Winter Olympics 2026: USA defeat Sweden in men’s ice hockey and glory for Shiffrin on day 12 – live | Winter Olympics 2026
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🥇Shiffrin wins alpine skiing gold in women’s slalom
Mikaela Shiffrin is the Olympic champion! She has banished the demons of Beijing 2022 and is back at the top again. She crouches down after crossing the finish line. Shock? Disbelief? Pride? And then a hug from her mother.
It has been 12 years since her first Olympic gold in slalom which makes it the longest gap between individual golds in the same event at the Winter Games. She has failed to medal in nine of her 11 Olympic races (all events) since that Sochi slalom win.
Switzerland’s Camille Rast takes silver and Anna Swenn-Larsson of Sweden takes bronze.
Key events
GOAL! Quinn Hughes wins it for the USA with a humdinger! In off the post from a lovely shimmy and strike. Hughes’ team mates mob him while Sweden are left heartbroken.
A cruel blow for Sweden but that goal deserved to win the match. Hughes is such a slippery customer and he makes it count with the extra ice available to him in overtime, it only took three minutes of overtime but it is USA who go through to the semi finals.
Final score: USA 2-1 Sweden.
Ice Hockey – Men’s Quarter Finals: USA 1-1 Sweden. There’s so much spare ice out there now it is three on three. USA have two clear shots but they manage to put both straight into the guts of Jacob Markström. The crowd are on edge, it’s all about keeping hold of the puck, the other team can’t score if you have it.
GOAL! Mika Zibanejad rescues Sweden with 90 seconds left on the clock! He strikes from the left and it is a matter of centimetres but it squeezes inside the post.
We are heading to overtime! USA 1-1 Sweden. It’ll be three on three from here. Game on!
Ice Hockey – Men’s Quarter Finals: USA 1-0 Sweden. Sweden hit the post with two minutes to go on the clock! So close to an equaliser and the USA seem happy to sit back and try and ride out the final moments…
Ice Hockey – Men’s Quarter Finals: USA 1-0 Sweden. Epic defending from the US as Sweden give it everything in the final minutes! “Desperate but clear headed defending”
Ice Hockey – Men’s Quarter Finals: USA 1-0 Sweden. “It feels a bit desperate from Sweden right now” says the tv commentator. “They still have time.” I’m no ice skating expert but this is frenetic and pretty scrappy doo. The USA have less than ten minutes to hang on.
Ice Hockey – Men’s Quarter Finals: USA 1-0 Sweden. Close! So close! The USA nearly wrap it with a close strike but somehow Sweden’s keeper Jacob Markström keeps it out from point blank range. The puck disappears from view and it seems like it is about to hit the back of the net but it is lodged between Markström ankles! Phew. Just over ten minutes left for the Swedes to get an equaliser.
Ice Hockey – Men’s Quarter Finals: USA 1-0 Sweden with twenty minutes left to play. It has been something of a cagey affair. Can the Swedes find the goal that will take us into our third overtime of the day?
Some more bad news for Sweden as Victor Hedman, their alternate captain and defensive rock is confirmed to have picked up an injury in the warm up and will not be fit to take the ice at all this evening.
Brilliant and moving. Here’s my US colleague Bryan Armen Graham on Mikaela Shiffrin:
“A lot can happen in 12 years. If you’re Mikaela Shiffrin, as a teenager you can become the youngest ever person to win the Olympic slalom, stack a couple more medals at the next Olympics, become the most successful World Cup skier of all time with a record 108 victories, go 10 more Olympic races in a row over three Winter Games without reaching the podium, overcome the two biggest crashes of your career and subsequent battles with self-doubt and post-traumatic stress disorder and eroding trust in your own skiing, and then bring it all full circle with a second Olympic slalom gold.”
Ice Hockey – Men’s Quarter Finals: After all that nonsense from me – USA score! Dylan Larkin with the crucial touch, name of a poet, reflexes of a poacher! Against the run of play, USA have the lead and it rocks Sweden, for the next couple of minutes it is all USA and the crowd roar them on! USA 1-0 Sweden.
Ice Hockey – Men’s Quarter Finals: Sweden are looking the more dominant side so far, the camera cuts to some American fans dressed head to toe in the star spangled banner, they chat U-S-A! U-S-A! but their eyes give them away, they are fearful. Sweden swarm again… still 0-0 in the second.
Ice Hockey – Men’s Quarter Finals: All square between USA and Sweden after the first quarter, the can’t even be split by shots on goad – both sides have had ten on target without getting the puck into the net. Yet.
🥇 Canada’s Steven Dubois wins Gold in the men’s 500m Short Track Speed Skating
Dubois clinches a close race and holds his arms out wide whilst staring to the heavens!
Jens Van ‘t Wout misses out on a third Gold of these games but he does get bronze and shares the podium with his older brother, Melle, who took silver.
Canada’s much vaunted Will Dandjinou finishes the games empty handed after being penalised for tripping
Women’s Curling: Great Britain polish off Japan 9-3 to cap a brilliant day for them that sees their hopes of a semi-final berth still alive. Jen Dodds has been speaking to the BBC:
That was a much better performance tonight. That is the proper team arsenal out there tonight. We have the talent to win ugly, which we showed this morning. Tonight is how we like to perform.
When you have the last stone at the start of the game, your percentage of winning goes up. Roll on tomorrow.
It is just enjoying the environment. The fans, GB, any other nations supporting their team has been incredible out there. Tomorrow is going to be extra cool.”
🥇 Gold for South Korea in Short Track Speed Skating – women’s 3000m relay
What a race! The Canadian team slip with just a couple of laps to go, Italy swoop in to go first and it looks like Fontana is going to get another golden moment… but then South Korea make a move at the last and they take the gold!
Short Track Speed Skating – women’s 3000m relay: 27 laps of carnage coming up, can home grown hero Arianna Fontana get her second gold and third medal of these games? If she does make the podium it will be her 14th medal and she’ll be just one behind Marit Bjoergen’s all-time Winter Olympic record of 15 medals.
Women’s Curling: Just popping back as Great Britain go 8-3 up against Japan with three ends to play. In the bag?
Women’s Curling: Rebecca Morrison’s gimlet eye strikes again! Great Britain are 6-1 up and in command at the half way stage of their must win match.
I’m just going to slide into the kitchen and grab some food ahead of the USA v Sweden Ice hockey (which could well go late). You wouldn’t want me to starve now would you? Back soon.
Women’s Curling: Japan’s Sayaka Yoshimura is feeling the heat on the ice… she has the chance to get an easy couple of points with an open target but doesn’t put enough juice onto the stone! Despite some furious brushing it comes up short and the chance for two easy points goes begging, Japan just take the one.
Sean Ingle on Adeliia Petrosian:
First came the reverberating cheers. Then a deluge of soft toys lobbed from the stands. But across the face of the brilliant Russian skater Adeliia Petrosian there was only the faintest of smiles. For now.
So far at these Winter Olympics, a Russian is yet to win a medal. But there is a possibility that could change on Thursday when the 18‑year‑old Petrosian, who sits in fifth after the short programme, takes to the ice again shortly after 9pm.”
Women’s Curling: Great Britain’s confident start continues as they steal a point in the third end.
Men’s Ice Hockey: Canada’s overtime hero Mitch Marner has been reflecting on that breathless 4-3 win over the Czech Republic:
Teams only get better as the tournament goes on, so we knew it was going to be a challenging game. They made it really hard to create chances in tight, they made it hard to get through the neutral zone, and I thought as soon as we stopped turning over the puck or giving them gimmes, our offence got going and our players started working a little more.
I think any overtime goal just feels good to score. Obviously, it’s a pretty special feeling to do it in the Olympics. It’s a do or die game. There were so many little moments that resulted in that one moment. Massive saves by (Jordan Binnington), massive goal by (Nick) Suzuki there to keep us tied, and then again Binnington with a massive save on Nečas there in the end of the third to take us into overtime. I’m just happy to do my part in that game.”
Women’s Curling: Nerve settler in the second end. Great Britain take a 3-0 lead courtesy of a Jen Dodd’s double wipeout and Morrison slides up to finish the job.
Team GB need to win this game and their game against home nation Italy tomorrow in order to be in with a chance of making the semi-finals. Even if they do that five wins might still not be enough to see them make the final four. All they can do is win and hope other results land their way.
Women’s Curling: It’s still 0-0 between Great Britain and Japan. In case you missed it, Team GB kept their slim hopes alive with a positively sinful last gasp stone from Rebecca Morrison in their game earlier today, they snatched and 8-7 victory against the USA as a result. I reckon I’ve watched Morrison’s shot ten times now. Granite is the word alright.
Phew. Time to get the breath back with a peak at some of these beautiful snaps from Day 12:
Ice Hockey: Canada steal it! Mitch Marner spares his team’s blushes with an early strike in overtime and the Canadians swarm! They’ve won it! Canada were out of it at 3-2 down with just a few minutes left in the match but now squeak through to the semi-finals. To say the Czech Republic players are devastated would be an understatement.
Women’s Curling: Great Britain have just started their crucial match against Japan. They are all crucial matches from here, only a win will keep their semi final hopes alive. Team GB have the hammer first up.
Ice Hockey: Drama! Canada draw level at 3-3! Nick Suzuki flicks in from close range and the roof nearly comes off the arena! Two minutes left in regular time. Chants of CA-NA-DA ring around the stadium, we could be going to overtime in this one!
In the other quarter final Switzerland are 2-0 up against the mighty Finland, bish and bash – the Swiss notch two goals in the under two minutes.
Ice Hockey: As I hit send on that update Ondrej Palat slots home for the Czech Republic! Martin Nečas and Tomáš Hertl and break free on the right hand flank and pull back for the unmarked Palat who finishes off in style to put his side 3-2 up with minutes left to play! About seven minutes for the Canadians to find an equaliser…
Ice Hockey: The Czech Republic are putting some serious heat on the Canadian goal in the third quarter but have failed to convert three chances in the last couple of minutes. They are still locked in at 2-2, Canada looking to hit their opponents on the counter attack but at the moment there’s nothing to split them.
We’ll also be bringing you live updates from the big ice hockey bout between the USA and Sweden after 8pm GMT this evening, The US are hoping to break their gold medal drout, they haven’t bagged the big one since Lake Placid in 1980.
Thanks Tanya. Hello everyone. Who is BANG up for some curling, short track and ice hockey? Well good ruddy job, here is what is coming up this evening: All times GMT.
18:05-20:00 – Women’s curling – including Great Britain v Japan
19:15-21:00: Short track speed skating – women’s 3,000m relay
20:32-21:00: Short track speed skating – men’s 500m
We’ve got the men’s ice hockey quarter finals too – Canada and Czech Republic are currently tied 2-2 at the end of the second quarter. It’s bad news for the the Canadian captain Sidney Crosby who has crashed out injured.
Time for me to hand over to Jim, who will slip and slide you through the evening. Thanks for your company – bye!
Men’s ice hockey quarter finals: Canada draw level! Nathan MacKinnon with the shot, pin-point and high over the goalie’s shoulder, bouncing off the post, into the top right corner.
Men’s curling: After my self-inflicted confusion over the semi-final places, a big thank you to Beau Dure who writes: “It’s nicely charted here by the official people. We in the US curling community are quite worried.”
In case you missed it, Mr Winter, Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, picked up Olympics medal number 10 earlier today, as Norway won an exciting cross-country team sprint.
Men’s ice hockey quarter finals: Canada are piling on the pressure, and one goal attempt bounces off the post. Captain Sidney Crosby is knocked to the ground once and then double shoulder barged which looks painful – and illegal to this ice hockey debutant, but doesn’t seem to be. He goes off for some magic spray.
Completely irrelevant to the action, but I do enjoy the referees casually skating backwards around the rink in their black and white striped shirts.
Men’s ice hockey quarter finals: all eyes are on the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, where, in the one live bit of sport, favourites Canada are in a spot of bother, still 2-1 behind to Czechia.
We’ve hit a small but peaceful lull until things speed up again this evening. Set your sails for:
17.10 GMT Men’s ice hockey, quarter final 3: Finland v Switzerland
18.05 GMT Women’s curling – including Team GB v Japan
19.51 GMT Short track speed skating – women’s 3,000m relay finals
20.10 GMT Men’s ice hockey, quarter final 4: USA v Sweden
20.27 GMT Short track speed skating – men’s 500m finals
An email! Hello Lydia Wright.
“Loving the live updates, it has been great all day! I am just confused about why the Team GB men need Italy or Norway to win one of their matches tomorrow? If Canada and Switzerland win, won’t the table stay the same?”
Arghg, apologies Lydia, I’m confusing myself and everyone else. I’ll go back and tweak the entries. You’re quite right, GB need either Italy or Norway to lose, otherwise they can both leapfrog Team GB who are currently third.
Men’s ice hockey quarter finals: the Boston Bruins’ David Pastrnák puts Czechia 2-1 ahead with a pitch perfect lofted drive into the goal. Much note taking by the men in suits standing behind the Canadian team. It’s the first time Canada have been behind in this tournament.
Men’s ice hockey quarter finals: one of the Canadians has lost a stick, Czechia charge on goal but can’t capitalise. Some confusion as a Canadian player impedes a Czech – he does charge him into the wall to be fair – and is put in the sin bin. A power play for Canada.
Men’s ice hockey quarter finals: Czechia draw level! A first goal of the tournament for Lukáš Sedlák.
Men’s ice hockey quarter finals: gold medal favourites Canada lead Czechia 1-0 in the first period, 19 year old Macklin Celebrini slotting the puck through the legs of the goalie.
Slovakia are already through after beating Germany 6-2.
Ukraine will boycott the opening ceremony of next month’s Winter Olympics after the International Paralympic Committee’s decision to allow Russian and Belarussian athletes to compete under their country’s flags.
No medals for the very good wolfhound, Nazgul. My dog glances up from the sofa, closes her eyes and shuffles into a tighter ball.
Men’s Curling: Czechia, who are bottom of the standings, currently lead China 9-5, as elsewhere in northern Italy, everyone pauses for a cup of tea.
🥇Gold for France in the women’s biathlon 4x6km relay
Women’s biathlon relay: while were otherwise distracted by the snowboarding, France snared another relay gold. They fought back from a slow first leg and the colourful Julia Simon, winner of the 15km biathlon, brought it home.
Sweden won silver and Norway the bronze.
Men’s Curling: Team GB live to breathe another day with the news that Switzerland have beaten Norway. Now they need either Italy to lose to Switzerland or Norway to lose to Canada tomorrow morning.
🥇Gold for 19 year old Marie Fukada in the women’s slopestyle
Women’s snowboarding slopestyle final: it looks good to me, and the “execution is perfect” but the commentators are hesitant. And it’s 87.48 – enough for defending champion Zoi Sadowski Synnot to leapfrog into silver, but not enough to catch Marie Fukada (87.48)
Japan’s Kokomo Murase (85.80) picks up bronze and Annika Morgan slips out of the medals. Hugs all round.
