Hello from Milan and Cortina, where Lindsey Vonn tested out her injured knee, the skating events picked up and three bobbleheaded Italian composers danced onstage.
That’s right, the opening ceremony took place here Friday night, and it featured lots of tributes to Italy’s rich, creative history, including a breathtaking performance from Andrea Bocelli.
More from the ceremony, and all the action on the ice, from our correspondents here. Catch it all streaming on Peacock.
Live from Milan Cortina
Before the opening ceremony, Friday’s action began with mixed doubles curling, where the U.S. defeated Canada and Czechia to move to 4-0 overall. Perhaps they were inspired by Snoop Dogg, Team USA’s honorary coach, who was there cheering them on.
American skier Lindsey Vonn went on a training run, testing out her knee after recently tearing her ACL, just ahead of Sunday’s medal run in the women’s downhill.
Figure skating kicked off on Friday, too. Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates, three-time world champions, competing in rhythm dance, proved why they are the gold medal favorites with the top qualifying score of 91.06. Another set of Americans, Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea, competed in pair skating but finished fifth overall in qualifying.
Alysa Liu, a 20-year-old medal favorite in women’s single skating, had an exceptional opening routine. She posted the second-highest score, behind Kaori Sakamoto of Japan.
Behind the Scenes
No, you were not hallucinating. On Friday night, here at the San Siro stadium in Milan, three performers took the stage dressed as Italian composers, albeit with cartoonishly large fake heads. Later, giant paint tubes were suspended in midair, spilling out fake paint, as multicolored performers danced below.
The Milan Cortina Olympic opening ceremony was certainly surreal. But it was also a celebration of Italy, a tribute to its history and impact on the world.
Everything had been thought out. Models wore Giorgio Armani suits in the colors of the Italian flag. Mariah Carey, clad in a glittering gown, sang a popular 1950s Italian song known as “Volare.” There were homages to the Milan opera house Teatro alla Scala, and the Fellini film “La Dolce Vita,” and those big-headed composers Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi and Gioachino Rossini. If only they knew how they’d been immortalized. Later, Andrea Bocelli sang a moving cover of an aria from one of Puccini’s operas.
In the arena, at least one vendor hawked Aperol spritzes. During breaks, VIPs retreated to warm lounges under the stands serving tiramisu and tartelletta alla marmellata.
Notably not present? Lots of the athletes themselves. The Milan Cortina Games are the most spread out Olympics of all time, and lots of athletes were at their various competition sites. That made for an interesting entrance parade. Some athletes were filmed walking through Olympic rings at their respective sites and broadcast here in the stadium in Milan.
Photo of the day
When to watch
The opening ceremony’s over and the action is picking up! The first medals will be awarded tomorrow and we’ll (hopefully) see Team USA again in women’s hockey.
Here’s the guide to what’s on tomorrow, all times Eastern. Potential medal events have an asterisk.
Saturday, Feb. 7
- 4:05 a.m.: curling, mixed doubles round-robin (Great Britain vs. Canada, Switzerland vs. Sweden)
- 5:30 a.m.: Alpine skiing, men’s downhill*
- 6:10 a.m.: women’s hockey, pool play (Germany vs. Japan)
- 7 a.m.: women’s cross-country skiing, 10 kilometers + 10-kilometer skiathlon*
- 8 a.m.: freestyle skiing, men’s freeski slopestyle qualification
- 8:35 a.m.: curling, mixed doubles round-robin (Estonia vs. Norway, Korea vs. Czechia, Sweden vs. Italy, USA vs. Great Britain)
- 8:40 a.m.: women’s hockey, pool play (Sweden vs. Italy)
- 10 a.m.: speedskating, women’s 3,000 meters*
- 10:40 a.m.: women’s hockey, pool play (USA vs. Finland)
- 11 a.m.: luge, men’s single run 1
- 12:32 p.m.: luge, men’s single run 2
- 12:45 p.m.: ski jumping, women’s normal hill individual first round
- 1:05 p.m.: curling, mixed doubles round-robin (Korea vs. USA, Canada vs. Estonia, Czechia vs. Switzerland, Norway vs. Italy)
- 1:30 p.m.: snowboard, men’s big air final*
- 1:45 p.m.: figure skating, team event, men’s single
- 1:57 p.m.: ski jumping, women’s normal hill individual, final round*
- 3:10 p.m.: women’s hockey, pool play (Canada vs. Switzerland)
- 4:05 p.m.: figure skating, team event, ice dance
That’s it for now! We’ll be back tomorrow.
