What we covered here
• Women’s figure skating: Japan took the first two spots and USA’s Alysa Liu placed third on the short program leaderboard ahead of Thursday’s final. Liu’s teammates Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito finished several spots away.
• Adverse weather postponed snow events: Women’s snowboarding slopestyle final and men’s and women’s freeski aerials in Livigno were postponed.
• Incredible drama in men’s freeski: Norway’s Tormod Frostad won the gold medal in men’s freeski big air final after a delay due to weather.
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A recap of the 11th day of the Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina
If you’re just catching up on the highlights of day 11 of the Winter Olympics, here’s what you need to know:
- Adverse weather: Snow showers in the Livigno area early Tuesday postponed the snowboarding slopestyle final and the women’s and men’s freeski aerials. Another big system coming into the area Thursday could also cause further disruptions to some events.
- More gold for Norway: Norwegian Jens Luraas Oftebro claimed a second gold medal of these Games after winning the Nordic combined individual Gundersen large hill/10km. Separately, Tormod Frostad won the gold medal in the men’s freeski big air final.
- Sweden’s wins and losses: The defending Olympic men’s champions in curling, lost 9-4 to Switzerland on Tuesday. In the men’s ice hockey tournament, Sweden defeated Latvia and advanced to the quarterfinal against Team USA scheduled for Wednesday.
- France upsets Norway: France claimed gold in the men’s biathlon 4 x 7.5km relay in a time of 1:19:55.2, beating pre-race favorite Norway to the top spot by 9.8 seconds.
- Losses for team USA: Italy blazed to glory in the men’s team pursuit for speed skating, coming back to beat Team USA in the final.
- Canada’s wins: Canada pipped the Netherlands to the women’s speed skating team pursuit gold medal in a time of 2:55.81, defending their title from Beijing 2022. The Canadians also snagged an important win on Tuesday, with Rachel Homan’s curling team taking down previously undefeated Sweden 8-6.
- Women’s figure skating: Athletes performed to place high scores on the leaderboard which will be added to the free skate final scores on Thursday. USA’s Alysa Liu secured a real chance for a medal after finishing in third place, with Japan holding the first and second spot.
CNN’s Frank Nunns O’Connell, Patrick Sung, Ben Church, Jill Martin and Kyle Feldscher contributed reporting.
"As long as I'm out there," Alysa Liu says, "there's nothing to lose"
After giving a stunning performance on the ice today, American figure skater Alysa Liu said she wished she was “out there longer just to take in the moment some more.”
The Olympian is as inspirational as they come.
After living her childhood in the gilded cage of figure skating, she quit the sport at the age of 16 to go out and live the life she’d missed. There were the extraordinary opportunities, such as hiking the Himalayas, but also the ordinary stuff, like karaoke, gaming and art.
So, when Liu returned to the sport, she could skate freely. And today, she did just that.
“I’m really confident in myself,” she told NBC.
Sweden will face Team USA in quarterfinals after convincing win over Latvia
Sweden dispayed its quality in the third period, building on its lead over Latvia and booking a quarterfinal date with Team USA in the men’s ice hockey tournament at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
Entering the final period of play with a two-goal lead, Sweden quickly put to rest any hope of a Latvian comeback.
Mika Zibanejad and Lucas Raymond played a little give-and-go to set up an open net goal for Zibanejad.
Sweden put the game on ice (so to speak) with just under seven minutes remaining on the clock. Right as Latvia killed a Swedish power play, Raymond got the puck to William Nylander right in front of the crease, where Nylander deked Latvian goalie Elvis Merzlikins with a spectacular move to find an opening and slot the puck home.
Sweden would defeat Latvia 5-1, setting up a quarterfinal clash with Team USA Wednesday at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan.
Mixed night for Team USA's women as Japan dominates figure skating event
It was a mixed night at the figure skating for Team USA’s women.
On the one hand, Alysa Liu was fantastic on her Olympic return and has a real chance for a medal after finishing the short program in third place.
Her excitement stood in stark contrast to Amber Glenn’s emotions, though, following a routine she struggled to execute. The 26-year-old couldn’t hold back the tears as she slipped to 13th on the leaderboard, a result which all but ends her hopes of a gold medal.
Meanwhile, Isabeau Levito sat somewhere in the middle of her two compatriots. Her performance didn’t blow the arena away but was classy enough to see her sit in eighth.
Japan, meanwhile, had a very successful night – one that many expected.
Ami Nakai currently sits top of the standings, with Kaori Sakamoto just behind her. Mone Chiba finished the night in fourth, just behind Liu – so very much in touch with the leaders.
The women will return here on Thursday to perform their free skate routines, which will determine where the medals will fall.
USA's Amber Glenn struggles and sits in 13th place after routine
She had so much support in the room but USA’s Amber Glenn didn’t execute that routine as she would have hoped.
There were huge screams after she nailed her opening jumps, and she tried to keep that momentum throughout the routine as she performed to Madonna’s “Like a Prayer.”
But Glenn was so emotional after her routine and struggled to hold back the tears in the kiss-and-cry.
The tears then started to flow after she received her score, which initially put her in 15th place, and finally in 13th place as the program concluded.
The post was updated with latest information.
Sweden maintains a 2-goal lead through 2 periods against Latvia
Sweden is looking dominant against Latvia at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena early in the second period.
The Swedish defense hasn’t yielded an inch so far, and the offense continues to press its advantage. Sweden added a third goal with a brilliant pass from Erik Karlsson to Filip Forsberg for the score.
Latvia isn’t ready to fold up its tent quite yet though, as they clawed that goal back a few minutes later. Alberts Smits’ shot from long-range was stopped by Sweden’s goalie Jacob Markstrom, but Eduards Tralmaks was there to put the rebound into the net for Latvia.
Sweden leads 3-1 after two periods with just 20 minutes separating the Swedes from a date with Team USA in the quarfinals.
So, Ilia Malinin, Snoop Dog and Martha Stewart walk into a room...
No, it’s not the start of a bad joke, it’s the reality at this year’s Winter Olympics.
The three are together in the stands at today’s figure skating event for what looks to be some sort of guest commentary cameo.
It’s a sight I never thought I’d see but one that feels appropriate to share. You can expect selfies on social media to start appearing in T-minus five minutes.
Anyway, back to the skating.
Classy performance from Isabeau Levito, moves to fifth
Following that Alysa Liu routine couldn’t have been easy but fellow American Isabeau Levito made it easier than it must have been.
The 18-year-old performed her routine to Sophia Loren’s “Almost in Your Arms” and moved up to fifth place with a score of 70.84.
She didn’t quite skip off the arena with the same energy that Liu did, but she seems reasonably happy with her night’s work. Certainly not out of things yet but perhaps could have been better.
Alysa Liu moves to second on leaderboard in Olympic return
What a comeback!
After initially retiring at the age of 16 following her first Games, Alysa Liu seemed to enjoy her Olympic return.
The 20-year-old couldn’t hide her emotion after finishing that routine with a huge smile on her face and tears in her eyes.
She was cheered on by her adoring fans inside the arena and her two coaches embraced at the side of the rink.
She skips away from the kiss-and-cry, hugging anyone is her path. A brilliant moment and she puts herself in contention for medals in this event.
All three US skaters warming up on the ice
Alysa Liu, Isabeau Levito and Amber Glenn are all out on the ice as they warm up ahead of their performances.
Liu and Glenn got the biggest cheers from the stands as they were announced into the arena. They even got Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart, both of whom seem to be commenting here, applauding.
We’re now at the business end of the schedule.
Full spectrum of emotions on show at figure skating
Your emotions get put through the mixer at this figure skating event.
The entire atmosphere of the arena can change in just a matter of minutes, and that was perfectly demonstrated when Canada’s Madeline Schizas followed Japan’s Ami Nakai’s performance minutes ago.
Nakai looked overcome with joy after receiving a massive score of 78.71 points, leaving the stadium with a warm, fuzzy feeling and her at the top of the leaderboard.
Moments later, when Schizas finished her routine, all that had dissipated after the Canadian received a low score after failing to properly execute her routine. She sat, head in hands, in the kiss-and-cry, before walking away from the rink with her head bowed.
You get to see all the extremes at the Winter Olympics.
Sweden well on its way to a quarterfinal date against Team USA
As Team USA’s men’s ice hockey team enjoys a bye after a perfect 3-0 run through round group play, Sweden and Latvia are facing off in Milan for a chance to face the Americans.
After 10 scoreless minutes to open the game, Sweden’s offense came to life thanks to some fancy footwork.
The team in (very dark) blue and yellow tallied two goals in 41 seconds – the first coming as Joel Eriksson Ek’s pass deflected off the skate of teammate Adrian Kempe and into the net.
Less than a minute later, Sweden’s Mika Zibanejad’s sent the puck toward the net where teammate Lucas Raymond kicked the puck to team captain Gabriel Landeskog, who settled the puck with his skate before slotting it into the goal to double his squad’s advantage.
Sweden leads the game 2-0 after the first period.
Ilia Malinin says he has something "special planned” for upcoming gala this weekend
Team USA’s Ilia Malinin says the past few days have been filled with “a lot of ups and downs,” and teased what he has planned for this weekend’s upcoming figure skating exhibition gala.
Reflecting on his big upset performance during the men’s free skate last week, Malinin told NBC’s Mike Tirico that he didn’t feel in control in the moment like he typically does.
But he noted that after the event, he received support from other athletes like Tom Brady, Simone Biles and Steph Curry.
“Looking back at it, I get so much love, so much support and everyone was there for me,” he said.
The skater says he’s looking forward to the figure skating exhibition gala this weekend, and that he has something “special planned.”
“I hope I can bring lots of emotion, lots of, you know, energy to the rink,” he said.
Not long before US figure skaters take to the ice
I’ll be honest, I’m going to contradict that headline in the first paragraph. We’re just over halfway through this evening’s schedule, so, relatively, we’re getting close. Maybe just closer?
Alysa Liu will be the first American to take to the ice. She is set to be the 24th skater and we’re currently waiting to watch the 18th.
The arena is filling up and everyone is dancing to what I’m reliably informed are “banging tunes” by a journalist near me during this pause in action.
Adeliia Petrosian, who was second on the ice today, is still the leader after her Michael Jackson medley.
Figure skating cameraman has become breakout star of the Games
Dressed in an all-white suit, with matching skates, the cameraman at the figure skating events has been turning heads during these Winter Olympics.
His name is Jordan Cowan, and he’s tasked with filming the skaters as they leave the ice after performing their routines. Only, he’s brought a certain flair to proceedings.
Videos of him gliding around the ice on one leg as he manipulates a futuristic-looking camera have gone viral in recent days – so much so that he’s becoming quite well known on social media.
Wouldn’t it be great if we could speak to him about his life and career?
Well, luckily, I’m due to speak to him after the event wraps up later.
More on that in tomorrow’s coverage.
Norway's Tormod Frostad takes gold after incredible drama in the men's freeski big air
Absolute drama in the men’s freeski big air finals!
The final jumps set up the competition for drama. And with the tricks these guys are pulling off, anything is possible.
Team USA’s Ralph Konnor pulled off a ridiculous 2160 spin – SIX full rotations – and jumped to fourth place with a total score of 178.00. However, such is the level of competition in this event that he was soon replaced by fellow teammate, Troy Podmilsak, also pulled off a 2160 while dragging the nose of his skiis and flipping three times — a huge trick that results in a 94.00.
That means Matej Svancer of Austria, Mac Forehand of the USA and Tormod Frostad on Norway are going to be in the medal places.
Svancer goes first of the top trio and nails his jump, a switch 2160 spin to the left, and he gets a 96.00! That total score of 191.25 puts Forehand on notice.
Frostad holds the nose of skis as he spins through the air and lands smooth as you’d like. And he gets a 98.50! Unbelievable, a massive score that gives him 195.50 total to win the gold!
Sorry for all the exclamation marks but really, what an unbelievable series of jumps. Frostad of Norway takes gold, Forehand of the US takes silver and Svancer of Austria takes bronze.
Himalayan hike, karaoke, gaming: Here's what Alysa Liu did when she quit figure skating
For the better part of her childhood, Alysa Liu lived inside a gilded cage of figure skating.
At 10, she was competing in the Central Pacific Regionals and at 13, won the US Nationals, the youngest champion in the competition’s history. She defended her title a year later, and at 16 represented the United States at the Olympics. She finished seventh in Beijing but months later earned a bronze at the World Championships, only the second American woman to hit the world championships podium since 2006.
Now, she’s back, competing at the Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina.
Read more about Alysa Liu’s incredible life and career here.
The men's freeski big air is pretty much insane
Tormod Frostad is an insane person.
The Norwegian flies down the massive ski jump, switching around to launch himself BACKWARD off the ramp and then completes a 1620-degree spin – that’s four-and-a-half rotations – while grabbing the tail of his skis and lands it.
The score is huge – a 97, just three points shy of a perfect 100 – and he’s in pole position with a 192.25 total score through two runs.
Through the first two runs, Frostad is in front but this is going to be a crazy ending.
Matej Svancer of Austria turns on the style in his second run, jumping into second place with a combined score of 187.00, scoring a 95.25 on his second run. He looks in disbelief that he landed it, which is my favorite thing about this sport – even the guys doing the tricks can’t really believe what they’re pulling off.
Mac Forehand of the USA is the final skier to go in the second run and pulls off a perfect jump as well, finishing with another 95.00.
Frostad is in the lead by 2.25 points going into the final run. It’s going to take something special for him to be topped.
Huge scores — for those that land — in the first run of men's freeski big air
Through the first run in the men’s freeski big air final, we’ve got an American in gold medal contention and some truly ridiculous scores.
Norway’s Tormod Frostad paces the field with a 95.25 opening run and there’s a tie for second between the USA’s Mac Forehand and Birk Ruud of Norway with 95. Troy Podmilsak and Ralph Konnor of the US are in sixth and seventh after the opening run.
A truly wild opening sequence – five of the competitors didn’t land their first run.
Yes, you read that right: They’re using snowblowers to remove snow from the snow.
The second run is getting underway now.
Men's freeski big air is underway and it's coming down out there
They’re sliding down hills, going for thrills and jumping in a winter wonderland in Livigno.
Men’s freestyle big air final is happening in a veritable snow globe and it’s going to be a challenge. There’s already been a couple crashes in the first few runs.
There are three runs for each competitor, and the best two scores are added together to get the final score. Each jump requires a competitor to do a trick, spinning from a different side.
So, if someone gets a great score on Run 1 going clockwise and not a not-great score on Run 2 going counter-clockwise, then he’ll go counter-clockwise on Run 3 to try and improve on Run 2’s score. The best of the two counter-clockwise runs will count and then be added to the clockwise score for the final total.
Make sense? Not really? I feel you. We’ll get through this.
