Sunday marked a significant day at the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, with notable performances in alpine skiing and ice hockey. While some anticipated medal wins did not materialize, others saw strong team showings and historic achievements for participating nations.
The ninth day of the Games featured multiple medal events across various sports, including alpine skiing, snowboarding, skeleton, and speed skating. Key outcomes involved Mikaela Shiffrin's pursuit of a medal in the giant slalom and the ongoing preliminary rounds of the men's Olympic ice hockey tournament.
Alpine Skiing: Shiffrin's Giant Slalom Result
American skier Mikaela Shiffrin competed in the women's Alpine skiing giant slalom, an event where she has previously achieved considerable success. However, on this day, she did not secure a podium finish, ending in 11th place after completing two runs.
Read More: Day 10 of 2026 Winter Olympics: Men's Ski Slalom and More Medal Events
Shiffrin's best discipline, slalom, is scheduled for later in the week.
This performance follows Shiffrin's ongoing efforts to overcome past challenges and make a comeback in Olympic competition.
Italy's Federica Brignone secured her second gold medal of the Games in this event.
Men's Ice Hockey: USA's Strong Preliminary Performance
The United States men's Olympic ice hockey team concluded its group play with a decisive victory, advancing with a strong record.
Team USA defeated Germany with a score of 5-1.
This win cemented their undefeated record in group play, finishing 3-0.
The team secured the No. 2 seed heading into the quarterfinals.
Historical context shows a long-standing rivalry between the U.S. and Canada in women's ice hockey, with each nation having claimed seven medals.
Other Notable Moments
Beyond Shiffrin's giant slalom and the U.S. men's hockey success, other events saw significant developments:
Read More: Milan Cortina 2026: Day 10 Features Men's Slalom and Team Sports
Britain achieved a historic milestone, with its athletes winning two gold medals on the same day, both in mixed team events.
Canada earned its first gold medal of the Milan Cortina Games.
Norwegian skier Johannes Høsflot Klæbo won his fourth gold medal in cross-country skiing, participating in the team relay event.
American snowboarder Chloe Kim faced challenges in the women's halfpipe final, falling in her third run and missing out on a potential third consecutive Olympic gold medal.
U.S. flag bearer Erin Jackson did not defend her gold medal in the women's 500m speed skating, finishing fifth.
Event Infrastructure and Context
The Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics are being held across various venues, including the Milano Ice Skating Arena and Cortina Sliding Centre, among others. The Games are broadcast live across different territories, and the event features mascots Tina (Olympics) and Milo (Paralympics). Ice hockey, a fast-paced team sport, is one of the most popular events, drawing large crowds.
Conclusion
Day 9 of the 2026 Winter Olympics presented a mixed bag of results for prominent athletes and teams. Mikaela Shiffrin's quest for a medal continues with her slalom event approaching, while the U.S. men's hockey team demonstrated formidable performance by finishing its preliminary rounds undefeated. Historic wins for Britain and Canada, alongside notable performances in cross-country skiing and other disciplines, underscore the dynamic nature of the ongoing Games. The competition proceeds with several other medal events scheduled in the coming days.
Read More: Milan-Cortina 2026: Top Moments and Athlete News
Sources Used:
ESPN (Article 1): https://www.espn.com/olympics/story//id/47932527/2026-milan-cortina-italy-winter-olympics-best-moments-sunday - Provides a general recap of Sunday's events, mentioning Shiffrin and U.S. men's hockey.
CNN (Article 2): https://www.cnn.com/sport/live-news/milan-winter-olympics-results-highlights-medals-02-15-26 - Covers live updates, including U.S.-Germany hockey and figure skating pairs.
The Athletic (Article 3): https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/live-blogs/winter-olympics-2026-milano-cortina-live-updates-day-nine-schedule-events-scores-results/7Nj8vhUTjQkZ/ - Details Day 9 recaps, including Shiffrin's performance and Canadian gold.
The Athletic (Article 4): https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7048644/2026/02/15/olympics-recap-shiffrin-us-mens-hockey-klaebo/ - Focuses on Shiffrin's performance and U.S. men's hockey seeding.
NBC Sports (Article 8): https://www.nbcsportsphiladelphia.com/olympics/2026-milan-cortina/live-updates-mikaela-shiffrin-figure-skating-usa-mens-hockey-day-9/714809/ - Provides a recap of Day 9 action, including Shiffrin and U.S. men's hockey.
Olympics.com (Article 6): https://www.olympics.com/en/milano-cortina-2026/sports/ice-hockey - Offers general information about ice hockey at the Milan Cortina Games.
ESPN (Article 7): https://www.espn.com/olympics/winter/ice-hockey/ - Covers Olympic ice hockey news, including U.S. team results.
NBC News (Article 11): https://www.nbcnews.com/sports/olympics/live-blog/2026-winter-olympics-live-updates-mikaela-shiffrin-erin-jackson-rcna256607 - Live updates focusing on Shiffrin and Erin Jackson's performances.
NHL.com (Article 12): https://www.nhl.com/events/olympic-winter-games-milano-cortina-2026/ - Provides NHL-focused coverage and news related to the Olympic hockey tournament.
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