Day 4: Part 2 — Quad Gods, Bullseyes, and Flying High!
⛸️ Men’s Figure Skating: The "Quad God" vs. the "Vitruvian Man"
The short program today was a masterclass in physics and drama. While some skaters looked a bit "Olympic-tired" after the team event, the heavy hitters really brought the house down.
The Highlights: * Spain's Guarino Sabaté delighted everyone with a Minions routine (super cute!), and Estonia’s Aleksandr Selevko skated a fantastic tribute to Prince.
- Japan's Shun Sato was cute as a button, but he unfortunately struggled with a quad-toe combo and didn't quite reach the heights he did in the team event.
France's Adam Siao Him Fa was a total standout. He performed a routine based on Leonardo da Vinci’s "Vitruvian Man" that was just mesmerizing. He skated clean and sits in 3rd.
The Leader: Ilia Malinin (USA) skated much better than he did in the team event, but it's a battle of styles. Ilia’s technical score was astronomical (he landed a quad flip and a quad lutz-triple toe!), but the judges seem to be "grading him" on his artistic side. He’s got a habit of sticking his tongue out at the judges and making quirky faces, which may not be the "classic" look they want. He sits in 1st, but only by 5 points.
The Standings: 1. Ilia Malinin (USA), 2. Yuma Kagiyama (JPN), 3. Adam Siao Him Fa (FRA).
⛸️ Figure Skating Master Schedule
Keep this handy! All times are ET (Eastern Time).
| Event | Date | Time |
| Ice Dance Free Dance (🥇 Medals) | Wednesday, Feb 11 | 12:30 PM |
| Men’s Free Skating (🥇 Medals) | Friday, Feb 13 | 1:00 PM |
| Pairs Short Program | Sunday, Feb 15 | 1:45 PM |
| Pairs Free Skating (🥇 Medals) | Monday, Feb 16 | 2:00 PM |
| Women’s Short Program | Tuesday, Feb 17 | 12:45 PM |
| Women’s Free Skating (🥇 Medals) | Thursday, Feb 19 | 1:00 PM |
🔫 Men’s 20km Individual Biathlon: The "Penalty Minute" Test
This is the "marathon" of biathlon. It’s a 20km grind with four shooting stages.
The Rules: Unlike other races with a "penalty loop," here, every missed shot adds one full minute to your time. It’s brutal because you can be the fastest skier, but a single miss can drop you 10 places.
The Duel: France’s Eric Perrot was the favorite and held the lead for most of the day. But the very last starter, Norwegian rookie Johan-Olav Botn, put on a flawless performance, shooting 20-for-20 to steal the gold!
The Podium: 🥇 Johan-Olav Botn (NOR), 🥈 Eric Perrot (FRA), 🥉 Sturla Holm Lægreid (NOR).
Team USA Watch: Campbell Wright skied a great race and finished in the top 30! Not in medal contention, but a very solid showing against the world's best.
⛷️ Mixed Team Ski Jump: Slovenia Repeats!
This event is still fresh (only its second Olympics), featuring two men and two women per team. Slovenia dominated last time in Beijing, and they proved today they are still the team to beat.
The Result: Slovenia (led by the incredible Prevc siblings, Nika and Domen) took the Gold. While they won by 100 points last time, today the gap was only 30 points—the world is definitely catching up!
The Podium: 🥇 Slovenia, 🥈 Norway, 🥉 Japan (I confirmed it—Japan narrowly beat Germany for the bronze!).
Team USA: Our squad (Annika Belshaw, Jason Colby, Tate Frantz, and Paige Jones) made the final round for the first time and held steady in 7th place.
🗓️ Looking Ahead: Wednesday (Day 5)
☀️ Morning Session (ET)
1:30 AM — Snowboarding (Women’s Halfpipe Qualifiers): The return of Chloe Kim!
4:30 AM — Alpine Skiing (Men’s Super-G): Watch for River Radamus.
8:10 AM — Nordic Combined: The jumping phase begins!
🌙 Afternoon/Evening Session (ET)
12:30 PM — Ice Dance Free Dance: 🥇 MEDAL EVENT. Can Chock and Bates catch the French?
2:10 PM — Men’s Hockey (USA vs. Latvia): The NHL stars finally take the ice for Team USA!
3:00 PM — Women’s Moguls Final: 🥇 MEDAL EVENT. Watch for Jaelin Kauf to fly down that hill.
📺 Tomorrow on NBC Primetime (Wednesday, Feb 11)
NBC will be packing all the day's heavy hitters into the 8:00 PM ET block. Here is what to look for:
The Ice Dance Finale: See if Chock and Bates can pull off the upset for Gold.
Snowboarding Halfpipe: Chloe Kim’s much-anticipated return to the Olympic stage.
Men's Super-G: High-speed drama from the slopes of Bormio.
Men's Speed Skating: Featuring the 1000m final.
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