Day 0 - Team USA Dominates Ice, Snow, and Strategy!
The Milano Cortina 2026 Games are officially live, and Team USA had a "triple threat" kind of day. From a 90s dance party on the ice to a masterclass in curling strategy and a legendary comeback on the mountain, the Americans are making their presence felt.
🥌 Mixed Doubles Curling: Chess on Ice
If you aren't watching the curling, you are missing a strategic masterpiece. Team USA (Thiesse and Dropkin) is currently undefeated and looking like the team to beat!
The "North American" Showdown: USA took down rival Canada in a match that felt more like a grandmaster chess game than a sport. Every stone was a calculated risk.
The Streak Continues: They also dispatched Czechia later in the day, maintaining their perfect record.
The Rivalry: The only other undefeated team is Great Britain. When these two meet, it’s going to be a battle for the ages.
🏒 Women’s Hockey: USA Controls the Crease
Team USA faced off against Czechia and simply "owned" the game from the opening puck drop.
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The Scoreboard: A convincing 5-1 victory. We set the tone early, putting three goals in the net during the first period alone.
The Oddity: It was a bit of a strange game for the Czech goalie, who seemed to lose her stick multiple times! While the score was lopsided, the Czechs fought hard—keep an eye on them, they aren't going away quietly.
⛷️ Alpine Skiing: Vonn’s First Test
The biggest emotional story of the day happened on the mountain. Both Breezy Johnson and the legendary Lindsey Vonn completed their downhill training runs.
The Comeback: This was the first real test of Lindsey’s surgically repaired leg under Olympic pressure. She made it down safely and looked solid. If her leg holds up, we are in for an incredible story as the week progresses.
⛸️ Figure Skating: 90s Vibes and High Scores
The Team Event kicked off with the Rhythm Dance, and the theme was 90s gold.
🇺🇸 Chock & Bates: They were fantastic dancing to a Lenny Kravitz medley (including American Woman). They scored a field-high 91.06, earning 10 points for the US!
The Challengers: France took 2nd with a "Vogue" routine that would have made Madonna proud, and Great Britain came in 3rd with a fun Spice Girls medley.
⛸️ Pairs Short Program: Doing the Job
The pairs competition was all about "holding the line" for the team standings.
Kam and O’Shea: Skating to k.d. lang’s Hallelujah, Ellie and Danny looked elegant and polished. They nailed their side-by-side triple Salchows, but a tough fall on the throw triple loop cost us a point. Still, they finished 5th and did their job for the team!
Italy & Georgia: Italy skated a fiery Flamenco that had the home crowd in a frenzy. Georgia skated to Bolero. I know we usually say Bolero should be retired because of Torvill and Dean, but that was in dance—it actually works really well for pairs!
Japan: They skated to Paint it Black and didn't miss a beat. They took 1st place in this segment.
Great Britain: What a performance! They came in 3rd with a fun Spice Girls medley.
⛸️ Women’s Short Program: Hauntingly Beautiful
This was the highlight of the night. The energy in the arena stayed electric as the women took the ice.
Alysa Liu: Her music, Promise, was absolutely haunting. She skated so well, and her spins were easily the best of all the women today. She finished 2nd, earning the US a massive 9 points.
Georgia’s Bollywood: The Georgian skater did a Bollywood routine, but she didn't quite use the hand gestures we were expecting or perform up to her normal standards.
Poland & Italy: Another great show for Poland! And the Italian skater used music that clearly every Italian in the building knew—the whole crowd got into it and Italy took 3rd!
📊 Team Standings (Top 5 Moving to Finals)
USA – 25 points
Japan – 23 points
Italy – 22 points
Georgia – 20 points
Canada – 19 points
Here is what we’re watching tomorrow:
⛸️ Figure Skating Team Event (Men’s Short): The "Quad God" Ilia Malinin makes his debut! We need him to be perfect to keep that lead over Japan.
🏒 Women’s Hockey: USA vs. Finland. Keep an eye on the Buckeyes—Finland is a much tougher test than Czechia.
⛷️ Cross-Country Skiing: The Women’s 15km Skiathlon—Team USA has some strong medal hopes here!
🥌 Mixed Doubles Curling: USA vs. Great Britain. The battle of the unbeatens!
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