Winter Olympics recap: Shiffrin out of the medals again, Klaebo wins another gold

Mikaela Shiffrin’s Olympic medal drought extended to seven consecutive races Tuesday as the American skiing star faltered in the slalom leg of the new team combined event at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.

Despite a strong opening downhill performance from partner Breezy Johnson that positioned the U.S. team favorably, Shiffrin’s 15th-place finish in the slalom dropped the Americans to fourth overall. This continues a frustrating Olympic run for Shiffrin that began at the 2022 Beijing Games, where she failed to medal in all six of her events.

Austria’s Ariane Raedler and Katharina Huber claimed gold in the event, while Americans Paula Moltzan and Jacqueline Wiles secured bronze ahead of their more celebrated teammates Shiffrin and Johnson. For Johnson, it was a missed opportunity to add to her growing medal collection after winning gold in Sunday’s downhill competition.

Shiffrin, who holds the all-time record with 108 World Cup victories, will have additional opportunities to end her Olympic medal drought in her specialty events – slalom and giant slalom – later in the Games. The 29-year-old previously won two gold medals and one silver during her first two Olympic appearances.

Meanwhile, Norwegian cross-country skiing phenomenon Johannes Høsflot Klæbo moved closer to Olympic history, claiming his seventh career gold medal with a commanding victory in the men’s sprint. Klæbo finished a comfortable 0.8 seconds ahead of American Ben Ogden to secure his second gold of these Games, following his triumph in Sunday’s skiathlon.

The Norwegian star now stands just one gold medal shy of matching the Winter Olympic record of eight, currently shared by three Norwegian sporting legends: cross-country skiers Marit Bjørgen and Bjørn Dæhlie, and biathlete Ole Einar Bjørndalen. Klæbo will have an opportunity to tie this record in Friday’s 10-kilometer freestyle event.

In the women’s sprint final, Sweden dominated the podium with a historic sweep as Linn Svahn narrowly defeated defending champion Jonna Sundling for gold, while Maja Dahlqvist took bronze. Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf was in attendance to witness the momentous achievement.

Tuesday also brought poignant moments in the biathlon competition. Norway’s Johan-Olav Botn delivered an emotional performance to win the men’s 20-kilometer individual race, pointing skyward as he crossed the finish line in tribute to teammate Sivert Guttorm Bakken, who died in December after being found in his hotel room in Lavaze, Italy.

Bronze medalist Sturla Holm Laegreid, also from Norway, created a stir with a tearful post-race interview during which he publicly confessed to being unfaithful to his girlfriend. The victories by Botn and Klæbo helped Norway extend its leading medal count to six golds – three more than any other nation.

In women’s hockey, the United States continued its dominance over rival Canada with a convincing 5-0 victory in their preliminary-round matchup. Hannah Bilka scored twice as the Americans recorded their seventh consecutive win against the Canadians, who were playing without captain Marie-Philip Poulin. The U.S. team has been virtually untouchable throughout the tournament, outscoring opponents 20-1 while sweeping all four preliminary games to clinch first place in Group A. They will face host nation Italy in the quarterfinals.

Sweden’s Isabella and Rasmus Wranå made Olympic history in mixed doubles curling, becoming the first sibling pair to win gold in the event. The Swedish duo clinched a 6-5 victory over Americans Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin with a crucial two-point play on the final rock. The silver medal marked the first Olympic mixed doubles podium for the United States, with Thiesse becoming the first American woman to win a curling medal.

Germany maintained its traditional dominance in luge as Julia Taubitz won gold in the women’s singles event, finishing nearly a full second ahead of Latvia’s Elina Bota. The victory continues Germany’s remarkable streak in the discipline, with German athletes having won 13 of the 17 Olympic women’s singles luge competitions. American Ashley Farquharson claimed bronze, matching the best-ever Olympic finish by a U.S. woman in singles luge.

Host nation Italy had reason to celebrate as short track speedskating icon Arianna Fontana added to her historic Olympic legacy. Fontana claimed gold in the mixed team relay, bringing her career Olympic medal total to an unprecedented 12, including three golds. The 33-year-old veteran, who began her Olympic journey as a 15-year-old at the 2006 Turin Games, will have additional opportunities to expand her record medal collection in the upcoming 500-meter and 3,000-meter relay events.