Key events
Just! A massive shock as China finish 0.09 in front, having celebrated a moment that almost didn’t exist for them; they came within an ace of tossing the bronze, but got there with a lesson learned and a medal in the pocket.
China split up, Netherlands turn it up, and they’re closing! China think the medal is theirs, but is it?
It seems China took it easy in the semi, knowing they didn’t have two huge races in them, conserving to get a bronze. Netherlands are so far out of this it’s ridiculous, the lead 1.51 with a lap to go.
It’s still China, still extending their lead, now up to 1.62 with four laps to go. Netherlands have a problem – they’ve barely contested this race and, in the time it takes me to type that, the lead increases to 1.96. This is over.
China are away the better, nicely ensconced in elephant formation; Netherlands are 1.11 down with six laps to go, not easily retrievable.
Our teams are ready to go for bronze. Netherlands have better helmets, and off they go!
We’re five minutes away from the B final in the men’s pursuit – that’s Netherlands v China – before USA take on Italy in the men’s. That should be a nice, quiet night in at the library. NOT! I don’t think!
In the women’s curling, USA have rousted Denmark 10-3, while Switzerland, a spot behind them in third, lead fourth-placed Korea 5-4.
This is my favourite of today’s selection.
I look forward to these.
And, in the meantime, there’s women’s curling, our latest scores as follows:
Korea 3-5 Switzerland
Italy 5-4 Japan
Sweden 4-4 Canada
Denmark 3-6 USA
Coming up next: at 3.22 and 3.28, we’ve the bronze and gold-medal races in the men’s team pursuit speed skating, with the women’s to follow at 3.41 and 3.47.
Phew, what a race that was. The combination of cardio, skill and precision is a brilliant way of causing people stress, which makes for great viewing.
Perrot collapses, I’m not sure whether with exhaustion or emotion. Martials surround him, he lies flat, and he’s what I once heard described as “good-tired”. Well done him.
🥇France win their first-ever gold medal in the men’s biathlon relay!
Norway take silver, with Sweden claiming bronze.
Perrot digs deep and forces his way towards the line. He’s bringing France home for their first ever biathlon gold!
It’s a great event, this, an epic contest with so much scope for stuff to go wrong. But it looks like Perrot’s first round of shooting will make the difference here.
Perrot extends France’s lead and, for the first time, it feels like he’s broken the back of this. History has its eyes on him.
Christiansen took 10 seconds out of Perrot at the shooting, but he’s got so much work to do; Perrot is, we’re advised the World Cup leader, and puts in a monstrous shift up a hill that takes him closer to gold. The gap is down to 7.7, but if this is to be a contest, it needs to come down far more savagely and far more quickly.
Perrot, gold medalist in the mixed relay and sliver medalist in the individual, ploughs on and arrives at the shooting. He hits twice, he misses, he misses again, then hits and off he goes, but Christiansen whumps five from five, and the chase is on; he’s 8.5 behind…
Oooh, Perrot is now 15 seconds clear of Norway, with Sweden 22 or so behind that; if he nails his shooting, he wins, it’s that simple – though of course it’s not remotely simple at all.
Perrot must just have secured his team gold with that deadeye display of superhuman behaviour. France have never won this event but lead by around nine seconds, while Sweden are a further five behind, I reckon; I’llconfirm when we get the splits.
They lie, and Perrot is there first! He’s five from five and off he goes; Christiansen has to reload and is behind, likewise Samuelsson, who’s a brilliant skier but leaves himself a lot of work to do.
Samuelsson leads for Norway, but behind him Perrot of France, who already has a silver and gold at these Games, is looking strong. But as I type, Christiansen of Norway, who took silver in the sprint, forges in front, and the pressure on the shooting, coming up in a second, will be monumental. Here we go!
France pass Norway as they near the stadium and the pair have caught Sweden! It’s all set for a final-leg barnburner, and they tag in the anchor, France now leading from Sweden from Norway.
But here comes Ponsiluoma! I wondered if he was tired from the individual events, so didn’t have anything to come back at Laegried, except here he now is, roaring up a hill to leave the other two spluttering in the powder.
What a nuts event this is, flog yourself to freezing exhaustion, then try and calm your breathing to shoot accurately, with frozen hands. As I type, Laegried, seeking a fourth medal of the Games, passes Ponsiluoma, and the three leaders are way ahead of the rest but extremely close to one another.
Fillon Maillet arrives at the shooting and misses the fourth of his five shots … and, in the meantime, Ponsiluoma of Sweden, winner of the individual pursuit, and Laegried, nail five out of five. So now it’s Sweden who lead, by 0.2 from Norway, with France a further 1.7 behind. This is going to be a serious finish.
Laegried shoots clean and he’s closing the gap on Fillon Mailltet of France, who leads by 6.5s … but no, he’s extended it to 9.6s. There is, though, a long way to go,
We’re now on to the third legs, Laegrid of Norway the bloke who made himself famous not for a medal but for an indiscretion.
Surely a coincidence…
We’re halfway in the biathlon, Jacquelin leading for France, as we learn that Botn of Norway is famous for getting gozz on his coupon. There’s no zoom to show us, but with that kind of rep to protect, we can assume.
In the women’s curling, Sweden, currently 6-0, are 3-1 down to Canada, who are fifth just outside the qualification spots, while USA, second lead Denmark 3-2. Switzerland, third, are level with South Korea at 3-3, with Italy 4-1 up on Japan.
Thanks Yara and hi again everyone. It’s France leading in the biathlon, but there’s still a way to go.
That is all from me today. Daniel Harris is back to take you through the rest of the afternoon.
Biathlon: France back in the lead! Émilien Jacquelin has had an incredible leg so far and has made up for his teammate’s struggles in the first leg.
Biathlon: Norway just about avoid disaster (aka a penatly loop) but they find themselves behind again. Germany back in front after another perfect visit to the range.
Skiing: Lindsey Vonn is back home in the US to continue treatment after she broke her leg during the downhill.
“Haven’t stood on my feet in over a week… been in a hospital bed immobile since my race. And although I’m not yet able to stand, being back on home soil feels amazing,” Vonn posted on X with an American flag emoji. “Huge thank you to everyone in Italy for taking good care of me.”
The 41-year-old suffered a complex tibia fracture after she crashed early in her downhill run on 8 February. She was initially treated in hospital in Italy and underwent several surgeries on her injured leg. She has said she will need further surgery in the US.
Read the full story below.
Biathlon: We are at the first exchange, where athletes tap their teammate going second in the race. The French, who were favourites to medal, are in 13th, 50sec off the pace, after a disappointing run from Fabien Claude.
Biathlon: Norway are back in front with Uldal. Sweden and Germany in second and third. France had to do a penalty lap after a poor showing at the shooting range.
Speed skating: The men’s team pursuit finals have been set. Italy beat the Netherlands by 1.78sec while the US were well ahead of China, racing into the gold medal race with 7.93sec to spare. The Americans were targetting an Olympic record there but their coach told them to slow down and save energy for the final.
Biathlon: Amazing from Germany’s Justus Strelow who is perfect at the range and is first to go off skiing. As he takes off, the big cohort of German fans cheer him on. Martin Udal of Norway had to reload twice and finds himself about 13sec behind in 10th.
Biathlon: The men’s 4 x 7.5km relay has begun. Racers will ski three laps and then tag their teammate. After two laps, each racer will stop at the shooting range. If you are lapped, you are eliminated.
Ice hockey: The buzzer goes in both games. Switzerland will play Finland after beating Italy 3-0 while Germany book a quarter-final match with Slovakia after beating France 5-1. Later today, Czech Republic will face Denmark, the winner takes on Canada while the United States will meet either Sweden or Latvia.
Bryan Armen Graham
Bobsleigh: The American bobsleigher Elana Meyers Taylor finally struck Olympic gold at the age of 41 yesterday after taking the monobob title ahead of Germany’s Laura Nolte and her fellow American Kaillie Armbruster Humphries.
Meyers Taylor was overjoyed after ending her long wait for gold, having until now accumulated three silvers and two bronze medals collectively in monobob and two-woman bobsleigh over four previous Olympics, starting at the 2010 Vancouver Games.
But the run-up to Monday’s cathartic gold had been the most difficult stretch of all. She didn’t reach the podium once in the World Cup season leading into her fifth Olympics, pushing through injuries, chronic pain, self-doubt, a horrific crash last month in St Moritz, and the logistics of raising two young sons who travel the mostly European circuit with her and a nanny: Nico, five, who is deaf and has Down’s syndrome, and Noah, three, who is also deaf.
The most challenging part of this Olympic cycle, she said, was rarely the sliding itself but the day-to-day balancing act of raising her sons while maintaining an elite career. That reality was made possible only by an unusually hands-on support network that stretched from coaching staff to federation officials to family including her husband, the former US bobsledder Nic Taylor, who works full-time back home and sometimes went six months at a time without seeing their boys.
Read more from Bryan Armen Graham in Milan.
Ice hockey: Goals in both games! Germany’s Joshua Samanski takes advantage of a power play and scores his side’s fourth against France. Nico Hischier gives Switzerland their third against Italy.
🥇 Oftebro wins gold for Norway in nordic combined large hill/10km
The first gold medal of the day goes to Jens Lurås Oftebro and the Norwegian becomes a double Olympic champion at Milano Cortina, finishing with a time of 24:45.0. Austria’s Johannes Lamparter takes silver – his second of these Games – and Finland’s Ilkka Herola almost collapses as he wins bronze.
Nordic combined: Incredible! Herola has somehow crept in front … no wait, now it is Oftebro. These top three are interchanging positions seconds after each other with Skoglund a bit too far back now to contend for a medal.
Nordic combined: Lamparter is still in front at the halfway point of the 10km race, but his compatriots Jens Lurås Oftebro and Andreas Skoglund, and Finland’s Ilkka Herola are slowly creeping up behind him. Two more laps to go.
