Key events
Men’s 500m speed skating: 29 skaters going for gold. Ignaz Gschwentner does a sole turn, and will be followed by 14 pairs. Fastest wins.
Switzerland accuse Canada of “double touch”
Curling: the fallout continues from yesterday’s hot-headed game between Sweden and Canada, when Sweden accused Canada of cheating by “double touching” the stone.
As a result World Curling said it would have officials on ice keeping an eye out for rule violations, while the IOC confirmed that Canada’s 8-6 win over Sweden would stand.
Now the Swiss have something to say after their win over Canada. “I think I saw a double touching of the Canadians…I really think it does nothing, but if you have a referee on the ice and he sees it, he really should [act]. This is nothing personal against Marc Kennedy.”
Team GB’s Bruce Moat is also asked for his feelings: “We all know the rules and what is supposed to happen. Marc Kennedy]has been around for a long time. He knows what is happening, so we all trust that fair play is a thing in our sport and hope that everyone sticks to it.
“I’m sure Marc didn’t mean anything by it, it is just that he was caught doing it on TV I guess. Now it’s out there, it should be regulated pretty well, and hopefully by the athletes.”
Curling: And that’s the win for Bruce Moat’s team! Three from four puts them in a very steady position.
“We were in control,” says Moat, “ It was one of those games when you get a good lead at the start and have to maintain it.”
In the other games, Switzerland beat Canada 9-5; the USA beat Germany 8-6 and Sweden beat China 6-4.
Curling: back to the more sedate curling rink, where Czechia have inched a little closer to GB, trailing 4-7, but with the hammer.
Ever wondered where curling stones came from? Libby Brooks tracked them down to in this lovely story.
🥇 Norway’s Maren Kirkeeide takes the biathlon 7.5 km sprint
It turns out that no-one can catch Kirkeeide, and she takes the second Norwegian skiing gold within a couple of hours. France must make do with silver for Océane Michelon and bronze for Lou Jeanmonnot.
Women’s speed skating team pursuit: Awesome Canada show just why they are the top-ranked nation, posting the fastest time and earning a semi-final against the USA. And very pleased they are too.
Japan will have to hunt down the world champs, the Netherlands. But don’t hold your breath, the next stage is on Tuesday.
Women’s speed skating team pursuit: the US reel around the rink and look a better oiled machine then the Germans, who lose touch with their lead skater at the start. With one QF to go, the four semi-finalists are: Japan, Netherlands, USA and Germany.
Women’s speed skating team pursuit: in the first QF one of the Kazakhstan skaters goes spinning out against the side padding after clipping blades with one of her teammates – so the Dutch finish alone in 2:55.65.
Japan leave China for dust in the second QF and go top: 2.44.52.
Women’s speed skating team pursuit: Four quarter finals in this sci-fi spectacular, humans as machines skating in rapid unison .
Quarter-final 1: Netherlands v Kazakhstan
Quarter-final 2: China v Japan
Quarter-final 3: Germany v USA
Quarter-final 4: Canada v Belgium
The four fastest teams go through to the semis.
Biathlon: Maren Kirkeeide drives to the line, collapses in a heap. She’s as wrung out a dishcloth, but currently lying in first. After a minute or two she finds the energy to smile as her teammate presents her with a single red rose.
Curling: Febrile brushing and a cracking throw by Bruce Mouat puts GB 6-2 ahead after seven ends against Czechia.
Biathalon: France’s Julia Simon crosses the line, but no more medals for her today. Italy’s Vittozzi is cheered to the line, every last breath an agony . She face plants into the snow and doesn’t move. She’s in bronze, but only briefly.
“When you ski the way you are, anything is possible”
A delighted Lucas Pinheiro Braathen bares his heart:
“I just wanted to share this with everyone watching in Brazil, following me, cheering for me,” said Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, speaking to TV Globo. “This can be a point of inspiration for the next generation of children, showing them that nothing is impossible. It doesn’t matter where you’re from.
“What matters is what’s inside. What the heart does. I bring Brazilian strength today to bring this flag to the podium. This is Brazil’s.”
“I was skiing with my heart, and when you ski the way you are, anything is possible. The only thing that matters to me is that I remain who I am. I am a Brazilian skier who became an Olympic champion.”
AP
Biathlon 7.5 km sprint: You can tell how exhausted the skiers are by the heaviness of their breathing as they steady themselves to shoot. Their chests heave against the lycra. Norway’s Maren Kirkeeide is the current leader.
Biathlon 7.5 km sprint: this is one of those board games which has such complicated rules that you throw the instructions in the bin and make up your own. Skiiing, shooting (prone and standing) penalty loops, and all against the clock.
Biathlon 7.5 km sprint: The French fancy their chances in this skiing and shooting double act. They won the team event and nabbed gold and silver in the 15km individual race. At the moment, the lead is in the hands of the only finisher, Ukraine’s Oleksandra Merkusshyna. She lets her legs slide away as she crosses the line, and falls to her knee.
Curling: GB’s men are out on the ice in their slidy slip-ons. They are 4-2 ahead after four ends against Czechia. GB in their change kit of white, Czechia in navy and red.
Thanks Billy, so many hills and spills in that Giant Slalom. We’ll keep an eye out for the medal’s ceremony, samba on skis.
Biathlon: The women’s 7.5km sprint is under way, with some 90 athletes leaving the traps in a staggered start over the next hour or two.
Tanya Aldred is back to keep an eye on that and everything else at Milano Cortina.
Medal reallocation ceremony: Tomorrow biathletes from the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics will be honoured by the IOC and the International Biathlon Union (IBU).
Russia’s Evgeny Ustyugov has been stripped of his medals won in two events because of anti-doping rule violations.
Those to be honoured at the biathlon arena in Italy tomorrow are:
Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games – Biathlon, men 15km mass start
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Gold: Martin Fourcade (Fr)
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Silver: Pavol Hurajt (Svk)
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Bronze: Christoph Sumann (Aut)
Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games – Biathlon, men 4×7.5km relay
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Gold: Germany: Erik Lesser, Daniel Boehm, Arnd Peiffer, Simon Schempp
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Silver: Austria: Christoph Sumann, Daniel Mesotitsch, Simon Eder, Dominik Landertinger
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Bronze: Norway: Tarjei Boe, Johannes Thingnes Boe, Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, Emil Hegle Svendsen
Curling: The men’s afternoon session is under way in Cortina. Great Britain lead the Czech Republic 2-1 and the USA are 4-1 up against Germany after the first two ends.
The medal ceremony is up later. There are still plenty of athletes left to run but none will threaten the top places.
We are so used to hearing the Brazilian national anthem belted out at major football tournaments but this, in the mist and snow of Bormio in northern Italy, is going to be something else. Apparently Pinheiro Braathen tends to celebrate such moments with a samba move or two.
It’s a historic moment in the Winter Olympics and alpine skiing! Lucas Pinheiro Braathen was born to a Brazilian mother and Norwegian father, who greet him at the finish line – all three in floods of tears. The 25-year-old retired from the sport a couple of years ago before making a comeback and switching his allegiance from Norway to Brazil.
An outstanding first run of the giant slalom this morning set him up perfectly for the second run, beating defending champion Marco Odermatt by half a second! Pinheiro Braathen hadn’t even won a World Cup event before this – now he’s an Olympic champion.
It’s a first medal at the Winter Olympics for Brazil and wider South America.
🥇 Brazil’s Lucas Pinheiro Braathen wins men’s giant slalom gold!
It’s a scrappy run but he won’t care! Brazil win their first ever Winter Olympic medal as Lucas Pinheiro Braathen goes over the line half a second faster than Marco Odermatt. He lets out a roar and pumps his fists and a ski towards the crowd, which is going crazy.
Gold: Lucas Pinheiro Braathen (Brazil)
Silver: Marco Odermatt (Switzerland) +0.58sec
Bronze: Loic Meillard (Switzerland) +1.17sec
Giant slalom: Defending champion Marco Odermatt lays down a marker, taking 0.59sec off Meillard’s time. The podium is a Swiss one-two-three as it stands.
Lucas Pinheiro Braathen goes last, seeking history for Brazil and a first Winter Olympic medal. Will it be gold?
Giant slalom: Loic Meillard raises his game and goes faster than Tumler! It’s not a perfect top section but a smooth finish sends him top. He’s guaranteed a medal for Switzerland.
Giant slalom: Switzerland’s Thomas Tumler turns it on and goes fastest by 0.37sec with his best run of the season! A wry smile from McGrath, who drops to silver. The pressure is on for the final three.
Giant slalom: France’s Leo Anguenot goes into second, 0.17sec off McGrath’s leading time. The margins are tiny! Four to go – three Swiss and a Brazilian.
Giant slalom: Five athletes are left to go, including the 2022 gold medallist Marco Odermatt, and Brazil’s potential history-maker Lucas Pinheiro Braathen.
Henrik Kristoffersen goes into provisional silver for Norway, with compatriot McGrath still on top.
Giant slalom: We have a new leader! Atle Lie McGrath, whose father is American and mother Norwegian (the country he represents) takes 0.46sec off Schwarz’s time to go into provisional gold … and then Austria’s Stefan Brennsteiner goes into silver.
Giant slalom: Austria’s Marco Schwarz, a two-time world bronze medallist, is still sitting in that leader’s chair, probably trying not to get his hopes up – but that’s becoming harder as more skiers can’t match his time. Slovenia’s Zan Kranjec is next to try but finishes outside the medal places.
Giant slalom: Another DNF! Germany’s Fabian Gratz had half a second on the leading time before setting off but he gets his lines all wrong and his coaches turn away in despair. Nine skiers left.
Giant slalom: “Trust your instincts and just go, go, go,” is the message over the USA team radio to River Radamus as he prepares to head on his run … he can only go eighth.
Italy’s final medal contender is Alex Vinatzer but he hits a bump on an inside turn and crashes out! He’s OK, just mightily frustrated.
Giant slalom: The first of the medal hopefuls sets off in Norway’s Timon Haugan. The course is only going to get more difficult from here on in and he finds it tough, hitting a few bumps, only going third in the provisional standings.
Giant slalom: Croatia’s Filip Zubcic clips a gate, sending his goggles askew and he whips them off for the remainder of the run. With heavy snow in his eyes, he can’t be seeing much but manages to come over the line in fourth. Some effort! Schwarz leads with half the elite athletes done.
Giant slalom: Andorra’s Joan Verdu is the new leader by almost two-tenths with 12 athletes now down the course … until Austria’s Marco Schwarz puts his foot down towards the finish to go faster by one-hundredth of a second.
Lunchtime summary
The main headlines so far from today at Milano Cortina:
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Brazil on verge of first Winter Olympic medal after Lucas Pinheiro Braathen takes huge lead after first run of the men’s giant slalom
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Jakara Anthony adds Australia’s gold medal haul with victory in the women’s dual moguls
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Norway win gold in the women’s 4×7.5km cross-country ski relay but Sweden recover from Ebba Andersson’s face-first fall to win silver
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Great Britain beat Canada 7-6 in the women’s curling with China and Japan also recording round-robin wins
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Ukraine’s Vladyslav Heraskevych has presented his ‘helmet of memory’ to president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Munich after his disqualification from the men’s skeleton
Giant slalom: The home crowd roar Giovanni Franzoni, who won silver in the downhill last weekend, down to the finish and he takes almost a second off the leading time so far. He was able to carry the pace he’d built at the top of the course into the final few turns.
Giant slalom: Ryder Sarchett (US) goes faster than Pohjolainen but some mistakes from Harry Laidlaw (NZ) prove costly to his time. That’s three athletes down … Brazil’s leader Pinheiro Braathen goes 30th.
Men’s giant slalom: The conditions, such a major talking point this morning, seem to have worsened further in Bormio. The snow is really coming down and visibility is pretty poor.
Finland’s Jesper Pohjolainen is first out the traps and puts together a fairly smooth run between the gates. That was six seconds faster than his run this morning!
