❄️ Day 7: Quads, Chaos, and the Fifth Element ⛸️
Today, Friday, February 13, 2026, is the exact 50th anniversary of Dorothy Hamill winning her Olympic gold medal. I remember watching her skate!
She clinched that legendary victory on February 13, 1976, at the Winter Games in Innsbruck, Austria.
⛸️ A Golden Anniversary Fact Sheet:
The Performance: She was only 19 years old when she took the ice for her free skate.
She won over the judges so completely that their decision for gold was unanimous. A Unique Record: Dorothy Hamill remains the last female skater to win an Olympic gold medal without landing a triple jump.
Her win was a triumph of pure artistry, fluid edges, and perfect technique. The "Hamill Camel": While everyone remembers the hair, she also made technical history by inventing the "Hamill Camel"—a camel spin that transitions seamlessly into a sit spin.
"America’s Sweetheart": Her win turned her into a massive cultural icon overnight.
In an era before social media, she was the face of Time magazine and inspired millions of girls (and their stylists!) across the country.
🏒 Women’s Hockey: The Great Italian Wipeout
Final Score: USA 6, Italy 0
Team USA didn't just win; they controlled every square inch of the rink in this quarterfinal.
The Dominance: The U.S. held Italy to just 6 shots the entire game. Meanwhile, Italian goalie Gabriella Durante was the only reason the score wasn't double digits, facing a massive 51 shots!
Standouts: Kendall Coyne Schofield netted two goals, with help from Laila Edwards, Megan Keller, and Hannah Bilka.
What’s Next: We are officially into the semifinals, and after Canada’s win today, it looks like that gold medal collision course is right on schedule.
🏂 Men’s Halfpipe: The Japanese Air Raid
The heights these men reached today were terrifying. While everyone was watching Australia’s Scotty James, Japan quietly took over the mountain.
The Heartbreak: Scotty James led early but "sat down" while trying to upgrade his final run, settling for Silver (93.50).
The Podium: 🥇 Yuto Totsuka (Japan) – A massive 95.00 score. 🥈 Scotty James (Australia), 🥉 Ryusei Yamada (Japan).
Team USA: Our guys put on a show but just couldn't match the technical rotations of the Japanese. Jake Pates finished 8th, and Alessandro Barbieri took 10th.
🛷 Men’s Skeleton: Britain Breaks the Streak
For the first time in what feels like forever, someone toppled the German sliding empire.
The Record Breaker: Great Britain’s Matt Weston didn't just win; he demolished the field. He set two track records in the final heats to take the Gold.
The Podium: 🥇 Matt Weston (GBR), 🥈 Axel Jungk (Germany), 🥉 Christopher Grotheer (Germany).
🥌 Women’s Curling: A Historic "Stone Cold" Win
Final: USA 9, Canada 8
History was made on the ice today! For the first time ever in Olympic history, the U.S. women beat Canada.
The Moment: In the 10th end, Canada’s Rachel Homan made a rare mistake on a final double-takeout. Tabitha Peterson stepped up and drew for two points to secure the 9-8 upset. This is a massive boost for Team USA’s momentum!
⛸️ Men’s Figure Skating: The Day the "Quad God" Fell
This was the biggest upset since Pyeongchang where just about every male skater fell! Ilia Malinin, the man who seemed invincible, simply caved.
The Meltdown: Leading by 5 points after the short, Ilia had a nightmare free skate. He turned his quad Axel into a single, fell twice, and looked completely lost. He finished 15th in the free skate and dropped to 8th overall.
The Reaction: His post-race comments about "pressure" and "excuses" definitely didn't sit well with fans who saw other athletes fighting for every point.
The Surprise Hero: Mikhail Shaidorov from Kazakhstan shocked everyone. He used to practice in a shopping mall, but tonight he was a king. Skating to the "Diva Dance" from The Fifth Element, ( The Fifth Element Diva Dance on YouTube ) he landed five quads to take a historic Gold.
The Podium: 🥇 Mikhail Shaidorov (Kazakhstan), 🥈 Yuma Kagiyama (Japan) (our "cute as a button" skater), 🥉 Shun Sato (Japan).
🌸 Shoutout to the Pink Brigade: A huge thank you to the "Pink Brigade"—the flower girls in their pink tracksuits who keep the ice clear. They’ve been working overtime today picking up all those stuffed animals, ensuring everything gets donated to local children's homes.
🗓️ Looking Ahead: Day 8 (Saturday, Feb 14)
Morning Session:
3:30 AM — Women’s Monobob Heats 1 & 2: Watch for Kaillie Humphries to start her title defense.
5:00 AM — Men’s 500m Speed Skating: 🥇 MEDAL EVENT. High-speed sprints!
Afternoon Session:
12:00 PM — Men’s Hockey (USA vs. Germany): The NHL stars look to stay undefeated.
1:30 PM — Men’s Curling (USA vs. Japan): Team Casper looks to bounce back.
Tonight on NBC Primetime (8:00 PM ET):
Full coverage of the Women’s Monobob and the Short Track Relay Finals.
A look back at the Halfpipe highlights and the Dorothy Hamill 50th Anniversary tribute.
My Take...What happened?!?!: I am LIVID about it. Everyone knows that Ilia was the a favorite to win Gold for Team USA. He usually scores 30 to 100 points more than the nearest competitor because he can do seven quads! And if you watched him in the US trials skating trials. He did a fantastic job. But in the team competition he didn't really perform up to what we expected and he actually admitted that he hadn’t given his all. Well tonight he didn't give his all... He didn't even come close!. He CHOKED! You are going to hear all about how he caved in to pressure of the games and how hard it must be for him.
But here's the thing,... I remember 4 years ago when he
tried to get on Team USA to go to the last Olympics and he was all smiles and
rainbows before the competition telling Andrea Joyce everything she wanted to
hear and playing up that he was the young sweet looking boy with two ice
skating parents and yada yada…. the second he didn’t make the team…. He turned
into a mean little jerk. The same thing happened tonight. As soon as he got off
the ice it was all excuses and “if they
would have sent me four years ago, this wouldn’t have happened” and… and ..and..
I don't know that Ilia ever meant to win. I think part of
him really wanted to punish Team USA for not sending him 4 years ago. I hate to
say it but he disappointed not only himself. but the rest of us by accepting
that spot on Team USA and not trying to give his all for that competition or for any
of the competitions. When so many others
on Team USA and in the other teams that had the honor of being in the Olympics
have given every single drop of sweat, every bit of energy, everything they had just to compete…. and he didn't is...
Well, frankly, insulting to the others and
I hope that Chock & Bates and the rest of his teammates are honest with him
and give them a piece of his of their mind! What happened tonight was not what happened to Simone Biles or Mikala Shiffrin. This was something else...
I know people are going to say it's the pressure and “poor
Ilia” and on and on but don't…don’t be fooled
by him… don't let the facade fool you. He may have caved to the pressure
somewhat but part of that was on purpose.
Part of that was revenge.
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