said, ‘Please don’t. Respect your legacy as an Olympic bronze medalist,’” DiGuglielmo said.DiGuglielmo had coached Liu since she was 5. “We had a Zoom call for two hours,” DiGuglielmo said. “The story is, I had a lot of glasses of wine over those two hours. And she talked me into a comeback.”Liu and DiGuglielmo resumed training for just seven months, and she won the 2025 World Figure Skating Championships. DiGuglielmo said no one has taken a two-year break from skating and pulled off such a feat. “It makes me think if I was one of those athletes, I’d be like, ‘Why did I just skate for the last year? I could have taken a vacation for two years. But that’s Alysa. She’s different,” DiGuglielmo said. Liu pointed out that she left her sport while still in puberty. At 20, she’s physically and mentally stronger. And, she’s competing on her own terms, taking an active role in choreography, competition and training. “I have a perspective not many of the athletes in the sport have,” Liu said. “So many people, their goal is the Olympics, and when they get there, and it’s over, they don’t know what to do. I’m really just doing this for fun.”PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=

    Whoever said “quitters never win,” never met Olympic figure skater Alysa Liu.

    Liu’s figure skating comeback has been remarkable: The 20-year-old is a 2025 world figure skating champ and an two-time Olympic gold medalist in the Milan Cortina Games.

    Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

    Alysa Liu of Team United States competes in the Women’s Single Skating – Short Program on Feb. 6, 2026.

    Her free skate on Olympic ice on Thursday clinched the 20-year-old the gold, marking the first time a U.S. woman won an individual figure skating gold since 2002.

    “My family is out there. My friends are out there. I had to put on a show for them,” Liu told the Associated Press afterward. “When I see other people out there smiling, because I see them in the audience, then I have to smile, too. I have no poker face.”

    She sat in third place after the short program and is the top American in those standings. The approach she took was one with no pressure on herself.

    “I’m OK if I do a fail program. I’m totally OK if I do a great program,” she said after the short program, according to the Associated Press. “No matter what the outcome is, it’s still my story.”

    Looking at her career and why she left

    Liu became the youngest U.S. figure skating champ at 13. She’s the first female figure skater to land a quadruple jump in international competition.

    But at age 16, she announced her retirement from figure skating. Liu said she hated skating by that point and had been planning her exit for a year before she did it.

    Liu had skated since the age of 5. Skating can be a solitary and controlled sport. She craved teen normalcy, time with friends and freedom. She put her skates in the closet and said she didn’t miss the ice at all.

    “I left the sport completely,” Liu said. “Like I wouldn’t step in the rink. Honestly, I was low-key traumatized.”

    Liu spent the next two years making up for lost time. She spent time with her siblings in Oakland, California. She’s the oldest of five kids. She hung out with high school friends, graduated and traveled the world, including hiking in the Himalayas. She enrolled at UCLA and picked up a new sport: skiing.

    Skiing reminded her of skating because of the sensation of the cold air on her skin. One day, she ventured into a rink with a friend. And, she didn’t hate it. In fact, she enjoyed it.

    Making a comeback

    She started skating again for fun and then floated the idea of coming out of retirement to her longtime coach, Phillip DiGuglielmo.

    “I said, ‘Please don’t.’ I really did. I said, ‘Please don’t. Respect your legacy as an Olympic bronze medalist,’” DiGuglielmo said.

    DiGuglielmo had coached Liu since she was 5.

    “We had a Zoom call for two hours,” DiGuglielmo said. “The story is, I had a lot of glasses of wine over those two hours. And she talked me into a comeback.”

    Alysa Liu reacts after competing in the figure skating women's single free skating final during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on Feb. 19, 2026.

    WANG Zhao / AFP via Getty Images

    Alysa Liu reacts after competing in the figure skating women’s single free skating final during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on Feb. 19, 2026.

    Liu and DiGuglielmo resumed training for just seven months, and she won the 2025 World Figure Skating Championships. DiGuglielmo said no one has taken a two-year break from skating and pulled off such a feat.

    “It makes me think if I was one of those athletes, I’d be like, ‘Why did I just skate for the last year? I could have taken a vacation for two years. But that’s Alysa. She’s different,” DiGuglielmo said.

    Gold medalist Alyssa Liu of Team United States celebrates after the medal ceremony for the Team Event on day two of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena on Feb. 8, 2026, in Milan, Italy.

    Andy Cheung/Getty Images

    Gold medalist Alyssa Liu of Team United States celebrates after the medal ceremony for the Team Event on day two of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena on Feb. 8, 2026, in Milan, Italy.

    Liu pointed out that she left her sport while still in puberty. At 20, she’s physically and mentally stronger. And, she’s competing on her own terms, taking an active role in choreography, competition and training.

    “I have a perspective not many of the athletes in the sport have,” Liu said. “So many people, their goal is the Olympics, and when they get there, and it’s over, they don’t know what to do. I’m really just doing this for fun.”

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  • Winter Olympics Recap: Alysa Liu Wins Figure Skating Gold, US Tops Canada In Women’s Hockey Final – KXL

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    MILAN (AP) — On a night of American comebacks at the Milan Cortina Games, Alysa Liu delivered the U.S. its first women’s figure skating Olympic gold medal in 24 years.

    The 20-year-old Liu performed a near-flawless free skate Thursday to upstage Japanese rivals Kaori Sakamoto and Ami Nakai. She finished with a career-best 226.79 points. Nakai and Sakamoto each made a mistake on a combination sequence.

    Liu had walked away from the sport after the 2022 Beijing Games only to launch a remarkable comeback.

    It was the first individual gold medal for an American woman figure skater since 2002, when Sarah Hughes won in Salt Lake City, and it was the second gold for Liu at these Games. She helped the Americans win team gold.

    Sakamoto scored 224.90 points to earn a silver. Nakai finished third with 219.16 points.

    Liu was third after the short program two nights earlier, though within range of gold.

    US beats Canada in OT for women’s hockey gold
    The U.S. women’s hockey team delivered an Olympic comeback for the ages by beating Canada 2-1 in overtime to win the gold medal.

    With her team trailing 1-0, American captain Hilary Knight forced overtime by tipping in Laila Edwards’ shot with 2:04 remaining in regulation.

    Megan Keller then scored 4:07 into overtime to hand the U.S. its third Olympic gold medal in women’s hockey.

    It was the seventh time the two powerhouses faced off for Olympic gold since women’s hockey debuted at the 1998 Nagano Games. In the 2022 Beijing final, Canada beat the Americans in the final.

    With the sides playing 3-on-3 in overtime, Keller broke up the left wing and pushed past Claire Thompson. Driving to the net, Keller got off a backhander that beat Ann-Renee Desbiens.

    Kristin O’Neill scored a short-handed goal for Canada in the second period.

    Earlier Thursday, Alina Muller scored the bronze medal-winning goal in overtime in Switzerland’s 2-1 victory over Sweden. It came 12 years after Muller scored the clinching goal to deliver the Swiss their first Olympic medal in women’s hockey — a bronze at the 2014 Sochi Games.

    Jordan Stolz stunned in 1,500 meters
    U.S. speedskater Jordan Stolz’s late push wasn’t enough.

    The American star settled for silver in the 1,500 meters, missing a chance to secure a third gold medal at the Milan Cortina Games.

    China’s Ning Zhongyan won Thursday’s race in an Olympic-record time of 1 minute, 41.98 seconds. The 21-year-old Stolz, who won gold medals in the 500 and 1,000 at these Games, crossed 0.77 seconds later.

    As Stolz glided by, hands on his knees, Ning raised his country’s flag aloft with both hands and started a victory lap.

    Stolz, a Wisconsin native, will participate in the mass start on Saturday.

    Dutch skater Kjeld Nuis, who won the 1,500 at the past two Olympics, took bronze.

    Eileen Gu advances to halfpipe final despite fall
    Defending Olympic champion Eileen Gu shook off a fall during her opening run to advance to Saturday’s final in freeski halfpipe. The 22-year-old Gu was born in the United States and competes for China.

    She clipped the lip of the halfpipe on the third trick of her first run, knocking her left ski off and sending her skittering to the bottom of the course.

    That set up a pressure-packed second attempt that run earned 86.50 points, good enough to place fifth among the 12 skiers who advanced to the final.

    US and Canada reach women’s curling semifinals
    The United States and Canada advanced to the women’s curling semifinals.

    The Americans, skipped by Tabitha Peterson, beat Switzerland 7-6 in a match that went to an extra end. The teams will square off again in Friday’s semifinals.

    Peterson threw the decisive rock and her teammates swept it into position, just a hair closer to the button than the Swiss’ nearest stone.

    Canada beat South Korea 10-7 and will play Sweden on Friday.

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    Jordan Vawter

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  • FBI Director Kash Patel, ice hockey superfan, takes agency jet to Olympic hockey finals in Italy, sources say

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    FBI Director Kash Patel, whose use of a government jet has frequently come under scrutiny, took the same plane on Thursday to fly to Italy with plans to attend the Olympic hockey medal rounds, according to public data and sources familiar with the matter.

    Public flight data reviewed by CBS News showed the FBI Gulfstream jet that is customarily used by the FBI director took off on Thursday morning for an Air Force base in Italy, after a brief flight from Manassas, Virginia, to Joint Base Andrews, in Maryland Wednesday.

    Sources also confirmed to CBS News that Patel was en route to Milan, where he is planning to watch the Men’s USA Olympic hockey team compete in the medal rounds. Patel separately sent several posts on social media on Thursday morning in support of the American hockey teams. Patel’s plane landed in Italy Thursday evening, local time, according to a source at Flight Radar 24.

    As part of the trip, Patel is also scheduled to take part in meetings with law enforcement counterparts in Italy, one of the sources added.

    An FBI spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.

    Congressional Democrats late last year launched a probe into Patel’s use of the government plane, after media reports revealed that he had used it for personal excursions ranging from a sporting event in Pennsylvania where his girlfriend was performing and a date night in Tennessee, to a Texas resort known as “Boondoggle Ranch.”

    FBI directors are required to use government aircraft for air travel, whether official or personal, in order to ensure they maintain access to secure communications. 

    However, congressional Democrats have questioned whether Patel’s seemingly extensive use of the plane for personal trips crosses the line.

    Patel was a fierce critic of his predecessor Chris Wray’s use of the plane, including when Wray would use it to fly to his vacation home in upstate New York.

    Patel, who plays in a local hockey league in Virginia and previously coached youth hockey, has previously used the FBI plane to attend hockey games.

    On April 5, the FBI jet took a 57-minute flight to Stewart International Airport, in New York, where Patel made an appearance at a charity hockey event hosted by the FBI. 

    The next day, the jet was back in the air to JFK Airport, landing just hours before Patel resurfaced in box seats next to hockey legend Wayne Gretzky and watched Capitals star Alex Ovechkin break the NHL scoring record.

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  • All the celebrities who showed up at the 2026 Winter Olympics

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    All the celebrities who showed up at the 2026 Winter Olympics

    Well, Hannah Percy, can you believe you’re here? No, I can’t believe it at all. What’s the most surreal thing that’s happened so far? Meeting Snoop Dogg. Yeah, that was pretty surreal. That was very surreal. What was that like for you? Uh, I’ve never met *** celebrity before, so definitely *** unique experience. Like he’s just *** regular guy, but like he’s famous. But yeah, he was as cool as I’ve ever imagined, and there’s so much like attention on you guys when you get here too. Is that *** little different? Yeah, I’ve never had this many people like wanna video me ever in my life, so many cameras. What does it feel like that something has such *** big goal is actually happening? I can’t believe I’m reaching this humongous goal in my life at only 18. I, I feel like I’m like the youngest person on the bordercross team here, and so it’s just, it’s very surreal, and I don’t even, I haven’t even taken time to process how I’m feeling yet. I think you’re having *** good time. I’m definitely having *** good time. I will remember this forever.

    All the celebrities who showed up at the 2026 Winter Olympics

    Updated: 9:59 AM PST Feb 19, 2026

    Editorial Standards ⓘ

    From Usher to Snoop Dogg to George Clooney, here are all the celebrities who’ve been spotted in Milan for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

    Snoop Dogg

    At Team USA Welcome Experience on February 3

    Martha Stewart

    At Milano Ice Skating Arena, giving commentary with Snoop Dogg and figure skater Ilia Malinin.

    Myles Garrett

    At Livigno Snow Park on February 12, cheering on his girlfriend, Chloe Kim, a snowboarder who won a silver medal.

    Flavor Flav

    Flavor Flav attends the Skeleton Mixed Team on day nine of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games

    Mariah Carey

    Arriving in Milan on February 2

    Shaun White

    At the Opening Ceremony red carpet on February 6

    Stanley Tucci

    At the Opening Ceremony red carpet on February 6

    Michelle Yeoh

    At the Opening Ceremony red carpet on February 6

    Monique Coleman

    At the Opening Ceremony red carpet on February 6

    Maggie Rogers

    At the Opening Ceremony red carpet on February 6

    Usher

    At the Opening Ceremony red carpet on February 6

    Katherine LaNasa

    At the Opening Ceremony red carpet on February 6

    Sunghoon

    At the Opening Ceremony red carpet on February 6

    Gracie Gold

    At the Opening Ceremony red carpet on February 6

    Jeff Goldblum

    At the Opening Ceremony red carpet on February 6

    Benito Skinner

    At the Opening Ceremony red carpet on February 6

    Donatella Versace

    At the Opening Ceremony red carpet on February 6

    Adam Rippon

    At the Opening Ceremony red carpet on February 6

    Charlize Theron

    Delivering a speech at the Opening Ceremony on February 6

    Vittoria Ceretti

    Presenting the Italian flag during the Opening Ceremony on February 6

    Sabrina Impacciatore

    Performing at the Opening Ceremony on February 6

    Matt Rogers, Cleo Abram, and Bowen Yang

    At Team USA Welcome Experience on February 7

    Marisa Tomei

    At the opening night of OMEGA House on February 7

    George Clooney

    At the opening night of OMEGA House on February 7

    Jake Paul

    In the stands on February 9, cheering on his fiancée, Jutta Leerdam, a Dutch speedskater.

    Simone Biles

    At Milano Ice Skating Arena on February 13

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  • Flying Trucks and Dogs on Track at Olympics – Thursday Show Notes

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    Jim O’Brien is the Host of “Big Jim’s House” Morning Show at 94.7 WCSX in Detroit. Jim spent eight years in the U.S. Naval Submarine Service, has appeared on Shark Tank (Man Medals Season 5 Ep. 2), raised over two million dollars for local charities and is responsible for Glenn Frey Drive and Bob Seger Blvd in the Motor City. Jim’s relationship with Classic Rock includes considering Bob Seger, Phil Collen from Def Leppard, Wally Palmer of the Romantics and many others good friends. Jim writes about ‘80s movies, cars, weird food trends and “as seen on TikTok” content.

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    Jim O’Brien

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  • Renck: For courageous Mikaela Shiffrin, overcoming mental burden is worth wait in gold

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    Only GOATs chase ghosts. Only the best are defined by legacies, not victories.

    Mikaela Shiffrin was choking.

    That is what people were saying. That is what they were thinking.

    When you are to skiing what Serena Williams is to tennis, there is no grace, no free passes.

    As Americans, we only watch the winter sports at the Olympics. It makes performances the equivalent of a college final exam, disproportionately weighted.

    It is not fair. But it is who we are.

    On the biggest stage — Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals — championships provide exclamation points in barstool arguments.

    On Wednesday in Cortina, Italy, Shiffrin shut up her critics.

    The silence was as golden as her medal.

    But it wasn’t about the haters. This was about her.

    She gets the credit.

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    Troy Renck

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  • Alysa Liu’s Dad Spent Nearly $1M on Her Figure Skating Career: ‘I Spared No Money’

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    As one of the faces of US Olympic figure skating, Alysa Liu wouldn’t have gotten to where she is now without the incredible support of her parents.

    Alysa Liu was hailed as an ice skating prodigy from the young age of 5 and held out a promising future. She competed at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics at 16-years-old and shocked the skating community by announcing her retirement shortly after. Fast forward to 2026, Alysa’s back on the ice and chasing after the gold medal in the women’s short program at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.

    Related: Ilia Malinin’s Parents Are Also Olympic Figure Skaters—His Mom’s Grandma Sold Her Wedding Ring So She Could Buy Her 1st Skates

    Who is Alysa Liu’s dad, Arthur Liu?

    OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 31: Alysa Liu, 13, of Richmond, center, along with her father Arthur Liu, and her coach Laura Lipetsky hold a press conference after practice at Oakland Ice Center in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019. Liu returned home after becoming the youngest person ever to win the U.S. Figure Skating championship in Detroit last week. She also is the first American to land to triple axels (3 1/2 rotations with a forward take off) in one program.

    Alysa Liu’s dad is Arthur Liu. Her father was involved in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and emigrated to the US, where he started his own law firm. He has five children, including Alysa, with different anonymous egg donors. When Alysa was 5-years-old, he brought her to the Oakland Ice Center, and she trained under Laura Lipetsky.

    In an interview with 60 Minutes, Arthur Liu revealed that he has spent between $500,000 to $1 million for his daughter’s skating career. “I spared no money, no time. I just saw talent.”

    At the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, Arthur and Alysa were targeted in a spying operation that the US Justice Department alleges was ordered by the Chinese government.

    “They are probably just trying to intimidate us, to … in a way threaten us not to say anything, to cause trouble to them and say anything political or related to human rights violations in China,” Arthur Liu said. “I had concerns about her safety. The U.S. government did a good job protecting her.”

    “I’ve kind of accepted my life to be like this because of what I chose to do in 1989, to speak up against the government. And I know the Chinese government will extend their long hands into any corner in the world,” Arthur Liu said. “I’m going to continue to enjoy life and live life as I want to live. I’m not going to let this push me down, and I’m not going to let them succeed.”

    Throughout her retirement, Arthur supported her through the tough times. “She became really unhappy,” he told USA TODAY Sports. “She avoided the ice rink at all costs. She’s traumatized. She was just traumatized. She was suffering from PTSD and she wouldn’t go near the ice rink.”

    Arthur has had a hand in Alysa’s coaching directly, by firing and rehiring Phillip DiGuglielmo and Massimo Scali. “Once in person, and two by text,” Phillip DiGuglielmo told 60 Minutes. When asked if he was a “tiger dad,” Arthur said that he was a “laissez-faire dad” by constantly monitoring his daughter’s coaches during practice.

    When she was coming out of retirement, she reached out to both of her former coaches and made it clear that she wanted to have more say in her training and her programs and that she would compete because she wanted to.

    Who is Alysa Liu’s mom, Yan “Mary” Quinxin?

    Alysa Liu was born with an anonymous egg donor and surrogate mother. According to a report by Sports Illustrated (via Romper), Liu’s donors were white women in hopes that his children would “benefit from a diverse gene pool.”

    Arthur currently considers himself a single father. However, Alysa and her siblings were also raised by Arthur’s ex-wife, Yan “Mary” Quinxin. When Alysa was 8, she noticed that she and her mother had different physical qualities. “That’s how I figured out she wasn’t my real mom,” the Olympian told the magazine, “because she was Asian and I did not look Asian.”

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    Lea Veloso

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  • Meet Team USA’s ‘Blade Angels’ — the U.S. Women’s Figure Skating members gaining support from Taylor Swift

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    Women’s figure skating finally gets its time in the spotlight at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics! The individual competition starts on Tuesday, February 17 and three skaters are not only getting support from American fans, but from Taylor Swift too.

    Team USA’s Amber Glenn, Alysa Liu, and Isabeau Levito, better known as the “Blade Angels,” got some love from the showgirl herself on Monday, February 16, making their individual competition even more exciting.

    Amber, Alysa, and Isabeau will step on the ice at 12:45 p.m. EST on Tuesday, February 17, competing in the short program and again on Thursday, February 19 at 1:00 p.m. EST. While Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto is favored to win the gold, the Blade Angles are top contenders too.

    Ahead of their much anticipated performances, here’s everything you need to know about Amber Glenn, Alysa Liu, and Isabeau Levito, and how Taylor Swift lent her support.

    © Getty Images

    Amber Glenn, 26

    Amber is the only American competitor at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics with a triple axle in her routine. The 26-year-old started skating when she was just five and dreamt of competing professionally after watching Sarah Hughes win the gold medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics.

    Amber is the first openly LGBTQ women’s singles skater on Team USA and has paved the way for advocating for mental health inside the sport. Outside of skating, she loves anime and Star Wars.

    Alysa Liu of Team United States competes in the Women's Single Skating - Short Program on day zero of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games© Getty Images

    Alysa Liu, 20

    After stepping away from figure skating at 16, Alysa is back and skating on her own terms. The 20-year-old is from Clovis, California, born to Arthur Liu and Yan Qingxin. She started skating when she was a young girl, inspired by Michelle Kwan. 

    When Alysa was just 13, she became the youngest ever to win the U.S. women’s national championship. This is Alysa’s second Olympics – she won Bronze in the team competition in Beijing – and she could very likely win a medal in the individual competition.

    Isabelle Levito competes in the Women's Free Skate© Getty Images

    Isabeau Levito, 18

    While Isabeau did not perform in the team competition, she is ready to shine in the individual. The 18-year-old is from New Jersey, but is born to an Italian mother – Chiara Garberi Levito. Isabeau’s grandmother lives just a few miles from the Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan.

    Isabeau started skating when she was three and her career quickly took off. She was the first U.S. female figure skater to win the world junior championship in 14 years. Outside of skating, Isabeau loves watching Gilmore Girls and indulging in Italian cuisine.

    Alysa Liu, Amber Glenn, and Isabeau Levito at Women's Free Skating during the 2026 United States Figure Skating Championships© Getty Images

    Why do they call themselves the “Blade Angles?”

    Ahead of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics, Alysa came up with the nickname. “I came up with a ton of different ideas – ‘Blade Angels’ was my idea. There was a vote and everybody liked it,” she told Olympics.com.

    The Blade Angels are making history, not only because they could be the first three women in almost two decades to all end up on the Olympic podium, but because they are friends, something rare in the figure skating world.

    “Something that [Alysa has] been saying throughout all the press conferences and stuff is… ‘Why is it so shocking that we’re being friendly, that we’re friends?’ Amber said. 

    “I love Isabeau’s wittiness, I’m sure everybody says this, but truly she’s the funniest person I’ve ever met,” Alysa chimed in. “And then Amber … you have a lot of love and you give a lot of love. She just radiates that.”

    Alysa Liu, Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito pose for a portrait© Getty Images

    Taylor Swift and the Blade Angels

    In a video shared by the U.S. Figure Skating Olympic team on Monday, February 16, Taylor Swift, 36, announced the Blade Angels. She started the video shared to Instagram: “Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to introduce you to Amber, Alysa and Isabeau…three American showgirls on ice.”

    The Life of a Showgirl singer went on to describe each skater. Amber, whose “superpower is embracing the fight and daring the world to test her self-belief.” Alysa and the “joy [that] fuels her.” And Isabeau who is “destiny personified.”

    Fellow Team USA member, Madison Chock, commented on the post writing: “Obsessed!!! Can’t wait to see my angels shine.”

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    Tess Hill

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  • Olympic hockey player suspended for rest of Games after fight

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    The French hockey player who fought Canadian star Tom Wilson during their qualification round matchup at the Winter Olympics was suspended for the rest of the Games on Monday.

    Pierre Crinon will not play Tuesday against Germany as France’s hockey federation determined that the defenseman’s actions were against its values. Furthermore, Crinon will not be able to play should France make it further than the qualification round.

    CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

    France’s Pierre Crinon (7) fights Canada’s Tom Wilson (43) in the third period during a preliminary round game of men’s ice hockey between Canada and France at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026.  (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

    “The provocative behavior of Pierre Crinon when he left the ice, even though he had just been excluded from the match for a fight, constitutes a clear violation of the Olympic spirit and also undermines the values of our sport,” the French Ice Hockey Federation (FFHG) said, via Reuters.

    “The decision was therefore taken, in full alignment with the French National Olympic and Sports Committee, not to allow his participation in the next match/matches of the Olympic tournament.”

    NORWEGIAN SKIER HAS EPIC MELTDOWN AFTER COSTLY ERROR WITH OLYMPIC GOLD IN SIGHT DURING SLALOM EVENT

    Tom Wilson fights Pierre Crinon

    Canada’s Tom Wilson (43) and France’s Pierre Crinon, center, fight in the third period during a preliminary round game of men’s ice hockey between Canada and France at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026.  (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

    The two men fought with about seven minutes left to play in the match that Canada won 10-2. Both players were ejected from the game as Olympic rules don’t have five-minute major penalties for fighting. Wilson appeared to seek some payback for teammate Nathan MacKinnon taking a hard hit earlier in the game.

    Crinon hit MacKinnon in the jaw and was given a two-minute penalty.

    Read More About The 2026 Winter Olympics

    France is currently without any points through their first matches in the Olympics.

    Refs try to break up the fight

    France’s Pierre Crinon (7) and Canada’s Tom Wilson (43) fight in the third period during a preliminary round game of men’s ice hockey between Canada and France at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026.  (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

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    Canada is set to play Wednesday in the quarterfinals against the Czech Republic or Denmark.

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

    Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

    Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

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  • Mikhail Shaidorov lands massive payday after stunning Illia Malinin

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    Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov pulled off a major upset in the Winter Olympics, taking the gold medal in the men’s singles ice skating competition.

    The United States’ Ilia Malinin was the heavy favorite to capture gold, especially after acing the first part of his program, with the free skate set to be his crowning moment, but two tumbles netted him an eighth-place finish, not even on the podium.

    Shaidorov benefited from Malinin’s tumbles, along with the mistakes of others as well, which opened up a gap for him to fill, and he delivered the best performance on the day.

    With his victory, Shaidorov is earning a strong reputation worldwide and a nice payday, as his home nation will give him a notable reward.

    According to the Sports Business Journal, athletes who win gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics for Kazakhstan receive $250,000, the most among all nations.

    Shaidorov, along with the additional sponsorship money he will no doubt receive, will get the big paycheck from the Kazakhstan federation, rewarding him for putting the nation on the top step.

    What else did Shaidorov get for his gold medal?

    Kazakhstan singer Dimash Qudaibergen congratulated the skater on his feat and promised to give him a new car.

    “Dear Misha, my brother! Congratulations on your Olympic gold! Your movement and mastery on the ice today have made you not just a champion – you have become a great man who has given the entire country hope, spirit, and inspiration,” Qudaibergen said in a statement on Instagram.

    “You did not let down Denis, the pride of our country, my friend, your brother, whom our nation sadly lost. You fulfilled your duty to him, to the country, and to the people with honor and at the highest level.

    “May your path on the ice continue to be bright and full of inspiration. Conquer the world with your art and reach new heights!

    A special thank you for choosing a song performed by me at the Olympics – you truly made me happy as well. Thank you so much!

    “In this regard, I would personally like to give you a small gift: an iron horse. Come to Astana Motors when, God willing, we both return to the country. A car from me!”

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  • Gold for Elana! Meyers Taylor, 41, wins Olympic monobob title at Milan Cortina Games

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    CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Elana Meyers Taylor’s two young sons watched her leap into the air, throw her fists skyward, wave the American flag, then fall to her knees and start to cry.

    In time, they’ll understand what they saw.

    They saw history.

    The 41-year-old U.S. bobsledder — a mother of two special-needs children, an athlete whose career was jeopardized by concussions, someone who dealt with plenty of doubt in recent years — is, finally, an Olympic champion. Meyers Taylor won the gold medal in monobob at the Milan Cortina Games on Monday night, her sixth career medal and first Olympic title.

    “I thought it was impossible,” Meyers Taylor said.

    She was never happier to be wrong.

    She became the oldest American woman to hear “The Star-Spangled Banner” played in her honor at the Winter Games. Rallying in the fourth and final heat, Meyers Taylor prevailed with a four-run, two-day time of 3 minutes, 57.93 seconds.

    Meyers Taylor had medaled five times before — three silver, two bronze. She was the most decorated Black athlete at a Winter Olympics even before this win, and her place in history got a whole lot more dazzling on a frosty night in the Italian mountains. And this medal, her sixth, tied Bonnie Blair for the most by a U.S. woman in the Winter Olympics.

    “To have my name up there with Bonnie Blair, it doesn’t even make sense to me,” Meyers Taylor said.

    Germany’s Laura Nolte — the leader after the first, second and third runs — was second and Kaillie Humphries Armbruster of the U.S. was third.

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    Tim Reynolds

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  • Here’s the remaining 2026 Winter Olympics schedule for alpine skiing

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    Alpine skiing — one of the Olympics most popular sports — has made a lot of headlines in Milan this year.

    From Lindsey Vonn’s stunning fall that left her needing a multitude of surgeries, to Lucas Pinheiro Braathen winning the men’s giant slalom, ultimately earning Brazil’s first Winter Olympic medal and the first for any South American athlete. It has been a alpine schedule filled with highs and lows.

    As we enter the final stretch of the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics, here is the remaining schedule for alpine skiing.

    MONDAY, FEB. 16

    • Men’s Slalom Run 2 — 7:30 a.m. EST

    WEDNESDAY, FEB 18

    • Women’s Slalom Run 1 — 4 a.m. EST
    • Women’s Slalom Run 2 — 7:30 a.m. EST

    HOW TO WATCH THE REMAINING OLYMPIC EVENTS IN ALPINE SKIING?

    You can watch the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics on NBC, Peacock and NBCOlympics.com.

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    NBC New York Staff

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  • Jutta Leerdam makes surprising admission about Olympic Medal win

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    After capturing a gold medal in her first event at the Milano Cortina Olympics, Dutch speed skater Jutta Leerdam entered Sunday’s women’s speed skating 500m race looking to capture her second.

    However, this time, her teammate, Femke Kok of Team Netherlands, set an Olympic record to finish first and win gold. Leerdam was right there with her, crossing the finish line in second place and claiming a silver medal for her second medal of the two events she would compete in.

    While Leerdam didn’t win gold, capturing another medal was still a thrilling moment, as her fiancé, Jake Paul, was among the spectators cheering her on and celebrating the finish. Several hours after the race concluded, Leerdam shared a surprising update with fans on social media.

    Read more: Jake Paul Reacts to Jutta Leerdam Missing Gold in Olympic Speed Skating

    Taking to her Instagram Story, Leerdam shared the IG post below, which celebrates her silver medal win on Sunday. However, she included a message on her IG Story slide, admitting she wasn’t 100 percent ahead of the race.

    “What a day, I woke up sick yesterday. I don’t know how I pulled this off but glad I did,” she wrote, admitting to the significant challenge she faced ahead of winning her second medal.

    In Sunday’s 500m race, Leerdam achieved a second-place time of 37.15 just ahead of bronze medalist Miho Takagi of Japan, who recorded a 37.27 time. Kok set the new Olympic record with her first-place time of 36.49 in the race.

    Last week, Leerdam set an Olympic record, finishing with a time of 1:12.31 to claim the gold medal in the women’s 1000m speed skating event.

    Her teammate, Femke Kok, finished second in that race’s results to win the silver, while Takagi won bronze there as well.

    Along with her other Instagram updates, Leerdam shared a fun video of her and fiancé Jake Paul celebrating the joyous occasion of her winning two medals in Milano Cortina, Italy. The couple cozies up in the back of a fancy car with stars on the ceiling.

    As upbeat music plays, Leerdam and Paul kiss before she shows off her two medals, and the couple dances around in their seats to the music.

    Paul and Leerdam have been together since April 2023, when they made their relationship Instagram official. Paul proposed to Leerdam in March 2025, and they’ve remained engaged since then.

    Sunday’s race was the final one of the 2026 Winter Olympics for Leerdam. Team Netherlands is currently behind the United States and tied for fourth place in the medal count with Sweden, with each country at 11 medals.

    Read more: Mikaela Shiffrin Suffers Disheartening Olympics Results in Giant Slalom

    For more about the Winter Olympics, head over to Newsweek Sports.

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  • Olympic rivals turned lovers as US ice dancer proposes to Spanish skater on Valentine’s Day in Milan

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    Love is in the air at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games — even amongst rivals.

    Spanish figure skater Olivia Smart and former United States Olympic ice dancer Jean-Luc Baker are engaged, as the latter popped the question on Valentine’s Day on Saturday.

    Smart said “yes,” and shared the news on Instagram.

    CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

    Former Team USA Olympic ice dancer Jean-Luc Baker and ice dancer Olivia Smart of team Spain pose for a photograph after proposing in the streets of Milan on day eight of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games on Feb. 14, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Joosep Martinson/Getty Images)

    “It’s always been you,” the couple captioned a video leading up to the proposal in the streets of Milan.

    Smart was clearly shocked at the moment, while the video showed Baker holding up the ring as his new fiancée competed on the ice below.

    ILIA MALININ POSTPONES PRESS CONFERENCE A DAY AFTER EIGHTH-PLACE OLYMPIC FINISH

    These two had been friends for quite some time, but on the ice, Team USA and Spain were obvious rivals as they competed for the same prize.

    In the 2022 Beijing Games, as well as two World Championships, Baker and Smart competed against one another for gold.

    Smart finished above Baker in the 2022 Games, as she finished eighth to his 11th place.

    Jean-luc Baker proposes

    Former Team USA Olympic ice dancer Jean-Luc Baker proposes to ice dancer Olivia Smart of team Spain in the streets of Milan on day eight of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games on Feb. 14, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Joosep Martinson/Getty Images)

    Baker was in the stands this time for the Milan Cortina Games, while Smart was competing alongside partner Tim Dieck in the ice dance. They finished ninth in the competition.

    Smart may not have finished the way she hoped, but at least she didn’t leave Milan without some sort of hardware.

    Read More About The 2026 Winter Olympics

    Baker had won bronze in his Olympic career, taking it home during the 2018 Winter Games. He hasn’t been able to compete since 2023 due to injuries.

    Olivia Smart finishes routine

    Olivia Smart and partner Tim Dieck of Team Spain compete in the Ice Dance – Free Dance on day five of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Ice Skating Arena on Feb. 11, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

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    As the heat of competition continues in Milan, it’s hard not to enjoy a loving moment between these two.

    Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

    Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

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  • Lindsey Vonn says

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    American skier Lindsey Vonn announced Saturday that her latest surgery was successful, and that she has been cleared to return to the United States after breaking her left leg in a brutal crash last weekend during her opening downhill race at the Winter Olympics in Italy. 

    “Surgery well well today!” the 41-year-old Vonn wrote on social media. This marks her fourth surgery since the Feb. 8 crash. 

    Vonn had said Friday she would need at least two more surgeries — the one Saturday and a second after she returns to the U.S. 

    On Wednesday, Vonn disclosed she had already undergone three surgeries since experiencing the injury. She wrote Saturday that once she’s back in the U.S., she plans on giving “more updates and info about my injury.” 

    The Olympic veteran from Colorado also reflected on her crash, saying, “I don’t have regrets.” 

    “The ride was worth the fall. When I close my eyes at night I don’t have regrets and the love I have for skiing remains,” Vonn said in her post. “I am still looking forward to the moment when I can stand on the top of the mountain once more. And I will.”

    Vonn crashed just seconds into the first run of her Olympic downhill race. She was competing despite rupturing her left ACL in a different crash during a World Cup race in the Swiss Alps last month.

    “I was willing to risk and push and sacrifice for something I knew I was absolutely capable of doing,” Vonn said in the post. “I will always take the risk of crashing while giving it my all, rather than not ski to my potential and have regret.” 

    The three-time Olympic medalist had come out of retirement to compete in the Milan Cortina Games. After tearing her ACL, she had said she felt confident she could still race with the help of a knee brace.

    “Please, don’t be sad,” Vonn said. “Empathy, love and support I welcome with an open heart, but please not sadness or sympathy. I hope instead it gives you strength to keep fighting, because that is what I am doing and that is what I will continue to do. Always.”

    In:

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  • Love, Betrayal, and Taylor Swift at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics

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    Romance comes in many forms, as illustrated by the scene when Jutta Leerdam broke an Olympic record and took home the gold medal in the women’s 1,000-meter speed skating event. Leedam’s boyfriend, controversial conservative influencer Jake Paul, appeared to cry frantically as he watched her performance. How beautiful to see such an open expression of sensitivity from the boxer.

    Jake Paul in the stands during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.

    Anadolu/Getty Images

    Paul was not the only person at the Olympics expressing complicated emotions. Immediately after winning the bronze medal in the biathlon, Sturla Holm Lægreid confessed in tears that he had cheated on his girlfriend: “Six months ago I met the love of my life, the most extraordinary person in the world. But three months ago I made the biggest mistake of my life and was unfaithful to her,” were his words when translated.

    In a text message to a Norwegian newspaper, his former partner dismissed his words. “I did not choose to be put in this position, it is painful to find myself in it. It is difficult to forgive,” she wrote. Especially a betrayal admitted on television.

    Image may contain Jeff Woywitka Photography Cap Clothing Hat Glove Face Head Person Portrait Adult and Hugging

    Bronze medalist Sturla Holm Laegreid of Team Norway is embraced by Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold of Team Norway after the medal ceremony for the Men’s 20km Individual.

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    These Winter Olympics are also the opportunity for established couples to publicly display their ongoing romance. Many athletes are longtime partners in life and on the ice, such as skaters Marco Fabbri and Charlene Guignard. Romantically linked even before they became partners on the rink in 2010, the fires of their love still burn brightly. A few days ago, after winning bronze in the figure skating team event, the two exchanged a kiss that captivated the entire arena.

    The moment was an inspiration for other couples at the 2026 Winter Olympics, including Milla Ruud Reitan and Nikolaj Majorov, who confirmed their relationship more than a year ago, and Madison Chock and Evan Bates, the free dance winners who have been married since 2024.

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    Roberta Mercuri

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  • Olympian Jordan Stolz’s Parents Funded His Speedskating Career Through Their Unusual Family Business—’It’s How We Can Pay…’

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    Jordan Stolz is speed skating’s rising star. He already broke Olympic records, but now he’s eyeing even more medals to add to his repertoire.

    However, like most Olympians, he couldn’t have gotten to where he is now without the support of his parents. He and his sister Hannah were captivated by Apolo Ohno’s short-track skills during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, and his parents gave them the go to try to pursue the sport.

    That also meant learning the sport to teach the basics to their kids. “We wanted to teach the kids,” his mom told Silent Sports. “So Dirk and I had to learn how to skate. It was intimidating getting those huge, big blades on. It was very awkward, but we loved it from the start; you go so fast.”

    Related: Ilia Malinin’s Parents Are Also Olympic Figure Skaters—His Mom’s Grandma Sold Her Wedding Ring So She Could Buy Her 1st Skates

    But with every sport, comes a fear. “I was always afraid they could drown. Dirk kept saying the ice was thick enough, but I was not willing to risk it,” Jane told NBC News. “So they kept the life jackets on until he drilled a hole and we could see it was several feet thick. After that I finally felt okay, and in the next couple of days they were able to take them off.”

    So who are Jordan Stolz’s parents? Find out below.

    Who is Jordan Stolz’s dad, Dirk?

    HAMAR, NORWAY - MARCH 16: Jordan Stolz of USA getting receives the Oscar Mathisen Award during the ISU World Speed Skating Single Distances and Team Competitions Championships 2025 at the Vikingskipet on March 16, 2025 in Hamar, Norway
    Douwe Bijlsma/BSR Agency/Getty Images

    Dirk Stolz works at their family’s taxidermy business, and used to work as a patrolman at the Washington County Sheriff’s Police department. Dirk met Jane at his business when she was just a customer. His job helps maintain their son’s career. “It is how we can pay for speedskating and hunting trips,” he told The New York Times. Their daughter, Hannah, is now a taxidermist who competes on a national level.

    Dirk is originally from Germany and moved to the US when he was 9. His wife revealed that he was also a promising young athlete as a downhill skier and in track and field. “Dirk was a good athlete, but I really never competed,” Jane told Silent Sports.

    Dirk and Jane exposed their children to outdoor living with frequent hunting trips to Alaska. He noted that one of his supervisors at his job at the Sheriff’s office threatened to report him to the Wisconsin child welfare agency for putting his children in danger in the Alaskan wilderness. But Dirk was very adamant that this was how they were going to raise their kids. “Don’t fear anything. Just go for it.”

    “It’s how we raised him,” Dirk told NBC affiliate TMJ4. “We’re not showoffs or anything like that. Just kind of do our business and don’t brag. We’re not big braggers or anything, I guess.”

    Who is Jordan Stolz’s mom, Jane?

    Jane Stolz is a dental hygienist who also runs the taxidermy business with her husband. Jane has supported her son through the business and traveling around in a car to go to competitions.

    In an interview with NBC News, Jordan also revealed that his mom helped raise deer and elk in the comfort of their own house, as a breeding business in which they would sell stock to others interested in populating their property with animals. In 2018, one of their deer was found to have chronic wasting disease, and 60 animals were ordered by the Wisconsin Dept. of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to be depopulated. A 14-year-old Jordan and his father came home to blood on their driveway. “Jordan came home and saw that,” Jane told the publication. “He saw that.”

    Jane prides herself on helping her son’s Olympic dreams come true by helping him with his diet. “I try to make sure Jordan is eating right and has everything he needs when he is at home competing. It gets busy. People are calling and asking about tickets, and I’m often volunteering for the event. It’s pretty crazy. I don’t think about it in the moment.”

    Growing up, his parents balanced their diet thanks to their hunting excursions. “The freezer was always full,” he said, recalling that he probably ate hundreds of pounds of wild game and fresh fish. “And I think it’s healthy. I feel lucky to have had that [diet] available to me.”

    The family didn’t attend the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing because of COVID-19. “It was very tough not being there. He would text me that he couldn’t get the right foods and protein he needed,” Jane recalled.

    Now, all of his family is joining in for Milan. “A lot of their friends too, and some family members, they’ll all be there, which will be nice because in Beijing they didn’t really get that opportunity,” he told People. “I’m really happy that they’ll get to enjoy it and that’ll make me feel good going into the races that everybody’s having a good time,” he says.

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    Lea Veloso

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  • Jaelin Kauf, Elizabeth Lamley make Olympic podium in wild debut of dual moguls

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    Jalen Gough was born on the slopes. The oldest child of professional mogul skiers, her mother Patty is *** 3-time X Games champion. One of the first Americans to qualify for the games in Italy, Jalen is one of the favorites to win gold. But before we talk about her skiing, let’s talk about her dancing. Last year, Cough and her US mogul’s teammates went viral after performing the Dallas Cowboys cheerleader’s famed thunderstruck routine. Impressed by her moves in ski boots, America’s sweethearts invited her to dance with them pregame last fall. I was very nervous. I was like shaking, meeting the cowgirls and dancing with them. Um, I mean, I feel like the nervous competing is, you know, you get the jitters, but like. I know that run. I know how to ski it. I’m nervous to like dance with professional dancers is like I don’t know how to dance. This is like not so out of my comfort zone, but um it was really cool to be able to do that. Something else that’s. Last March, she won the Mogul’s World Championship, conquering the course in Lavino, where she’ll be skiing during the Olympics. Like I feel really great with where my skiing is at right now. Prepared, focused, and ready to earn her first Olympic gold. And to indulge *** bit on some of the food at the games. I’m going to be eating *** lot of pizza and pasta the whole time. I could never get sick of either of those foods. So Kough’s longtime boyfriend Bradley Wilson is also *** mogul skier, *** three-time Olympian. He retired from the sport after the 2022 games in Beijing. On the road to Milan Cortina, I’m Fletcher Mackle.

    Jaelin Kauf and Elizabeth Lamley make Olympic podium in wild debut of dual moguls

    Updated: 8:18 AM EST Feb 14, 2026

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    Jakara Anthony brought another freestyle-skiing gold medal to Australia on Saturday, winning in the Winter Olympics debut of dual moguls, the wilder and more unpredictable cousin of moguls skiing that has been in the Games for decades.Related video above: Born on the slopes, moguls skier Jaelin Kauf discusses Milan Cortina OlympicsAnthony skied cleanly through all five of the single-elimination races to win a gold that goes alongside the title won by Cooper Woods in an upset in the regular men’s moguls earlier this week. The 27-year-old Anthony, from Queensland, also won gold in the individual moguls four years ago at the Beijing Games.Skiing through a heavy snowstorm, the true spirit of this sport was better spelled out by American Jaelin Kauf, who captured her third Olympic silver medal and second of these Games, and her teammate, Elizabeth Lamley, who added bronze to go with the gold she won earlier in the week.They each won their second medals in four days despite falling in their semifinal rounds.Kauf’s tumble against Canada’s Perrine Laffont came after Laffont herself had crashed and skied off the course, meaning the American only had to get up, dust herself off and make it to the bottom of the hill.Lemley also fell and did not finish in the semifinal against Anthony but advanced to the bronze-medal race.There, she actually lost the race — a full 0.99 seconds behind Laffont. But because these runs are judged, and time counts for only 20% of the score, with jumps and precision through the moguls counting for the rest, Lamley edged out the Canadian for third.

    LIVIGNO, Italy —

    Jakara Anthony brought another freestyle-skiing gold medal to Australia on Saturday, winning in the Winter Olympics debut of dual moguls, the wilder and more unpredictable cousin of moguls skiing that has been in the Games for decades.

    Related video above: Born on the slopes, moguls skier Jaelin Kauf discusses Milan Cortina Olympics

    Anthony skied cleanly through all five of the single-elimination races to win a gold that goes alongside the title won by Cooper Woods in an upset in the regular men’s moguls earlier this week. The 27-year-old Anthony, from Queensland, also won gold in the individual moguls four years ago at the Beijing Games.

    Skiing through a heavy snowstorm, the true spirit of this sport was better spelled out by American Jaelin Kauf, who captured her third Olympic silver medal and second of these Games, and her teammate, Elizabeth Lamley, who added bronze to go with the gold she won earlier in the week.

    They each won their second medals in four days despite falling in their semifinal rounds.

    Kauf’s tumble against Canada’s Perrine Laffont came after Laffont herself had crashed and skied off the course, meaning the American only had to get up, dust herself off and make it to the bottom of the hill.

    Lemley also fell and did not finish in the semifinal against Anthony but advanced to the bronze-medal race.

    There, she actually lost the race — a full 0.99 seconds behind Laffont. But because these runs are judged, and time counts for only 20% of the score, with jumps and precision through the moguls counting for the rest, Lamley edged out the Canadian for third.

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