Lead
On Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, at venues across Milan and Cortina, several headline stories unfolded on Day 4 of the Winter Olympics: the United States women’s hockey team routed Canada 5–0 in Milano Santagiulia, Mikaela Shiffrin suffered an uncharacteristic slalom leg that cost a U.S. alpine combined medal, and 21-year-old Ilia Malinin topped the men’s figure skating short program with a commanding 108.16. The U.S. squad improved to 4–0 in hockey and has outscored opponents 20–1 so far. A number of other finals and podium moments — from mixed doubles curling to biathlon — rounded out a busy day of competition.
Key Takeaways
- U.S. women’s hockey beat Canada 5–0 at Milano Santagiulia; the team is 4–0 in group play and has a tournament goal differential of 20–1.
- Caroline Harvey recorded a goal and two assists; Abbey Murphy added three assists and drew four penalties against Canada.
- Mikaela Shiffrin’s slalom leg ranked 15th of 18 finishers in the women’s team combined, dropping the U.S. pair to fourth, 0.06 seconds shy of the bronze.
- Ilia Malinin posted 108.16 in the men’s short program, leading Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama (103.07) and France’s Adam Siao Him Fa (102.55).
- Sweden’s siblings Isabella and Rasmus Wranå edged the U.S. duo Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin 6–5 to win mixed doubles curling gold; the Americans took silver — the first Olympic mixed-doubles curling medal for the U.S.
- Norway’s Sturla Holm Laegreid won bronze in the 20km individual biathlon; fellow Norwegian Johan-Olav Botn took gold and France’s Eric Perrot silver.
Background
The U.S.–Canada women’s hockey rivalry is among the sport’s most intense and historically balanced matchups; in the months leading to Milan, the U.S. had already dominated head-to-head play, outscoring Canada 24–7 across four Rivalry Series games in November and December. That run set expectations high for another tight Olympic duel, but the U.S. carried momentum into Group play and maintained control through disciplined special teams and depth scoring.
In alpine skiing, the team combined format pairs a speed run (downhill or super-G) with a slalom leg; success requires both a fast downhill and a sharp slalom performance. Breezy Johnson entered the team combined buoyed by a downhill gold, while Shiffrin has been among the most successful slalom specialists of her generation — making their pairing a pre-event favorite for gold.
Main Event
At Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena the U.S. delivered a comprehensive performance: balanced scoring, opportunistic power-play execution and staunch defense that handed Canada a rare shutout. Caroline Harvey continued a purple patch with a goal and two assists, Hannah Bilka added a two-goal night, and Abbey Murphy’s vision helped sustain constant pressure and drew multiple penalties that tilted the game in the U.S. favor. The win concluded group play for the Americans; they advance to the quarterfinals to meet Italy.
In the alpine team combined, Breezy Johnson posted the fastest downhill leg and gave the U.S. an advantage going into slalom, but Shiffrin’s slalom run lost time early and could not recover the deficits. The U.S. pairing finished fourth overall, with teammates Jackie Wiles and Paula Moltzan taking the bronze for the American contingent. Austria secured gold and Germany silver in the event.
Ilia Malinin energized the crowd at the Milano Ice Skating Arena with two clean quadruple jumps, including a quad lutz–triple toe combination, and a showpiece backflip. His short-program total of 108.16 put him in clear control heading into Friday’s free skate. Competitors Yuma Kagiyama (103.07) and Adam Siao Him Fa (102.55) follow in second and third, leaving Malinin well positioned for an individual podium bid.
Analysis & Implications
The U.S. women’s hockey performance is notable for both margin and method: 5–0 is not just a decisive scoreline but a manifestation of sustained depth across forward lines and reliability on defense. Outscoring opponents 20–1 through four games indicates a roster that combines elite pieces with role players who execute system play — a formula that typically scales well into knockout rounds. Facing Italy in the quarters, the U.S. will be expected to control tempo and minimize turnovers that could invite the underdog’s momentum.
Mikaela Shiffrin’s slalom lapse underlines the thin margins in alpine combined formats. A 0.06-second gap to a medal position is a reminder that small technical errors or a conservative line choice can cascade into lost podiums. For Shiffrin, who has time before Sunday’s giant slalom, the priority will be diagnostic: equipment check, course inspection notes and mental reset. The U.S. alpine program nevertheless showed depth by earning bronze through Wiles and Moltzan.
Ilia Malinin’s short program reintroduced the technical ceiling of men’s figure skating: when he lands his high-difficulty elements cleanly, his base value advantage combined with positive GOE (grade of execution) places him in a class of his own. That said, his history of inconsistency means Friday’s free skate — which carries more weight — will determine whether the short-program lead converts to gold. Competitors within a five-point band remain capable of upward movement if Malinin under-rotates or receives negative GOE.
The mixed-doubles curling final signals the maturation of U.S. curling on the world stage. Thiesse and Dropkin’s silver reflects tactical progress and international experience since forming in 2022. While Sweden’s Wranå siblings executed the decisive stone in a tight 6–5 game, the American run through the tournament establishes the U.S. as a serious medal threat in team and mixed disciplines going forward.
Comparison & Data
| Event | Leading result | Notable stat |
|---|---|---|
| USA vs CAN — Women’s hockey | 5–0 (Milano Santagiulia) | U.S. tournament goal differential: +19 (20–1) |
| Men’s figure skating — Short program | Ilia Malinin 108.16 | Second: Yuma Kagiyama 103.07; Third: Adam Siao Him Fa 102.55 |
| Mixed doubles curling — Final | Sweden 6–5 USA | First U.S. Olympic medal in mixed doubles (silver) |
| Women’s team combined — Alpine | Austria gold; USA 4th | U.S. missed bronze by 0.06 seconds |
This table highlights how single performances — a shutout, a short-program peak, a single slalom leg or one last curling stone — shaped medal outcomes on Day 4. Across events, margins were often measured in tenths or single seconds, underscoring the high variance and the premium on execution at the Olympic level.
Reactions & Quotes
“It was a really great game. We just needed to be a little bit sharper today.”
Cory Thiesse, U.S. mixed doubles curler (postgame NBC broadcast)
“I made my biggest mistake and cheated on her,”
Sturla Holm Laegreid (NRK interview after biathlon medal ceremony)
“When Ilia lands those quad elements cleanly, his technical advantage is decisive.”
Figure skating analyst (on-air commentary)
Unconfirmed
- No official explanation has been released for the specific technical issue(s) that slowed Mikaela Shiffrin’s slalom leg; equipment or course conditions have not been confirmed as factors.
- Sturla Holm Laegreid did not identify the person he referenced in his televised personal statement; details about the relationship and its status remain private and unverified.
Bottom Line
Day 4 reinforced that depth and execution matter as much as star power: the U.S. women’s hockey team combined role-player contributions with top-end talent to produce a lopsided win over Canada, while a single off-performance cost a heavy favorite in the alpine combined. Ilia Malinin’s short program restored a technical storyline to men’s skating, but the free skate will decide how that lead converts to medals.
As the Games move into elimination rounds and free skates later in the week, expect narrow margins, strategic conservatism from favorites and continued volatility where single elements or stones determine outcomes. For viewers and national teams, the focus will be on recovery, tactical adjustments and minimizing small errors that carry outsized consequences at this level.