The third day of the 2026 Winter Olympics (Monday, February 9) officially transformed from a sports competition into a history making spectacle. From the icy peaks of Bormio to the high-speed oval in Milan, Day 3 delivered a surge of Swiss dominance, a Dutch speed skating masterclass, and a massive upset in the curling arena that has the United States dreaming of gold.
If Day 1 was about the opening energy and Day 2 was about finding rhythm, Day 3 was about the legends of 2026 cementing their status.
The King of Bormio: Franjo von Allmen’s Historic Double
The story of the Games so far belongs to one man: Franjo von Allmen.
Just 48 hours after capturing the “blue riband” Downhill gold, the 24 year old Swiss sensation returned to the Stelvio course in Bormio to make history. Partnering with teammate Tanguy Nef, von Allmen won the first ever Olympic Alpine Skiing Team Combined event.
This victory makes von Allmen the first Swiss male skier in history to win two gold medals at a single Winter Games. The event, making its Olympic debut, required one skier to handle the high speed Downhill and the other to navigate the technical Slalom.
- The Performance: Von Allmen set the pace in the morning speed session, and Nef who has never stood on a World Cup podium delivered the run of his life in the afternoon Slalom to clinch the gold.
- The Podium: Switzerland didn’t stop at gold; the legendary Marco Odermatt and Loic Meillard took silver (tying with Austria’s Vincent Kriechmayr and Manuel Feller).
Speed Skating: The Dutch “Orange Crush” Breaks Records
Over at the Milan Speed Skating Oval, the atmosphere was electric as the Netherlands reminded the world why they own the ice.
In the Women’s 1000m, Jutta Leerdam captured her first Olympic gold in breathtaking fashion. Not only did she win, but she also shattered the Olympic record with a blistering time of 1:12.31.
The drama was heightened by her teammate Femke Kok, who had broken the previous record just minutes earlier in the heat before Leerdam.
- Gold: Jutta Leerdam (NED) – Olympic Record
- Silver: Femke Kok (NED)
- Bronze: Miho Takagi (JPN)
Leerdam, proved that her focus remains purely on the podium.
“I told myself you have 80 years to recover from this,” Leerdam said post race. “But you don’t want to live with the regret of not giving 100% today.”
Curling Upset: Team USA Stuns the Defending Champs
In Cortina d’Ampezzo, the home of Italian curling, the local crowd was silenced by a massive upset in the Mixed Doubles semifinals.
American duo Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin pulled off a “Miracle on Ice” (the frozen kind) by defeating the defending Olympic champions and hometown favorites, Italy’s Stefania Constantini and Amos Mosaner.
- The Score: 9-8 in favor of Team USA.
- The Significance: With this win, Cory Thiesse is guaranteed to become the first American woman ever to win an Olympic medal in curling.
- What’s Next: Team USA will face Sweden in the Gold Medal game on Tuesday.
Freestyle Skiing: Mathilde Gremaud Defends the Throne
The Women’s Freeski Slopestyle final in Livigno was a repeat of the high stakes rivalry from Beijing 2022. Once again, it was a battle between Switzerland’s Mathilde Gremaud and China’s global icon Eileen Gu.
Gremaud, celebrating her 26th birthday, delivered a technical masterclass. She landed a Nose Butter Double Cork 1260, a trick never before landed by a woman in Olympic competition, to score 86.96.
- The Result: Gremaud took Gold, narrowly edging out Gu (86.58) by just 0.38 points.
- The Bronze: Canada’s Megan Oldham secured her first Olympic medal with a gritty performance after a heavy fall in her second run.
2026 Medal Count Standings (End of Day 3)
As we wrap up the first 72 hours of competition, the battle for the top spot is heating up between the Nordic powerhouses and the surging Swiss.
| Rank | Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Norway | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 2 | Switzerland | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 | United States | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 4 | Italy | 1 | 2 | 6 | 9 |
| 5 | Austria | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
Note: While Norway and Switzerland lead in gold, the host nation Italy currently holds the highest total medal count with 9.
🔍 The “Crotch-Gate” Controversy
It wouldn’t be an Olympics without a technical controversy.
Day 3 saw the emergence of a bizarre story in Men’s Ski Jumping. Reports from German outlet Bild suggested that some athletes were allegedly using hyaluronic acid injections to increase certain body measurements in order to gain a larger surface area for their suits, a move that could theoretically increase “flight” in the air. While the FIS has not issued disqualifications yet, “Crotch-Gate” is the talk of the Olympic village.
📱 Day 3 Social Media Highlights
- Top Trend: Jutta Leerdam’s victory kiss to Jake Paul in the stands.
- Viral Moment: Mathilde Gremaud using a Swiss flag as a “superhero cape” during her victory lap.
- Team USA Hockey: The Women’s team moved to 3-0 after a dominant win over Switzerland, setting up a collision course with Canada.
Day 4 Preview: Nine Gold Medals on the Line
If Day 3 was about individual legends, Day 4 (Tuesday, February 10) is about national pride. There are nine gold medals up for grabs, ranging from the technical precision of figure skating to the lung busting endurance of the biathlon.
1. Curling: The Gold Medal Match (USA vs. Sweden)
This is the “Must Watch” event of the morning. After a dramatic
9-8 semifinal victory over the defending Italian champions, Team USA’s Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin are on the verge of history.
- The Stakes: A win would secure the first-ever Olympic gold for the United States in Mixed Doubles Curling.
- The Opponent: They face Sweden’s sibling duo Isabella and Rasmus Wranå, the 2024 World Champions who knocked out Great Britain in their semifinal.
- Time: The Gold Medal game is set for 18:05 local time (CET).
2. Figure Skating: Ilia Malinin’s Olympic Debut
The “Quad God” has arrived. Ilia Malinin (USA) begins his quest for individual glory in the Men’s Short Program.
- The Rivalry: Malinin will go head-to-head with Japan’s Kagiyama Yuma, who took silver in Beijing.
- What to Expect: Look for Malinin to push the boundaries of what is possible on ice. After leading Team USA to a team gold earlier this week, the pressure is on to see if he can land his trademark Quad Axel in the short program.
3. Cross-Country Skiing: Sprint Classic Style
In Val di Fiemme, the “King of Cross Country,” Johannes Høsflot Klæbo (Norway), looks to defend his title. The Sprint Classic is a high-octane event featuring short, explosive bursts of speed.
- Men’s Final: Klæbo is the heavy favorite, seeking his second gold of these Games.
- Women’s Final: Sweden’s Frida Karlsson is the woman to beat as she looks to add to the Swedish medal haul.
4. Biathlon: The 20km Individual (The Longest Test)
At 13:30 CET, the men take to the tracks for the most grueling biathlon event. In the 20km Individual, every missed target adds a one-minute penalty rather than a penalty loop, making shooting accuracy more critical than raw skiing speed.
- Ones to Watch: Norway’s Sturla Holm Lægreid and France’s Quentin Fillon Maillet are the technical favorites in this “sharpshooter” format.