Here's the latest
• Mikaela Shiffrin goes gold: The American star ended her eight-year Olympic drought in sensational fashion, winning the women’s slalom in a time of 1:39.10 – 1.5 seconds faster than second place.
• Klaebo extends record: Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo won his fifth gold of these Games in the men’s cross-country team sprint and 10th overall in his career to extend his record as the most successful Winter Olympian ever.
• Dog takes part in cross-country race: A two-year-old Czechoslovakian wolfdog named Nazgul ran to the finish line in the women’s team sprint free final, drawing the interest of social media and fans worldwide.
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Adults and kids will be collectively disappointed as stoat mascot merch is running out
Apparently, toy versions of the mascots Tina and Milo are so highly sought after that official stores are running out of stock. That’s going to be disappointing to some enthusiasts, including a CNN correspondent bereft at the “disaster” and a 19-month-old son of another CNN colleague.
Milan Cortina Olympic organizers, who apparently did not account for the demand for mascot merch, say they are talking to their suppliers.
Check out more on the mascot craze here:
Mikaela Shiffrin dedicates monumental win to late father
Three days ago, Mikaela Shiffrin pre-wrote a victory Instagram post. She started it off with two simple words: “I won!”
Shiffrin ended her eight-year Olympic drought today, winning gold in the women’s slalom, and hit publish on her Instagram draft. The historic win is the four-time Olympian’s third gold medal – the most of any American alpine skier ever.
Shiffrin took a moment to reflect and express the reality of the grief she has experienced following the unexpected death of her dad in 2020.
“This was a moment I have dreamed about,” Shiffrin said. “I’ve also been very scared of this moment. Everything in life that you do after you lose someone you love is like a new experience. It’s like being born again.”
Shiffrin stepped away from the slopes and even considered retiring. Her mom Eileen thought her daughter would never ski again. But today, she showed up with the grace, speed and admiration for a sport her dad always loved.
The build-up for this moment woke Shiffrin up at 1:30 a.m. this morning, so she tried to nap before her second run. But thoughts of her dad flooded her mind and she began to cry.
“Instead of thinking I was going into this moment without him, I took the moment to be silent with him,” Shiffrin said.
Her combined time of 1:39.10 was 1.5 seconds faster – the largest win margin in any Olympic alpine skiing event, men’s or women’s, since 1998 – than Switzerland’s Camille Rast, who walked away with silver.
“Every single moment I’ve experienced in my career has been so unique and special,” Shiffrin said following her race earlier today. “There’s been highs and lows, and everything is pushing me forward and this moment feels like the biggest thing right now, but in the end, it’s just part of the journey.”
The full-throttle, breathtaking sport that’s missing from the Winter Olympics
While the Olympic schedule is full of spectacular sports this year, there is one missing from the agenda – 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.
Simon Billy is the fastest man in the world on two skis. In 2023, he set the world record, hurtling down a slope at 158.7 mph. He speaks to CNN about his ambitions and hopes to bring the sport to the 2030 Winter Olympics.
“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.
France clinches gold in women's biathlon 4 x 6km relay
France cruised in the women’s biathlon 4 x 6km relay to claim gold in a time of 1:10:22.7 – more than 51 seconds ahead of silver medalists Sweden.
France’s team – consisting of Camille Bened, Lou Jeanmonnot, Julia Simon and Oceane Michelon – was in 16th at the end of the first leg but went on to win in dominant fashion.
It marks a second biathlon gold in two days for Team France after the men’s squad clinched top spot in the 4 x 7.5km race yesterday.
Norway earned the bronze medal in a time of 1:11:30.3.
Shiffrin's triumph, canine athletes and birthday gold. The latest from Day 12
Day 12 of the Winter Olympics have been full of action so far, with medals and storylines aplenty. Here’s what we’ve covered so far today.
- Mikaela Shiffrin wins sensational gold: The American star ended her eight-year Olympic medal drought in sensational fashion, winning the women’s slalom in a time of 1:39.10 – 1.5 seconds faster than second place.
- Klaebo extends astonishing Olympic record: Norway’s Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo won a stunning fifth gold of these Games in the men’s cross-country team sprint. It’s an astonishing 10th overall in his career to extend his record as the most successful Winter Olympian ever.
- Fast and fur-ious: There was a welcome addition to the finish of today’s women’s cross-country skiing team sprint free race when a dog joined the athletes for the final sprint to the line. Footage showed the happy-looking pup running behind two skiers, with the crowd cheering as it crossed the finish line. Sweden ended up winning gold in the race.
- Birthday gold for Su: China’s Su Yiming clinched the gold medal in the men’s slopestyle final – on his 22nd birthday no less – after nobody could top his score of 82.41. Surely, there’s no better present than a gold medal.
- More gold for China: A bit later on, China’s Xu Mengtao won gold in the women’s freeski aerials with a score of 112.90 to make it double gold on Day 12 for the Asian nation.
- Japanese success: First-time Olympian Mari Fukada won the women’s snowboard slopestyle with a fantastic third run score of 87.83 to get Japan’s fifth gold of these Games.
CNN’s Patrick Sung, Ben Church and Hannah Keyser contributed to this reporting
First-time Olympian Mari Fukada wins women's snowboard slopestyle gold
Competing in her first Olympics, Mari Fukada won gold in the women’s snowboard slopestyle for Japan.
Each athlete gets three runs with only their top score counting. Through the first two rounds, only the 19-year-old Fukada had posted a score in the 80s. She bested that in her third and final run, jumping to a whopping 87.83.
Her compatriot Kokomo Murase, who won gold earlier in the Olympics in big air, ended up with bronze. Murase seemed to be expecting a higher score based on the run she put down, a reaction that several riders — and the broadcast team — had throughout the afternoon.
With the final ride of the afternoon, Kiwi Zoi Sadowski Synnott, the reigning gold medalist from Beijing, jumped from outside of the podium to silver.
Lindsey Vonn loses dog in days after scary Olympic crash: “The day I crashed, so did Leo”
Lindsey Vonn announced the death of her dog Leo on social media earlier this morning.
“This has been an incredibly hard few days,” Vonn wrote on Instagram. “Probably the hardest of my life. I still have not come to terms that he is gone… The day I crashed, so did Leo.”
Leo – who was recently diagnosed with lung cancer and had “survived lymphoma a year and a half ago” – died on February 9, the day after Vonn crashed on the slopes of Cortina d’Ampezzo.
“We have been through so much together in 13 years,” Vonn wrote on Instagram. “There will never be another Leo. He will always be my first love. Heading in for more surgery today. Will be thinking of him when I close my eyes. I will love you forever my big boy.”
Vonn has been through a series of surgeries to repair the broken leg she suffered in that February 8 crash.
"To have a medal is unbelievable": Shiffrin on ending Olympic drought
After Mikaela Shiffrin’s unbelievable performance was enough for slalom gold – her first Olympic medal in eight years – she was absolutely delighted.
The 30-year-old had mountains of pressure piled onto her by fans and the media alike, but arguably the greatest skier of all time more than delivered on the biggest stage.
“To do it in this moment, on this day – every time I’m able to manage my best skiing, it’s somehow a surprise because it’s stressful,” Shiffrin said with a laugh. “But it’s so fun, too.
The story becomes ever more heartwarming as her parents were in attendance for her super performance – and her family will be welcoming a new member soon.
“To see my mom and talk to my dad, it’s a lot. It’s too much to process and express at the same time,” she explained. Shiffrin’s father died in February 2020.
“I wanted to thank my team and I wanted to send love to my family who’s back home, and my brother and sister-in-law who are having a baby in the next month or so.”
Russians and Belarusians competing under national flags at Paralympics sparks Ukraine outrage
Ukrainian officials will not attend the 2026 Winter Paralympic Games in Milan Cortina in March following the International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) decision to permit Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their respective national flags, according to a Ukrainian minister.
Matvii Bidnyi, who is Ukraine’s sports minister, shared his nation’s stance in a post on X on Wednesday, expressing disbelief at the IPC’s move.
“In response to the @Paralympics organisers’ outrageous decision to let russians and belarusians compete under their national flags, Ukrainian officials will not attend the Paralympic Games,” Bidny’s message read, before confirming that Ukrainian officials will refuse to participate in any other Paralympic events because of the IPC’s action.
The lawmaker pre-emptively thanked officials from the “free world” who are also inclined to abstain from Paralympic events in support of Ukraine’s protest, before concluding his update with a statement of defiance, “We will keep fighting!” he wrote.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha echoed his colleague’s sentiment, writing in a post on X, “Allowing the flags of aggressor states to be raised at the Paralympic Games while Russia’s war against Ukraine rages on is wrong — morally and politically.”
Glenn Micallef, the European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport offered solidarity with Ukraine in an X post, emphasizing intolerance for the IPC’s call.
“This is unacceptable,” the diplomat wrote. “While Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine continues, I cannot support the reinstatement of national symbols, flags, anthems and uniforms, that are inseparable from that conflict,” he added.
Micallef confirmed that he will not attend the Paralympic opening ceremony with a caveat of appreciation for sportspeople, “I do so with respect for the athletes but with clarity about the principles at stake,” he explained.
He called on “likeminded counterparts to take the same stand.”
This will mark the first time a Russian flag has been displayed at the Paralympics since the 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia. Meanwhile, Russians and Belarusians still compete under the AIN flag at the Olympics.
A ring to go with their medals
“Olympics brought us together. This one made us forever,” Hilary Knight captioned her Instagram video.
The first Olympics she’s referencing is Beijing 2022, where the US women’s hockey team captain began spending time with US speedskater Brittany Bowe. From then on, the couple has been inseparable.
“I knew immediately. I was like, this person’s the one,” Knight told Olympics.com.
Four years later, both competing in what they have said will be their final Olympics, Knight made that public and official. The video shows her proposing to Bowe — decked out in full Team USA gear.
In photos: Mikaela Shiffrin has claimed a long-awaited gold
US star Mikaela Shiffrin claimed gold in the women’s slalom after a fantastic run two in a combined time of 1:39.10, ending an eight-year Olympic medal drought for arguably the greatest skier ever.
Shiffrin won gold in the event for the second time in her career, 12 years after winning the slalom in Sochi. The achievement is the longest gap between golds in an individual Winter Olympics event ever.
Deedra Irwin hopes the power of donuts can earn the US' first ever biathlon medal
In the long history of biathlon at the Winter Olympics, which stretches back to the 1960 Games in California, no American – man, woman or team – has ever won a medal.
The event – which combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting – has long been dominated by Norway and Germany, and the United States hasn’t had a realistic shot of landing a podium in 62 years. But Deedra Irwin could change all that.
The 33-year-old from Pulaski, Wisconsin, finished seventh in the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, the best-ever finish for an American at an individual biathlon event, and could better that this time around in Milan Cortina.
Perhaps though, her first mission will be to find a good bakery for her secret weapon and guilty pleasure: donuts.
“It goes back to being in high school. We had this really amazing bakery in Pulaski – Smurawa’s, shout out, still makes amazing donuts – and we would go running in the morning and our coach would be like, ‘Oh go for a 30-minute run, come back, we’ll do core,’ and me and my friends would just sneak away and we’d run to the donut shop. We’d try to eat as many donuts as we could before we got back to training,” Irwin told CNN Sports in late October.
“Then when I started biathlon … I would have headaches all the time. And (retired US Olympian Susan Dunklee) said, ‘Well, are you consuming enough sugar? You know, your brain runs on sugar.’ And I was like, OK, donuts. And so I just was like, ‘I’m gonna eat donuts now,’ and it kind of just became a whole thing.”
Once fully energized, Irwin knows that focus and preparation for performing on the day is key, saying “anybody can have an incredible race.”
You might see some athletes with AIN by their name, what does that mean?
An Individual Neutral Athlete is the name used to refer to athletes with either a Russian or Belarusian passport who will be competing at this year’s Winter Games. These athletes are referred to by the abbreviation AIN, which comes from the French translation Athlètes Individuels Neutres.
These athletes will be permitted to compete if they meet eligibility requirements, which are the same as those established for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.
No reference to either country will be made at the Games through the athletes’ participation.
“No flag, anthem, colors or any other identifications whatsoever of Russia or Belarus will be displayed at the (Olympics) in any official venue or any official function,” the IOC said in a 2024 statement.
The AIN anthem – without any lyrics – and the AIN flag will be used in medal ceremonies.
Though AINs are eligible to compete and win Olympic medals, they will not be displayed in the medal table of nations.
AINs will also be excluded from the parade of delegations at the Opening Ceremony on the basis that they are individual athletes rather than a team, though the IOC has said “an opportunity will be provided for them to experience the event.”
Thirteen Russians and seven Belarusians have qualified for and been cleared to compete in Milan Cortina in the following sports:
- Alpine skiing
- Cross-country skiing
- Figure skating
- Freestyle skiing
- Luge
- Short track
- Ski mountaineering
- Speed skating
Slovakia eases past Germany into men's hockey semifinals
Amid a busy Day 12 in Italy, Slovakia has defeated Germany 6-2 to advance to the semifinals of the men’s hockey competition at Milan Cortina.
After an outstanding second period in which the Slovakians scored three goals, they eased past a German team that lacked attacking flair, converting just two of its 27 shots.
Slovakia is the first team to confirm its ticket to the semifinals.
Fast and fur-ious: Dog joins athletes during cross-country ski finish
There was a welcome addition to the finish of today’s women’s cross-country skiing team sprint free race when a dog joined the athletes for the final sprint to the line.
Footage showed the happy-looking pup running behind two skiers, with the crowd cheering as it crossed the finish line.
He was then shown sniffing at the competition, with skiers looking somewhat confused by the situation.
“He was super happy crossing the finish line. I was so focused on finishing the race I didn’t look at the dog,” Nahiara Díaz González said after the race.
“It was just a fun experience. This is not normal. I don’t know what he was doing here. But the finish was not a problem. Luckily, it went well.”
According to NPR, the dog – a “stubborn, but very sweet” Czechoslovakian wolfdog according to his owners – is local to the area and is called Nazgul. Although he wasn’t available for comment, the owners spoke on his behalf.
“He was crying this morning more than normal because he was seeing us leaving and I think he just wanted to follow us,” the owner told NPR, adding the dog had escaped from the house. “He always looks for people.”
Mikaela Shiffrin wins gold in the women's slalom
US star skier Mikaela Shiffrin has claimed gold in the women’s slalom after a fantastic run two in a combined time of 1:39.10!
Shiffrin looks immensely relieved and didn’t react for a long time before squatting down on her skis and finally pumping her fist.
She looks to be in tears as she leaves finish and gets a big hit from her mother as she ends an eight-year Olympic medal drought in the best way possible.
Shiffrin won her first slalom gold medal as a precocious 18 year old at Sochi 2014, but despite asserting herself as the best slalom racer in history (with 71 World Cup wins), she had not been able to reach the Olympic podium in her signature event since. She finished fourth in 2018 and did not finish the race in Beijing.
When she won her gold 12 years ago, she won by .53 seconds, a margin she eclipsed here on the slopes of Cortina d’Ampezzo.
The 12-year gap between medals marks the largest between individual golds in a Winter Olympics event.
Xu Mengtao wins women's freeski aerials
China’s Xu Mengtao won gold in the women’s freeski aerials with a score of 112.90, far clear of her fellow competitors in Wednesday’s medal event.
Australian Danielle Scott, who topped the first final, finished with the silver after scoring 102.17 on her jump.
China also scored the bronze in the event with Shao Qi rounding out the podium.
Everything you need to know about Skimo, the sport making its Winter Olympics debut
It’s around 102 years since the very first Winter Olympics were held in the French resort of Chamonix, but this year’s Games will be the first to feature the sport of skimo.
Short for ski mountaineering, skimo is the only sport making its debut at Milan Cortina this month, but it boasts a long and fascinating history that stretches back decades.
Skimo is an energy-sapping mix of uphill climbing and downhill skiing, with athletes tasked with changing their specialist equipment depending on the section of the course they are tackling.
Within the sport, there are several disciplines, including individual races, sprints and team relays.
For this year’s Games, only the men’s and women’s sprints and the mixed relay will be included in the schedule.
The sprints are full of adrenaline, with races typically lasting around three minutes, involving one ascent and one descent. With so little margin for error, there is huge pressure on nailing the transition of equipment.
Find out more about the new sport skimo here.
Team USA's Moltzan leading slalom run 2, Shiffrin still to come
We’re just over halfway to seeing US star skier Mikaela Shiffrin take to the slope to try for gold on her second women’s slalom run.
We’ve had 17 skiers go down the slope so far, and right now it’s Team USA’s Paula Moltzan with the lead in a combined time of 1:41.29.
Could we see two Americans medal in this event?
Women's aerials down to final six competitors
We’re down to the final six competitors in women’s aerials freestyle skiing. The day started with 12 aerialists, and the top six qualified for the second and final round of the competition that’s still to come.
Danielle Scott of Australia launched to the top of the leaderboard with her first jump getting the score of 117.19.
Winter Vinecki of the US is not just aptly named for the Winter Olympics. She also has a shot at a medal, as her second jump score of 107.75 puts her in fifth place.
The US also has another chance at a women’s aerials medal with Kaila Kuhn, whose fantastic second jump leaped her into third with a score of 109.90.
