Lead
Day 7 of the 2026 Milan–Cortina Winter Olympics on Feb. 13 saw Team USA chasing more medals across marquee events in Italy. Ilia Malinin entered the men’s free skate in strong position after a 108.16 short-program that included a legally landed backflip, holding a 5.09-point lead over Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama. The U.S. women’s hockey team prepared for a quarterfinal against host nation Italy, while Americans also competed in snowboarding, curling and cross-country events. Several medal events and a packed schedule make Friday decisive for Team USA’s standing in the overall medal picture.
Key Takeaways
- Ilia Malinin led the men’s singles after the short program with 108.16 points, a 5.09-point cushion over Yuma Kagiyama (Japan).
- Men’s free skate and medals are scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. ET, with Malinin skating last (24th) from the top of the order.
- U.S. women’s hockey faces Italy in a quarterfinal listed on the schedule as 3:10 p.m. ET; prior reporting also referenced 3:30 p.m. ET (see Unconfirmed).
- Team USA posted a 9-8 curling victory over Canada in round-robin play, improving their record to 2-1 in the group stage.
- Snowboard events included women’s snowboard cross seeding runs starting at 4:00 a.m. ET and the men’s halfpipe final at 1:30 p.m. ET; 17-year-old Alessandro Barbieri advanced to the halfpipe final after finishing fourth in qualifying.
- Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo won the men’s 10 km freestyle, tying the Winter Olympics record with his eighth career gold.
- A 44-year-old Slovak fan was arrested near Milan for an outstanding theft warrant from 2010 and taken to San Vittore prison; he faces a sentence of 11 months and seven days under Italian proceedings.
Background
The Milan–Cortina Games have combined fast-paced headliners and contested judging moments through their first week. Figure skating has emerged as a focal point for global attention, driven by technical breakthroughs — notably the return of somersault-type jumps to elite competition after a 48-year de facto ban under older International Skating Union (ISU) rules. That rule change, enacted before the 2024–25 season, reclassified certain moves and allowed skaters to reintroduce historically penalized elements as choreographic content.
Team USA entered Day 7 with momentum in multiple disciplines: depth in snowboarding, a strong showing in women’s hockey preliminary rounds (outscoring opponents heavily), and breakthrough moments in curling. U.S. contenders are aiming both for individual glory — for example Malinin in men’s singles and 17-year-old Barbieri in halfpipe — and for team continuity as the knockout rounds begin across ice-hockey and elimination-style snowboarding.
Main Event
Figure skating dominated Friday’s early headlines. Malinin’s short program score of 108.16 put him 5.09 points ahead of Yuma Kagiyama (103.07) and positioned him to skate last in the free program, which begins at 1:00 p.m. ET. Discussion before the free skate centered on whether Malinin would attempt a quadruple Axel or otherwise increase technical content; coaches and commentators noted his ability to assemble four or more quadruple jumps in a free program when aiming for maximum difficulty.
In women’s hockey, the U.S. team entered the quarterfinals as heavy favorites after a dominant preliminary round (outscoring opponents 20-1). The matchup with Italy — the host nation — carried both competitive and atmospheric stakes, with crowd influence and home-country momentum cited as potential wildcards despite the disparity in scoring to date.
Snowboarding’s women’s snowboard-cross event used two seeding runs in the morning (first run at 4:00 a.m. ET) followed by head-to-head elimination rounds later in the day. Four U.S. athletes advanced into the elimination bracket. Meanwhile, Alessandro Barbieri, 17, qualified fourth in men’s halfpipe and moved forward to Friday’s final, where medals would be decided.
Analysis & Implications
Malinin’s lead coming out of the short program places the United States in a favorable medal position in men’s singles, but figure skating scoring retains significant subjectivity tied to technical base values and program component marks. If Malinin opts for lower risk given his margin, the United States could secure another gold without attempting the quad Axel; conversely, a successful quad Axel or additional quads would likely put the result beyond reach for challengers.
The U.S. women’s hockey team’s preliminary dominance suggested a likely progression through the quarterfinals, but knockout games against hosts can introduce volatility. A U.S. win would keep them on course for medal contention and preserve forward momentum for the tournament’s later rounds. Conversely, an upset loss would dramatically alter the medal forecast for U.S. ice hockey.
Snowboarding and freestyle events remain wildcards for Team USA’s medal haul because these sports combine single-run variability, head-to-head contact (in snowboard cross), and youth breakouts. Barbieri’s advancement to the halfpipe final signals continued depth among younger American riders; a podium finish there would add to the U.S. tally and highlight a generational transition in freeskiing and snowboarding.
Comparison & Data
| Men’s singles — Short Program standings | Nation | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ilia Malinin | USA | 108.16 |
| 2. Yuma Kagiyama | JPN | 103.07 |
| 3. Adam Siao Him Fa | FRA | 102.55 |
| 4. Daniel Grassl | ITA | 93.46 |
| 5. Mikhail Shaidorov | KAZ | 92.94 |
The table above captures the top five after the short program; Andrew Torgashev of the U.S. sat eighth with 88.94 and would need a significantly higher free-skate score to reach the podium. The day’s schedule featured multiple medal events (cross-country, biathlon, speed skating, figure skating, snowboard), concentrating opportunity into a compact window where single performances can shift national medal rankings quickly.
Reactions & Quotes
Figure-skating aftermath included calls for clarity around judging in recent events and a prompt response from governing bodies.
Chock called for greater transparency from the judging process after a narrow ice-dance decision.
Madison Chock (as reported)
The ISU issued a defense of the panel’s scoring approach, noting the diversity of judges’ marks can produce wide distributions without constituting procedural error.
The ISU defended the judging results and explained that score variation across judges can be normal within the current system.
International Skating Union (official statement)
In curling and team sports, athletes and coaches emphasized execution under pressure as decisive. After the 9-8 win over Canada, U.S. skip Cory Thiesse and teammates credited strategic shot-making in the sixth end for creating the margin they held to the finish.
Team USA highlighted a critical four-point sixth end as the turning point in the match versus Canada.
U.S. women’s curling team (postgame comments)
Unconfirmed
- Schedule discrepancy: some reports referenced the U.S. women’s hockey quarterfinal at 3:30 p.m. ET while the official day schedule lists 3:10 p.m. ET; exact puck-drop timing should be confirmed with the event schedule or broadcast notice.
- Malinin’s quad Axel attempt for the free skate was unannounced before the event; whether he would attempt it in competition remained speculative prior to his warm-up and start order.
Bottom Line
Friday at Milan–Cortina condensed decisive opportunities for Team USA: Malinin’s position in men’s singles made a U.S. gold plausible, while the women’s hockey quarterfinal loomed as a key test of tournament favoritism versus home-ice dynamics. Snowboarding and curling delivered additional medal and momentum possibilities that could meaningfully shift the U.S. medal count by the day’s end.
With multiple medal events clustered into a short window, single performances will disproportionately influence the overall standings; accurate, near-real-time confirmation of results and schedules is essential for following Team USA’s trajectory. Readers should monitor official event pages and federation statements for final results, appeals, or scheduling updates.