What we're covering
• Events today: Curling, speed skating and ice hockey are among the events lined up on Day 1.
• Lindsey Vonn does it again: The US star skied even faster than Friday, completing today’s run without issue in a time of one minute and 38.28 seconds. This all despite having “completely ruptured” her ACL on January 30.
• Latest news: CNN Sports has the latest chatter from the Winter Olympics and incredible stories of athletic achievement. Click here to sign up for the newsletter.
Fans start to leave the venue, thinking they've already seen the winner
The way the downhill event works means we’ve already seen the favorites perform their runs and some fans have seen enough.
Spectators have started to stream out of the venue, assuming Franjo von Allmen has wrapped up the gold medal already.
In truth, they are probably right, unless someone pulls off an incredible surprise.
Someone has now been given the job to keep the energy up in the crowd and is encouraging everyone to start dancing to the music.
The full-throttle, breathtaking sport that’s missing from the Winter Olympics
While these downhill skiers are hitting speeds of up to 85 mph – unfathomable for the laymen like you and I – they pale in comparison to a sport which isn’t at the Winter Olympics: speed skiing.
In fact, speed skiing has only ever been a demonstration event at the Games, wowing audiences at the 1992 Olympics. There are hopes, though, it could feature for real at the next Winter Olympics in 2030.
CNN Sports spoke to the world record holder Simon Billy, who was clocked traveling at 255.500 km/h (158.760 mph) in 2023.
“When I am in my helmet, on my skis, at that moment, everything is just so slow around me. I hear nothing. I don’t see anything either,” he says.
“You have to watch your feet and trust yourself. You have to know the track, and you have to be able to ski down and take the good line.”
Read more about the sport of speed skiing here.
Franjo von Allmen sitting pretty with roughly 15 skiers to go
Franjo von Allmen is sitting in the leader’s seat at the end of the course, skis by his side, poles in his hands and helmet in his lap as he watches the remaining competitors come down the hill.
Wrapped up in a black jacket and wooly black hat, you have to think that he won’t be keeping that seat warm for anyone else but himself.
He just received a warm embrace from his nearest rival Giovanni Franzoni, dressed all in white along with some dapper black shades. The two of them are chatting away, no doubt reflecting on the prospect of medals coming their way very soon.
Eileen Gu through to women's freeski slopestyle final after fall in 1st run
Far away in the Livigno Snow Park, a bit of early concern from the fans as 2022 women’s freeski slopestyle silver medalist Eileen Gu fell in her first run, putting her qualification for the final into doubt.
But the two-time Olympic gold medalist cruises through her second run with a score of 75.30 to make it to the final.
Phew.
Temperature has dramatically dropped in Bormio as downhill event continues
What started off as a perfect weather day in the mountains has suddenly taken a turn. The sun has now hidden behind the clouds and the temperature has plummeted.
People were in T-shirts about 20 minutes ago, now it’s time for hats, scarves and winter coats.
The energy, though, is still high.
Italy out of the running for men's downhill gold
The host nation’s hopes of winning gold here have gone.
Italians Giovanni Franzoni and Dominik Paris were hotly tipped as contenders for the crown, but despite initially making inroads into Franjo von Allmen’s time during their runs, they ultimately came up just short.
The duo currently sits in second and third place.
Can anyone stop the Swiss sensation from claiming gold at his maiden Olympics? It doesn’t look like it, but you never know…
Current men's downhill leader Franjo von Allmen has a sausage named after him
He may be leading the men’s downhill at the moment, but Franjo von Allmen has already made a name for himself.
After making his debut in 2023, the Swiss youngster has become one of the best skiers in the world and he’s been recognized in his hometown of Boltigen, which has named a sausage – the Silberblitz-Wurscht (or “Silver Lightning Sausage”) – after him.
According to Olympics.com, if you want to eat the “Franjo wurst,” it will set you back roughly $15.44 per pound.
Lindsey Vonn’s mental fortitude in her most unlikely Olympic Games
Lindsey Vonn, swaddled in her Team USA parka, sat down in front of a microphone in a press room in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, and calmly detailed how, a few days earlier, she had obliterated her left knee.
“I completely ruptured my ACL. I also have bone bruising, which is a common injury when you tear your ACL, plus some meniscal damage,’’ she said with near clinical detachment.
And then with equal deliberateness and calm, Vonn explained how she intends to ski in Sunday’s Olympic downhill competition – on a left knee with a severed ligament, and a right knee reconstructed in titanium.
The two things do not go together. Or should not go together. Torquing and turning down a mountain at 85 miles per hour without an ACL – its sole anatomical purpose is to connect the femur to the tibia and protect the bones from shifting – is, at best, not recommended and, at worst, slightly reckless.
Except to express surprise that the 2010 Olympic gold medalist is even considering this would be to misunderstand Lindsey Vonn in her entirety. She has made a career of taking risks and defying logic, her shredded body the victim of her determination.
This is not her first ACL tear. It is her third, to go along with a fractured ankle, knee, humerus, microfractures in her forearm, tibial fractures in her leg, a torn LCL, two torn MCLs and an acute facet dysfunction of her back – better known as debilitating spasms brought on by trauma.
Since she first popped her boots into a pair of bindings, Vonn has known one speed: Go.
She is not about to stop now.
Read more about Vonn’s improbable comeback here.
Swiss domination so far in the men's downhill final
The Switzerland fans next to us are in seventh heaven right now. It’s currently a Swiss top-3 leading the way in the men’s downhill with young gun Franjo von Allmen topping the leaderboard after a blistering run.
The 24-year-old raised his skis to the jubilant fans as he crossed the finish line in a time of one minute and 51.61 seconds.
Can anyone break up the Swiss monopoly?
Lindsey Vonn cruises through second training run
Lindsey Vonn eased through her second training run without issue in a time of one minute and 38.28 seconds and looks ready for Sunday’s medal event.
My colleague Dana O’Neil tells me from Cortina d’Ampezzo that Vonn had a slight bobble toward the end, but she’s faster than she was yesterday, capping off the training run with a fist bump.
CNN’s Dana O’Neil contributed to this post.
Men's downhill gets underway with opening runs
We’ve had our first three runs of the competition, with Austria’s Daniel Hemetsberger currently leading, but we have a long way to go.
The speed is truly something else when you witness it up close.
The athletes finish the course with a small jump as they approach the grandstand where they are greeted by all the excited fans.
Stelvio's challenging course beckons
The Stelvio Ski Centre slope is a regular feature on the World Cup ski circuit and, as the PA has reminded us, it’s not a hill for the faint-hearted!
It’s one of the most challenging courses on the planet, stretching 3.5 km (slightly over two miles) with a descent of over 1,000m and skiers speeds hitting 100 kph (about 62 mph). It’s going to be a nervy ride for the 36 skiers lined up to take on the challenge.
One factor that could play a role today is the timing of the event. It’s usually held in the bleak, frigid month of December but today the course basks in glorious February sunshine.
Let’s see what it has in store for us.
Drones buzzing at max speeds down the slopes too
As I wait for the women’s downhill training here in Cortina – and Lindsey Vonn to make her second training run of these Games – I’ve been mesmerized by the tiny drone that zips up and down the mountain here, following skiers on their runs.
If skiers are going 85 mph, that thing is going 100. As soon as it gets to the bottom, it turns around and flies back up.
Fans cram into Bormio to watch the men's downhill
A sold out crowd of around 7,000 people was expected to watch the men’s downhill today according to Reuters and it certainly seems that way.
A long line of spectators are making their way up the slope like a line of lemmings to find a vantage point.
The stand where we are sitting is almost full and is rocking with fans jumping in unison to the music.
The drink of choice among fans is a bottle of beer with a lime wedge in the top. I’m totally not jealous. Not. At. All.
CNN clambers into its seats for the men's downhill
Working our way up to our seats in the Media Tribune is no mean feat! You walk through a labyrinth of scaffolding which gives you a real appreciation for the engineering that goes into building these temporary structures.
After four flights of steep stairs, we successfully navigated the maze of entrances to work our way to the very top of the stand… and to be fair the view is absolutely worth it. Glorious sun has descended, so it’s very much a day for the SPF and shades!
We have the latter but the not too much of the former…
Either way, we’re in prime position to watch the greatest men’s downhill skiers battle it out among each other for that much coveted gold medal. The action begins shortly!
Lindsey Vonn scheduled to train again on Saturday
Lindsey Vonn is on the start list for Saturday’s final day of women’s downhill training. The 41-year-old Vonn, who is attempting to get a medal after completely tearing her ACL on January 30, is scheduled to be the 15th competitor out of the starting gate. The second training run kicks off at 5:30 a.m. ET.
Her coach Aksel Lund Svindal said after her first training run that Vonn and the doctors would consult and decide about her future participation, explaining that they would weigh the risk of injury with the reward of more familiarity with how her knee is performing.
The downhill final is scheduled for Sunday at 5:30 a.m. ET.
The tunes are pumping as the men's downhill approaches
We may still be just under half an hour from the start of the first medal event of the Games, the men’s downhill, here in Bormio, but the atmosphere is building nicely.
Fans from Italy, Switzerland, Germany and the US are here nice and early and bringing the vibes. Face paint, colorful hats and placards all on full display.
It’s a great atmosphere in the stands at the bottom of the course already. Fans are dancing in their seats as a saxophonist, dressed in a white furry coat, accompanies a DJ who is blasting out the tunes. A dance cam is encouraging people to do just that and our cameraman Will is loving it.
What’s more conditions look perfect for downhill skiing: The sun is shining, the snow is crisp and there’s little cloud cover above.
CNN in place in Bormio to watch first medal event at the Games
The CNN Sports team has made the roughly three-hour journey from Milan to Bormio this morning to see the men’s downhill final.
It’s the first medal event at this Games and what an amazing venue.
It’s a perfectly crisp day, the sun is shining and the snow is glistening.
We’ll bring you more as it comes.
Korey Dropkin is looking for Olympic curling glory in his Games debut
Making your Olympic debut is a dream come true for athletes around the world, and US curler Korey Dropkin is no exception, telling CNN Sports back in October that “it means the world.”
The 2023 world mixed doubles champion said he “grew up at the curling club” where he followed his older brother’s footsteps before eventually surpassing him.
Dropkin – a realtor in Minnesota and Wisconsin by day – used the lessons of previously missing out on the Winter Games to make it to Milan.
“The big thing for me has been just working on my mind and working on the thoughts that happen between the ears while I’m in competition and trying to just focus on my process and doing me versus the things that I can’t control,” he said.
“If I can continue to do that and have a good energy on the ice, usually, I’m pretty successful.”
Helping Dropkin in the US’ quest for gold? His fellow 2023 world mixed doubles champion teammate Cory Thiesse, or “girl Cory” as their coach calls her.
“She’s an amazing teammate. She’s such a great curler, but just in general, a great human being,” Dropkin told CNN.
“She’s super kind, she’s very supportive. She’s got like that, ‘the eye of the tiger.’ She is so clutch in the biggest moments and she’s always been that way.”
American fans are hoping Korey and Cory can keep channeling the Italian Stallion’s energy from “Rocky III” to bring home the gold for the US. The duo is currently 4-0 in the round robin session with a big match against the 5-0 Team GB at 8:35 a.m. ET before another clash at 1:05 p.m. ET against South Korea.
Apple, lid, flamingo? Unique hockey jargon you’ll hear at Milan Cortina
The US women’s hockey team will play a preliminary round against Finland at 10:40 a.m. ET.
There are terms used by commentators or pundits that you might not be accustomed to hearing if not a regular to the sport.
We look at some of the sport-specific lingo and explain what the terms mean so you’ll be ahead of the game in Milan Cortina.
An apple: an assist.
Bar down: when the puck strikes the crossbar from a shot and ends up in the goal.
Between the pipes: where the goalie presides.
Deke: a skill where a player feints to draw an opposing player out of position or to skate by an opponent while maintaining possession and control of the puck.
Flamingo: when a player lifts one leg, standing like a flamingo, to get out of the way of a shot.
Lid: a player’s helmet.
Tape-to-tape: a very accurate pass going from the tape of the passer’s stick to the tape of the receiver’s stick.
See a full list of hockey jargon terms you need to know.
