The inaugural week of the 2026 Winter Olympics wraps up with Ilia Malinin competing for gold in his first Olympic appearance.
Malinin will take to the ice in the men’s free skate after securing the top spot in the qualifications. He successfully executed a pair of quadruple jumps, a backflip, and his signature move, the “raspberry twist,” achieving a score of 108.16 points. importantly, he may reserve his most impressive maneuver for the final round: the quad axel. Embracing the gravity of landing the most challenging jump ever attempted, he has humorously dubbed himself the “Quad God.”
The U.S. women’s ice hockey team is set to play against Italy in the quarterfinals. The formidable U.S. team remains unbeaten, having outscored their opponents 20-1 during group stages, while Italy holds a record of 2-2.
Competition intensifies in the men’s snowboard halfpipe event, with 17-year-old American Alessandro Barbieri aiming for a medal. The Portland, Oregon native secured a silver medal at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games and achieved the highest qualifying score among Americans, finishing fourth on Wednesday. He will face tough competition, including two-time Olympic medalist Scotty James.
MORE: Medal tracker | Full schedule of events | Olympics 101
Here are the key events for Friday (all times Eastern)
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Biathlon: 8 a.m., men’s 10km sprint final
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Speedskating: 10 a.m., men’s 10000m final
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Figure skating: 1 p.m., men’s free skate
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Snowboard: 1:30 p.m., men’s snowboard halfpipe final
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Ice hockey: 3:10 p.m., women’s playoffs quarterfinals (U.S. vs. Italy)
We will provide highlights from Friday’s events.
