The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics have officially arrived. While the mesmerizing Opening Ceremony at the San Siro Stadium—featuring a stunning tribute to Italian opera and a futuristic light show over the Dolomites—captured the world’s imagination tonight, the battle for medals had already begun hours earlier. Day 0 delivered high-drama in the Figure Skating Team Event and a grueling double-header for the American curling squad.
Here is your comprehensive "Winning Sports" breakdown of the action from Friday, February 6th.
Figure Skating: Team USA Explodes Out of the Gate
The Team Event kicked off at the Mediolanum Forum in Milan, and Team USA made a massive statement, ending the first day of competition at the top of the leaderboard.
Ice Dance: Chock and Bates Set the Standard
The veteran duo of Madison Chock and Evan Bates delivered the performance of the day in the Rhythm Dance. Skating to a medley of Lenny Kravitz hits, the three-time World Champions scored a massive 91.06, a season's best that put the U.S. into an immediate lead. Their "twizzles" were graded Level 4 with maximum Grade of Execution (GOE) marks.
"To break 90 is always a great feat, and to do it to open the Olympic Games is even better," Bates said in the mixed zone. "We definitely skated great... I think we both felt the excitement of just getting these Olympics underway."
Women’s Short Program: The Battle of the Titans
The Women’s Short Program lived up to the hype, turning into a duel between American grit and Japanese artistry.
- 1. Sakamoto Kaori (JPN) - 78.40: The defending World Champion was untouchable. Her speed across the ice was visibly superior, and her double axel was launched with such height that it garnered huge component scores.
- 2. Alysa Liu (USA) - 74.90: Liu kept the Americans in the hunt with a clean, technically precise program, finishing just behind Sakamoto to secure vital team points.
Current Team Standings (After 3 Segments)
- 1. United States: 25 Points
- 2. Japan: 23 Points
- 3. Italy: 22 Points (The hosts are performing well above expectations)
- 4. Canada: 20 Points
Curling: Mixed Doubles Marathon
It was a "moving day" in the Mixed Doubles round-robin at the Cortina Olympic Stadium, with teams playing crucial back-to-back matches. Team USA (Thiesse/Dropkin) faced a brutal schedule, taking on heavyweights Canada and Czechia in the same day.
Session 5: USA vs. Canada (USA Wins 7-5)
In perhaps the most anticipated match of the round-robin so far, the U.S. took down their northern rivals. The turning point came in the 6th End. With the score tied 4-4, Korey Dropkin executed a brilliant double takeout to clear the house, allowing Cory Thiesse to draw for three. Canada attempted to rally in the 8th, but a heavy draw from the Canadian skip slid through the house, sealing the win for the Americans.
Session 6: Czechia vs. USA (USA Wins 8-6)
Fatigue seemed to set in during the afternoon session against the Czech pair. The U.S. fell behind 4-1 early after struggling with ice reading on the outside lanes. However, a strategic "Power Play" in the 7th End changed everything. Thiesse made a clutch runback raised takeout to score four, flipping the momentum and securing a perfect 2-0 day for the United States.
Standings Update: Team USA now sits at 4-1, tied for first place in the group and nearly guaranteeing a spot in the semifinals.
Women’s Ice Hockey: Group A Drama
While Team USA enjoyed a rest day after their 5-1 thrashing of Czechia yesterday, the rest of Group A was in action, and the intensity is already at knockout-round levels.
Czechia vs. Switzerland (SUI Wins 4-3 in Shootout)
This was a goaltending masterclass disguised as a hockey game. Despite being outshot 32-31, Switzerland clawed out a victory thanks to Saskia Maurer. The Swiss netminder made 29 saves in regulation and stopped 3 of 4 shooters in the skills competition.
Group B: Japan Dominates France (3-1)
In the early game, Japan showcased their speed, skating circles around a French team that looked a step slow. Japan’s transition game generated two breakaway goals in the second period, effectively putting the game out of reach.
Look Ahead: Day 1 (February 7)
Today, the first medals of the games will be awarded!
- Men's Downhill: The "King of the Mountain" will be crowned. Training runs suggest a fierce battle between Switzerland's Marco Odermatt and Norway's Aleksander Aamodt Kilde.
- Short Track Speed Skating: The Mixed Team Relay kicks off—expect chaos, crashes, and high speed.
- Men's Figure Skating: Ilia Malinin (USA) takes the ice for the Men's Short Program in the Team Event. Can he land the Quad Axel?