As the sun sets over the Italian Alps, Day 11 of the Milano Cortina Winter Games will be remembered as a day of extreme resilience.
From the driving snow in Livigno to the high pressure ice of the Milano Skating Arena, athletes battled both their rivals and the elements in a quest for Olympic immortality.
The Headlines: Gold in the Midst of the Storm
Heavy snowstorms across northern Italy forced several schedule delays, but they couldn’t stop the momentum of the world’s elite winter athletes.
Figure Skating: Japan Reclaims the Throne
In one of the most anticipated events of the Games, Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara delivered a masterclass in the Pairs Free Skate.
Vaulting from 5th place after the short program to 1st place overall,
they secured Japan’s first ever gold in the discipline with a world record total score of 231.24.
- The Drama: Georgia’s Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava secured the silver, marking Georgia’s first ever Winter Olympic medal.
Speed Skating: Italy’s Team Pursuit Triumph
The home crowd at the Fiera di Milano went into a frenzy as the Italian Men’s Team Pursuit squad defeated the United States in a tactical final. The Italian trio of Davide Ghiotto, Michele Malfatti, and Andrea Giovannini used a blistering final two laps to secure the gold, solidifying Italy’s second place in the overall standings.
Freestyle Skiing: Big Air Chaos
In the men’s Freeski Big Air final at Livigno, Norway’s Tormod Frostad braved the driving snow to land a triple cork 1440, earning a score of 98.25. American Mac Forehand fought back with a spectacular final jump to take the silver, narrowly edging out Austria’s Matej Svancer.
Medal Table Standings: End of Day 11
Norway continues to hold a commanding lead, while Italy and the U.S. battle for the remaining podium spots in the overall tally.
| Rank | Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Norway | 13 | 7 | 9 | 29 |
| 2 | Italy | 8 | 4 | 11 | 23 |
| 3 | United States | 6 | 8 | 5 | 19 |
| 4 | Netherlands | 6 | 5 | 1 | 12 |
| 5 | Austria | 5 | 8 | 3 | 16 |
Qualification Playoff: The Hockey Bracket Takes Shape
The Men’s Ice Hockey tournament reached its “knockout” stage today:
- Switzerland ended Italy’s dream run with a 3-0 victory, led by two goals from NHL star Roman Josi. The Swiss now advance to a quarter final clash against Finland.
- Slovakia and Germany engaged in an emotional battle, with Slovakia securing a bye into the quarterfinals, where defenseman Martin Fehervary looks to bring home a medal for his newborn daughter.
🗓️ Day 12 Preview: “Teams Day” (February 18)
Wednesday is officially “Teams Day” in Milano Cortina, with a heavy focus on relays and endurance.
- Cross Country Skiing: Johannes Høsflot Klæbo looks to extend his legendary status to 10 gold medals in the Men’s Team Sprint. On the women’s side, Jessie Diggins (USA) seeks to reclaim her title against a surging Swedish squad.
- Alpine Skiing: The Women’s Slalom concludes, with all eyes on Mikaela Shiffrin. After an upbeat 11th place finish in the Giant Slalom, Shiffrin is targeting her first Olympic medal in eight years.
- Biathlon: The Women’s 4 x 6km Relay features a showdown between France (led by Lou Jeanmonnot) and the hosts, Italy, anchored by home favorite Lisa Vittozzi.
- Men’s Hockey Quarterfinals: The heavyweights enter the rink. Canada, Czechia, and the USA begin their high stakes matches for a spot in the semifinals.