The Olympic Winter Games are officially here, and Milano Cortina’s opening weekend delivers instant drama: spectacular ceremony, early mountain medals, and marquee names hitting the ice and snow across northern Italy.
Friday, February 6: Opening Night Spectacle
While preliminary competition began earlier in the week, Friday marks the official start with the Opening Ceremony at Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium at 2 p.m. ET. The star-studded celebration features performances from Mariah Carey, Andrea Bocelli, and Laura Pausini, along with a historic first: two Olympic cauldrons lit simultaneously in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, representing the dual host cities.
Figure skating’s team event began Friday morning ahead of the ceremony. U.S. ice dance stars Madison Chock and Evan Bates—three-time world champions and Beijing 2022 team gold medalists—scored 91.06 in the rhythm dance to put Team USA in first place, edging France (89.98) and Great Britain (86.85). The team competition continues throughout the weekend, segment by segment, building toward Sunday’s medal ceremony.
Athletes from United States attend the …
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Saturday, February 7: Speed Kings Descend
Saturday morning delivers one of alpine skiing’s most prestigious events: the men’s downhill at 5:30 a.m. ET on the legendary Stelvio course in Bormio. Swiss star Marco Odermatt and teammate Franjo von Allmen face fierce competition from Italian veteran Dominik Paris, who has topped the podium in Bormio a record seven times. The Stelvio is widely considered one of the most difficult and spectacular downhill courses in Olympic history.
Also Saturday morning: the women’s 20-kilometer skiathlon at 7:00 a.m. ET, where skiers race 10 kilometers using classic technique before switching to freestyle for the final 10 kilometers. For the first time in Olympic history, men and women compete over identical distances in cross-country skiing events.
Figure skating continues with American phenom Ilia Malinin making his Olympic debut in the men’s short program at 1:45 p.m. ET. The 21-year-old “Quad God,” who has won four consecutive U.S. national championships, could become the first skater to land a quadruple axel on Olympic ice. The ice dance free dance follows at 4:05 p.m. ET.
Additional Saturday medal events include speed skating, ski jumping, and men’s big air in snowboarding.
Sunday, February 8: Vonn’s Gutsy Return
Vice President JD Vance and his …
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Sunday’s marquee event centers on Lindsey Vonn’s remarkable comeback. The 41-year-old alpine skiing legend competes in the women’s downhill at 5:30 a.m. ET in Cortina d’Ampezzo—despite tearing her ACL just one week before the Games. Vonn, the Vancouver 2010 gold medalist who holds a record 12 World Cup victories on this very slope, successfully completed her first training run Friday. She told reporters this week: “I’m not letting this slip through my fingers. I’m gonna do it. End of story.”
The men’s 20-kilometer skiathlon follows at 6:30 a.m. ET, matching the format from Saturday’s women’s race with the 10-kilometer classic to 10-kilometer freestyle transition.
Sunday also features the conclusion of the figure skating team event with three consecutive free skate programs: pairs (1:30 p.m. ET), women’s (2:45 p.m. ET), and men’s (3:55 p.m. ET). Team USA currently leads after Friday’s strong start and will look to defend their Beijing 2022 gold medal.
Snowboard fans can watch parallel giant slalom qualification and finals throughout Sunday morning (3:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. ET), featuring head-to-head racing on side-by-side courses in a knockout bracket format. Additional Sunday medal events include men’s singles luge and the biathlon mixed relay.
How to Watch Every Moment
Every event streams live on Peacock and NBCOlympics.com, with extensive TV coverage on NBC, USA Network, and CNBC. NBC provides at least 12 hours of daily coverage throughout the Games, which run through February 22.
The time difference matters: Italy is six hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time and nine hours ahead of Pacific Time, meaning early mornings are prime viewing windows for American fans.
What Makes This Opening Weekend Special
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This weekend showcases everything that makes the Winter Olympics compelling: the speed and danger of alpine skiing’s downhill events, the artistry and athleticism of figure skating, the endurance test of cross-country’s skiathlon, and the head-to-head drama of snowboard racing.
With 16 sports, 116 medal events, and athletes from 93 countries competing across the stunning Italian Alps and modern Milano venues, this opening weekend sets the stage for 16 days of Olympic magic. Whether you’re drawn to Vonn’s inspiring perseverance, Malinin’s gravity-defying potential, Odermatt’s quest for downhill gold, or Chock and Bates defending their team title, Milano Cortina 2026 offers unforgettable moments from the very first weekend.
This article is written with the assistance of generative artificial intelligence based solely on Washington Times original reporting and wire services. For more information, please read our AI policy or contact Steve Fink, Director of Artificial Intelligence, at sfink@washingtontimes.com
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