Hello from Milan and Cortina, where all eyes were on Chloe Kim and her pursuit of a third consecutive gold medal in the women’s halfpipe final. She might’ve won, if not for a 17-year-old’s surprising comeback. Breezy Johnson got engaged and traded Instagram comments with Taylor Swift. And the IOC bounced a Ukrainian athlete from the Games for his choice of headgear.
Our correspondents have it all covered below and at NBC News. Catch it all streaming on Peacock.
Live from Milan Cortina
Chloe Kim had a chance to make history today: No snowboarder, man or woman, had ever won gold in the halfpipe at three consecutive Games. Snoop Dogg came to watch, wearing a jacket adorned with her face, as did her boyfriend, NFL defensive end Myles Garrett.
Kim was holding steady in first place with a first-run score of 88.00 until South Korea’s Gaon Choi landed a score of 90.25 on her final run. Choi, 17, had taken a hard fall on her opening run and stayed on the ground for a few minutes, but she remained in the competition. Choi, who considers Kim an idol, looked emotional as she waited for her final score. Kim had a chance to respond, but she fell on her next run and had to settle for silver.
The U.S. men’s hockey team opened play today with a 5-1 win over Latvia.
In speedskating, the Netherlands’ Xandra Velzeboer won gold in the women’s 500-meter final, and her countryman Jens van ’t Wout won gold in the men’s 1,000 meters in a thrilling photo finish. Van ’t Wout overcame heavy favorite William Dandjinou of Canada late to claim the victory.
People were also still talking about Wednesday’s result in the ice dancing competition, in which Team USA’s Madison Chock and Evan Bates finished second, behind a French duo, seemingly because the U.S. got a lower score from a French judge. Asked by NBC News how they felt about the judging, Chock and Bates exchanged glances and waited a beat before Chock answered in a measured tone. “We’ve certainly gone through a roller coaster of emotions, especially in the last 24 hours,” she said.
Athlete Spotlight
Vladyslav Heraskevych, the Ukrainian skeleton pilot, arrived at the Olympics intending to compete with a helmet that sparked lots of conversation. It features images of Ukrainian athletes who have been killed in the country’s war with Russia.
He’d worn the helmet during his training runs, before the International Olympic Committee banned him from using it in today’s competition. Heraskevych stood his ground, refusing to change the helmet, and was thus disqualified from the Games.
“Some things are more important, and I believe honoring and remembering these athletes is now more important than medals,” he told Molly Hunter after he learned of the decision.
Heraskevych, considered a medal contender, arrived at the sliding center today and was preparing to compete until he received the news. The IOC had said this week that his helmet violated its policy on political statements at the Games.
Heraskevych and IOC officials had multiple meetings and exchanges. But the committee said he “did not consider any form of compromise,” including after a final meeting with the committee’s president, Kirsty Coventry.
Heraskevych told NBC News: “I feel like I was treated unfairly. I was stripped out of opportunity to compete, and I don’t understand why.”
“I believe I am right in this case,” he added. “For me to back down is betraying” the people pictured on the helmet.
Behind the Scenes
Connor Watkins’ plan to propose to his girlfriend, American skier Breezy Johnson, was almost foiled today because of another man: Italian President Sergio Mattarella.
Watkins was making his way down from the stands when Mattarella arrived at the venue, with his security locking down the path Watkins needed to traverse to make it to Johnson. Fortunately, Watkins was able to outlast the brief delay and get into position before the medal ceremony began.
Johnson had dropped a hint during the 2024 Paris Olympics, mentioning offhand to Watkins “how cool” she thought it was when Olympians got engaged at the Games. Watkins planned a surprise proposal and clued in Johnson’s teammates and coaches, who were in on the secret. Even the stadium announcer caught wind, alerting the fans in Cortina just before Watkins popped the question.
As part of the proposal, Watkins gave Johnson a piece of wood inscribed with Taylor Swift lyrics. Later, Swift commented on an Instagram post of the couple, congratulating them. Johnson pinned Swift’s words at the top of the post and responded, “I don’t know what’s better, Olympic gold or this comment.”
Photo of the Day
When to Watch
Win-or-go-home hockey begins as the USA women’s team faces host nation Italy in the quarterfinals. “Quad God” Ilia Malinin takes the ice again, hoping to cement his status as the best male figure skater and win gold.
All times are in Eastern, and an asterisk signifies a medal event.
Friday, Feb. 13
- 3:05 a.m.: Curling, men’s round-robin (Canada vs. USA, Italy vs. Great Britain, China vs. Norway, Switzerland vs. Czechia)
- 4 a.m.: Snowboarding, women’s cross run 1
- 4:55 a.m.: Snowboarding, women’s cross run 2
- 5:45 a.m.: Cross-country skiing, men’s 10km interval start
- 6:10 a.m.: Men’s hockey, Finland vs. Sweden, Italy vs. Slovakia
- 7:30 a.m.: Snowboard, women’s cross ⅛ finals
- 8 a.m.: Biathlon, men’s 10km sprint
- 8:03 a.m.: Snowboard, women’s cross quarterfinals
- 8:05 a.m.: Curling, women’s round-robin (Denmark vs. Sweden, China vs. Switzerland, USA vs. Canada, Great Britain vs. Canada)
- 8:24 a.m.: Snowboard, women’s cross semifinals
- 8:41 a.m.: Snowboard, women’s cross finals*
- 10 a.m.: Speedskating, men’s 10,000 meters*
- 10:40 a.m.: Men’s hockey, France vs. Czechia
- 10:40 a.m.: Women’s hockey, quarterfinals Czechia vs. Sweden
- 11:48 a.m.: Skeleton, women’s heat 2
- 1 p.m.: Figure skating, men’s free skate*
- 1:05 p.m.: Curling, men’s round-robin (Switzerland vs. China, Norway vs. Czechia, Germany vs. Italy, Canada vs. Sweden)
- 1:30 p.m.: Skeleton, men’s heat 3
- 1:30 p.m.: Snowboard, men’s halfpipe*
- 3:05 p.m.: Skeleton, men’s heat 4*
- 3:10 p.m.: Men’s hockey, Canada vs. Switzerland
- 3:10 p.m.: Women’s hockey, quarterfinals, Italy vs. USA
That’s it for now! We’ll be back tomorrow.
