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Hello from Milan and Cortina, where Brazil Lucas Pinheiro Braathen won gold in the men’s giant slalom, making history for all of South America. In addition, American Jordanian pride continued her progress toward a potential four-medal victory in speed skating at these Games.
Our correspondents have covered it all below and at NBC News. Watch it all streaming on Peacock.
Live from Milan Cortina
In Jordan Stolz Seeking four gold medals in speed skating at these Olympics, he was expected to face his toughest test today in the 500-meter final. In his duo, Stolz faced the Netherlands Jenning de Booone of its main competitors.
It didn’t matter.
Stolz sprinted in 33.77 seconds and de Boo finished 0.11 seconds behind.
After crossing the finish line, de Boo slipped and slid into a boundary. He sat on the ice while Stolz took a lap and waved to the crowd.
Stolz is now 2 for 2 at these Games. A few days ago, he won gold and set an Olympic record in the 1,000 meter final. He will compete in the 1,500-meter final and mass start event next week.
Also: The United States men’s hockey team overcame an early deficit and ultimately dominated Denmark, winning 6-3.
On Tracks, Purchase Jaelin became the most decorated moguls skier in U.S. Olympic history today when she took second place in the dual moguls debut at the Australian championships. Jakara Anthony. It was the third Olympic silver medal of Kauf’s career, and she was not the only American to win a medal, as Liz Lemley took bronze. Lemley had won the individual moguls gold medal a few days earlier.
Yesterday, in men’s curling, a a fight broke out after the Swedish team accused Canada of cheating for allegedly touching the stone after his release. World Curling issued a verbal warning to the Canadian team “regarding the language used” as they defended themselves.
Spotlight on athletes
When it came to winning medals at the Winter Olympics, athletes from South American countries had been lousy for 102 years.
Until Saturday.
After Lucas Pinheiro Braathen of Brazil won the men’s giant slalom, he said he hoped the victory “would inspire in some children the feeling that, despite what they wear, despite how they look, no matter where they come from, they can pursue their own dreams and be who they really are. Because that is the true source of happiness in life.”
Pinheiro Braathen grew up in Oslo, Norway, to a Norwegian father and a Brazilian mother. He skied for Norway until his retirement three years ago, aged 23. But after a trip to Brazil to decompress, he left determined to return to ski racing while representing his mother’s home country. It turned out to be a historic decision.
“I’m not even able to understand reality, in the situation I’m in here right now,” he said after winning his first Olympic medal. “I’m just trying to capture some sort of emotion here and put it into words, even though it’s absolutely impossible.”
Behind the scenes
Spread them Winter Olympics requires more than 800 cameras, but 25 have stolen the show, notably in Milan Cortina.
Welcome to the drone olympicswhere 25 drones — including 15 with first-person views — provide bird’s-eye views of skiers, speed skaters, sledders and more, footage that has drawn rave reviews from fans and some athletes. Drivers such as Jelmer Poelsmaa 26-year-old who has been flying drones for 11 years, has become as popular as some athletes. Like the rest of the pilots who fly 15 drones “from a first-person perspective,” Poelsma wears protective goggles while sitting next to an observer who ensures the drone never gets too close to the athletes.
“There is no room for error,” Poelsma said.
Drones are specialized for the sport they cover; those used in downhill skiing can fly up to 75 mph. For safety reasons, they must be flown behind or alongside the competitors. Swapping batteries requires a quick change that one broadcast executive likened to an F1 pit stop. Drones have been used for Olympics coverage since 2014, but their increased use in Italy stems from organizers’ desire to capture the attention of casual sports fans who they say make up half the audience.
“We are using technological innovation,” said Yiannis ExarchosCEO of Olympic Broadcasting Services, “only if it adds to the story we’re telling.”
Photo of the day
When to watch
Mikaela Shiffrin seems to bounce back after a disappointing race earlier at the Games when she competed in the women’s giant slalom. Erin Jackson look towards defend your title in the 500 meters, competing against the Dutch duo of Jutta Leerdam And Femke Kok among others. Elana Meyers-Taylorthe most decorated bobsledder and black winter Olympic athlete of all time, will officially compete in her fifth Olympics when she competes in the women’s monobob.
All times are Eastern Time and an asterisk denotes a medal event:
Sunday February 15
- 3:05 a.m.: Curling, men’s round robin (USA vs. Sweden, Germany vs. Great Britain, Norway vs. Italy)
- 4 a.m.: Alpine skiing, women’s giant slalom, run 1
- 4 a.m.: Bobsleigh, monobob women series 1
- 4:30 a.m.: Freestyle skiing, parallel moguls men 1/16 final
- 5 a.m.: Freestyle skiing, parallel moguls men 1/8 final
- 5:15 a.m.: Biathlon, men’s pursuit 12.5 km
- 5:20 a.m.: Freestyle skiing, men’s parallel moguls quarterfinals
- 5:35 a.m.: Freestyle skiing, men’s parallel mogul semi-finals
- 5:46 a.m.: Freestyle skiing, men’s parallel mogul finals*
- 5:50 a.m.: Bobsleigh, monobob women series 2
- 6 a.m.: Cross-country skiing, men’s 4×7.5 km relay*
- 6:10 a.m.: Men’s hockey, Switzerland vs. Czechia
- 7:30 a.m.: Alpine skiing, women’s giant slalom 2*
- 7:45 a.m.: Snowboard, mixed team cross-country quarter-finals
- 8:05 a.m.: Curling, women’s round robin (Japan v Korea, Denmark v Italy, Great Britain v Sweden, USA v China)
- 8:15 a.m.: Snowboard, mixed team cross semi-finals
- 8:35 a.m.: Snowboard, mixed team cross finals*
- 8:45 a.m.: Biathlon, women’s 10 km pursuit
- 10:00 a.m.: Speed skating, men’s team pursuit quarterfinals
- 10:40 a.m.: Men’s hockey, Canada vs. France
- 11:03 a.m.: Speed skating, women’s 500 meters*
- 12 p.m.: Skeleton, mixed team*
- 12:45 p.m.: Ski jumping, women’s individual large hill, round 1
- 1:05 p.m.: Curling, men’s round robin (China vs. Canada, USA vs. Norway, Italy vs. Czechia, Great Britain vs. Switzerland)
- 1:30 p.m.: Freestyle skiing, men’s big air freeski qualification 1
- 1:45 p.m.: Figure skating, short pair skating program
- 1:57 p.m.: Ski jumping, women’s individual large hill final event*
- 2:15 p.m.: Freestyle skiing, men’s big air freeski qualification 2
- 3:00 p.m.: Freestyle skiing, men’s big air freeski qualification 3
- 3:10 p.m.: Men’s hockey, United States vs. Germany
- That’s all for now! We will come back tomorrow.
The sports office
The sports office
