🥇 Bankes and Nightingale lead Great Britain to gold in mixed team snowboard cross
Good start from Bankes and she knows she can reel Casta but there is a threat in third from Moioli … A little bobble from Casta and Bankes shifts into gold medal position … Can she stay in pole position into the final section? YES! GREAT BRITAIN WIN GOLD! Their first ever Olympic medal in this event!
Bankes is cool, calm as she crosses the finish line. Meanwhile, Nightingale has absolutely launched himself into the GB fans. Italy take silver and France with the bronze.
Key events
Speed skating: Miho Takagi has just ripped round the track in 37.27sec to set a new fastest time. The Japanese skater already has bronze at the Games and was almost a second and a half faster than the previous best time with that run. In second place is Canada’s Brooklyn McDougall with Wang Jingziqian of China in third as it stands.
Reportage from our very own Andy Bull from the slopes of Cortina on Federica Brignone winning an incredible second gold for Italy in the women’s giant slalom. The home favourite carving out a piece of Winter Olympics history!
Curling: Our ice-side reporter Beau Dure checks in on the USA stealing victory from China in the women’s curling …
“The USA were completely out of that game. They had to steal in the ninth and 10th ends. Brilliant shot by Tabitha Peterson with her last in the 10th, and that may have psyched out China, which opted for a circus shot rather than a precise draw.”
Final score: USA 6-5 China
That result puts USA second in the round robin table and set well to make the knockout semi-finals.
Speed skating: Team GB’s Ellia Smeding has just crashed over the line in 38.93sec in the women’s 500m final. Our commentator says “that was pacy”. Pacy and painful as she sets the benchmark time but also smashes into the barriers.
Hello! We are straight into the action with a flurry of goals in the men’s hockey. Canada were pegged back by France but have retaken a 2-1 lead in the first period. Tom Wilson put Équipe Canada ahead after 9 minutes then Floran Douay hit back 13 seconds later with Devon Toews smacking in the second.
Aha, Graham Searles is here to relieve me, so I’ll budge up and allow him to get settled and ready for that final coming up seven minutes from now. Peace out.
The final of the women’s 500m speed skating gets going soon, at 4.03pm. Femke Kok is favourite, but once they get bousting, anything can happen and probably will.
What about Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, then? No one has won as many Winter Olympic gold medals as he – another, in the 4×7.5km relay, means he has a princely nine. You’d take it.
Sweden look set to finish off GB in the curling, banging two out of the house, and that completes a 10-7 win. Elsewhere, USA and China are level at 5-5, with Korea up 6-5 on Japan.
We’re playing the 10th end of the GB v Sweden women’s curling, Sweden up 9-7 with the hammer, the gap having been narrowed.
And yet more sport!
Reminder: it’s a historic day for Great Britain, with Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale winning gold in the mixed team snowboard cross, the team’s first ever in a snow sport.
Shortly, Canada will take on France in Group A of the men’s ice hockey. The format means each team plays the three others in its pool – there are three of them – with the winners and best second-place moving into the last eight, while the others must play a qualification playoff.
The women’s curling is still going on, Sweden leading GB 9-5 playing the ninth. They look very strong and will take some beating, while it’s South Korea 6-3 Japan and China 5-4 USA.
France lose their chain and are gone; the Netherlands hang on, to join Italy, USA and China in Tuesday’s semi-finals.
France are closing, but they’ve got a lot of work to do, up to fifth but with the Netherlands looking strong enough.
Netherlands are going well, in fourth place overall, while France are seventh. But there’s a way to go yet…
China go third, Norway fourth, meaning Germany and Japan have gone; the Netherlands and France will now complete the stage.
Now it’s China looking oiled, much more so than Norway and inside Italy’s time. The gap is 2s.
Wow, in the men’s pursuit speed skating, Italy edge USA in 3:38.40; both will feel confident of making the last four.
Back with the curling, Sweden lead GB 8-5 playing the eighth, while China lead USA and Denmark Italy, 5-3 and 7-1 respectively.
Italy and USA are both much better than Germany and Japan, the latter leading by a second or so. They look slick as you like, I must say.
Japan, though, lose their train and now Germany look good, linked like elephants; they finish in 3:45.28, Japan in 3:48.14. USA and Italy come next.
The men’s team pursuit will soon get going. We’ve got four heats, four fastest times into the last four, and Japan take on Germany in the first, into their train far quicker – see below.
Goodness me, we’ve so much sport for you it feels wrong.
In the curling, GB are taking a good, honest, old-fashioned slapping off Sweden. They trail 8-3 playing the seventh, and this is only going one way.
Leeds have beaten Birmingham 4-2 on pens so move into round five of the FA Cup.
We’re an hour and a bit away from the chaos of the women’s 500m speed skating final. Femke Kok of the Netherlands is favourite, but Erin Jackson, USA’s defending champ, will be in the conversation, with Jutta Leerdam, she of the boyfriend with the broken jaw, and bad opinions, also racing.
In Colombo, one of the classic matchups in word sport is building…
BBC have taken us to the curling, with Sweden now leading GB, who have the hammer, 7-3 playing the sixth.
I’m watching Mia Brookes in the qualifying of the women’s slopestyle. She fell first run and this is better, but her jumps aren’t working for her today; her score of 56.53 means she’ll not be qualifying for the final. She’ll be better for this experience, though, and at only 19, has plenty of time to improve and return.
On BBC, they’re talking about the impact that gold’ll have on boarding in the UK – and though, who knows, maybe that’ll turn up another gold medallist, it’s not really about that. Rather, it’s on the many people who’ll find a new joy to elevate their lives, which is what it’s all about.
We’re playing extra time at St Andrew’s. If neither Birmingham nor Leeds score in the next nine minutes or so, we’ll go to penalties.
Ah, from 3-3 to 6-3, Sweden, whose 100% leaves them top of the women’s curling pool, now lead GB. Elsewhere, Korea are up 3-2 on Japan and Denmark 4-1 on Italy and China 4-1 on USA.
Aha, Sean Ingle’s snap report is with us…
I can’t wait for our interviews, surely soon come.
The camaraderie between Bankes and Moioli is lovely to see. Those two have been racing each other a long time and are clearly delighted by each other’s success.
The union flag is raised – not on a suburban high street, which is a pleasant relief – and now it’s time for photos. I’d like to know where they’re going out tonight.
Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale climb up on to the podium, pump fists, and bow heads. Gold medals are lowered thereupon, and they’ve done it! The endeavour of a lifetime, realised in metal, and goodness only knows how the blithering [redacted] they’re feeling in this moment. Anthem time.
🥇Lisa Vittozzi of Italy wins gold in the women’s biathlon
Never in doubt, an incredible effort. Kirkeeide of Norway takes silver, Minkkinen of Finland bronze.
France accept their bronze, Italy the silver – we can assuage our regret at missing out on another rendition of Il Canto degli Italiani – and the moment is almost upon us.
