I Long For An Honest Winter by Patricia A Fleming To awaken to a morning where a chill pervades the air, despite the brilliant dazzling sun that blinds you with its glare. When peeking through drawn curtains winter's miracle abounds, with the pristine arctic powder /1

The volunteers have invented a new Winter Olympic sport at #MilanoCortina2026 👀 The rules are currently unclear. ❄️

A Canadian Snow Fall by Rosanna Eleanor Leprohon Come to the casement, we’ll watch the snow Softly descending on earth below, Fairer and whiter than spotless down Or the pearls that gleam in a monarch’s crown, Clothing the earth in its robe’s bright flow; Is it not lovely—the pure white snow? /1

From @theathletic.com: With just five days of competition left, Norway extended its lead in the 2026 Winter Olympics. Here are the full standings: nyti.ms/4kR2Mpl

Via WaPo: "With nearly a week to go, the Milan Cortina Olympics have already exposed humanity and strength, frailty and courage, intrigue and interest... Will Canada and the US meet for hockey gold — twice? Will speed skater Jordan Stolz set two more Olympic records to go w the two he already has?"

Via WaPo: "Mamma mia, the host Italians have more golds and more medals than anyone but the Norwegians. (This is another column, but … the Norwegians! They’re like the Duke or KY of the Winter Games — a perennial No. 1 seed. Except Duke and KY aren’t ranked 121st in the world by population.)"

"Norway’s remarkable consistency at the Winter Olympics stems from a decades‑old culture that puts children’s happiness, equal access to sport and shared expertise ahead of fast results, the country’s head of delegation Tore Oevreboe said." www.reuters.com/sports/leave...

"Children are encouraged to play multiple sports, develop broad physical and social skills and avoid early ranking."

Norway's head of delegation: "The point of doing sport in Norway is to lead a good life. So you start young and learn motor skills, social skills, and then you learn how to use your body in a physical setting."

Norway's head of delegation: "We have a huge used equipment market. Lots of the athletes that come up here that are quite good, they have used equipment during their younger years."

Norway's head of delegation: "We distribute the wealth … so it’s possible for kids to participate in sports and for the parents to help them. People work eight hours a day and then they have quite a few hours to be with their kids doing sports."

Which one?? You pick. 🎵When they write my story They gonna say that I did it for the glory But don't think that I did it for the fame, yeah I did it for the love of the game, yeah🎵 open.spotify.com/track/0stPNU...

🎵All you gotta do is watch me/ Look what I can do with my feet/ Baby, feel the beat inside🎵 open.spotify.com/track/3NZJlJ...

From @theathletic.com: The U.S. skier Mikaela Shiffrin took the gold medal in Alpine slalom, securing her first Olympic medal since 2018. Shiffrin slouched down to her skis in disbelief and relief. Years of misery snuffed out in a moment of pure ecstasy. nyti.ms/3ZIr4Is

NEW: Star skier Mikaela Shiffrin wins Olympic gold after an eight-year drought, storming to victory in the women's slalom.

2014 slalom 🥇 2026 slalom 🥇 #MikaelaShiffrin #MilanoCortina2026

Second & final runs for top 30 start in reverse order now in slalom. Mikaela Shiffrin in first with a great first effort, in excellent position to take gold with another solid run. She’ll go last of this top 30 group.

"Twelve yrs later — and having failed to meet huge expectations at the 2022 Olympics, bco the most successful World Cup skier of all time w a record 108 victories, and overcome the two biggest crashes of her career and an ensuing battle w PTSD — she delivered again in her fav event."

"Shiffrin has now won three golds and a silver at the Olympics to add to her record total of World Cup wins — which include 71 in slalom, also a record. There’s also world titles in slalom (four), giant slalom and super-G to fill out arguably the greatest career in Alpine racing."

"Racing in what she described as a 'spiritual state,' Shiffrin put in two dominant runs in gorgeous conditions amid the jagged peaks of the Dolomites to win by a massive 1.50 seconds, making her the first American skier to win three Alpine gold medals."

Ski and snowboarding assoc CEO: “I couldn’t think of a more well-deserved medal for an athlete to win. She’s been so dominant but as we know these big sporting moments in the Olympics bring extra pressure and scrutiny. And to see her ski that well and just go for it, I couldn’t be prouder of her.”

Shriffrin: “I felt every range of emotion in the last three months, the last four months, the last four years, the last eight years. There’s so many different journeys I’ve been on to just be here today.”

"Mikaela Shiffrin stood atop the Olympic podium,looking almost in disbelief at the gold medal ar her neck. The American skiing star hadn’t simply won a slalom race...& underline her status as surely the greatest Alpine skier of all time. She’d also won a battle w herself." apnews.com/article/mila...

"For Shiffrin, this also was a release of the pressure that had been building after going eight Olympic races w/o a medal since adding gold and silver to her collection in Pyeongchang in 2018."

Wait, we have to wait until Thursday for the women's free skate? #FigureSkating I #MilanoCortina2026

Alysa Liu finished the night in third place, Isabeau Levito finished in eighth and Amber Glenn is in 13th place after a popped jump. That puts extra pressure on all of them for Thursday's medal event. n.pr/3MuTnXU

From @theathletic.com: The U.S. hasn’t medaled in women’s individual figure skating since 2006, so even one medal in Milan would end a two-decade drought. The “Blade Angels” are hoping to get it done. Here's how to watch them: nyti.ms/4an4ifj

From @theathletic.com: In her Olympic debut, Japan's Ami Nakai, 17, took the lead in the women's figure skating competition. The chances of the U.S. women ending their 20-year medal drought in the event will come down to Alysa Liu. Or a miracle. nyti.ms/3Ok9yYA

Kaori Sakamoto beaming as she finishes her short program. She was dancing her way off the ice as she headed to the kiss and cry to receive her score Sakamoto is into second spot, one point behind Ami Nakai. Two skaters left in short program.

The ice remembers everything. Sakamoto Kaori's final Olympic games? ❄️ Alysa Liu's dramatic comeback. ⚡ Two stories collide at #MilanoCortina2026, and we can't wait to see how it plays out! 🔥⛸️ #FigureSkating #Olympics

"In the biggest skate of her life, she hit a triple flip, double Axel and a triple Lutz-triple loop combination. On the rink’s side, her coach, Phillip DiGuglielmo, and choreographer, Massimo Scali, hugged so hard it looked like they might topple over."

I love Alysa Liu skating to Laufey's "Promise." youtu.be/JRpgXbZIbaU?...

"She was asked how she felt watching Glenn’s anguished face. 'It’s understandable,' Liu said sadly. But then a smile spread across her face. 'She’s super strong so she can handle it,' Liu said."

"Her score of 76.59 was an international best for her and left her in third place, two points behind Japan’s Ami Nakai and one behind another Japanese skater, three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto." www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olymp...

"What mattered more to her in that moment was spotting her siblings and friends in the stands when she went onto the ice for her warmups. Instead of fretting over her jumps, she wanted to see how they reacted. It was as if she was performing for them — not the judges."

"She had a new dress for the short program, which she likes, and is excited ab another new one she will wear Thurs night. And on Tues, before the short program, a third new dress — this one for Sat’s skating gala — had arrived and she was rlly excited ab that."

From @theathletic.com: Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov had the skate of his life and it wound up being worthy of gold. His shocking victory in men's individual figure skating is only Kazakhstan’s second-ever gold medal in any Winter Olympics. trib.al/3zGAOKI

After U.S. star Ilia Malinin falls twice in men's free skate, Kazakhstan's Mikhail Shaidorov wins Olympic gold.

Breaking: Ilia Malinin will skate in the Olympic exhibition gala Saturday with the top medalists and has decided to go to the world championships in Prague to defend his title. My @usatodaysports.usatoday.com exclusive: www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

Ilia Malinin admitted the pressure of the Winter Olympics got to him during his shocking performance in Milan Cortina. The 21-year-old figure skating star joined "TODAY" this morning in his first interview since failing to medal in the men's singles event. on.nbcboston.com/dXO0aXH

This shouldn’t get lost in all of tonight. Within seconds of learning his 8th place fate — a nightmare unfolding for him — Ilia Malinin congratulated Mikhail Shaidorov. He’s had to grow up fast in the spotlight. And showed immense class in a crushing moment for him.

Speedskater Jordan Stolz won his second gold medal of the Winter Olympics with a win in the 500 meters. His time of 33.77 seconds was an Olympic record. “It is a success,” he said. “But it’s more of a partial success, if I don’t win the 1,500.”

"The 1,500 meters comes Thursday — the event that stands between dominance and something closer to immortality." Stolz: “It is a success, but it’s more of a partial success if I don’t win the 1,500.”

"Two Olympic records in four days. Two races won with closing speed. A performance here that has rivals reaching for language that borders on disbelief. With every stride and every turn, Stolz is skating in rarefied air." www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olymp...

American sliders Elana Meyers Taylor, 41, and Kaillie Humphreys, 40, secure gold and bronze medals. Meyers-Taylor built on her record as the Black athlete with the most Winter Olympics medals. n.pr/4cxELkY

Elana Meyers Taylor is an Olympic gold medalist at last. The 41-year-old American bobsledder, winner of five previous Olympic medals across the last four Games but never gold, topped the field Monday in the monobob for her first ever Olympic title.

Her sixth Olympic medal, first gold.

The gold medal run from USA's Elana Meyers Taylor in Monobob