The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina is reaching its climax, with athletes vying for medals across various disciplines. Notably, the U.S. women's curling team is set to compete for the bronze medal against Canada, while freestyle skier Eileen Gu is a contender in the women's freeski halfpipe final. These events represent significant moments for both the U.S. team and individual athletes aiming to secure a place on the podium.

Curling Team USA Faces Canada for Bronze
The U.S. women's curling team is scheduled to play against Canada in the bronze medal match. This event is slated for Saturday at 8:05 a.m. Eastern Time. The match will be broadcast on Peacock.

The U.S. team secured its spot in the bronze medal game after facing Switzerland in the semifinal.
Switzerland defeated the U.S. women's curling team with a score of 7-4 in the semifinal, thereby advancing to the gold medal game.
Eileen Gu in Freeski Halfpipe Final
Eileen Gu is competing in the women's freeski halfpipe final. This event is scheduled for Saturday at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time. This competition presents an opportunity for Gu to potentially win another medal at the Games.
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Additional Olympic Events
On Saturday, other notable events include:
Men's ice hockey bronze medal match: Slovakia vs. Finland at 2:40 p.m. Eastern Time.
Women's curling gold medal match: Switzerland vs. Sweden at 5:05 a.m. Eastern Time.
Context of Curling Playoff Field
The women's curling playoff field saw Canada and the United States securing berths. Both teams needed to win their final games to advance, fending off challenges from Great Britain and the Republic of Korea.

"It’s hard playing a single-elimination game the entire time, but that’s what the Olympics is. Yesterday’s game [against Britain], was really tough, but we were able to regroup and just knew that we still controlled our own destiny," Cory Thiesse told Olympics.com regarding the team's playoff journey.
Team USA's Curling Round-Robin Performance
Throughout the round-robin stage, the U.S. women's curling team recorded several results:
| Date | Match | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 12, 2026 | USA vs. South Korea | 8-4 |
| Feb 13, 2026 | USA vs. Canada | 9-8 |
| Feb 17, 2026 | USA vs. Denmark | 10-3 |
| Feb 18, 2026 | Great Britain vs. USA | 8-7 |
| Feb 12, 2026 | Sweden vs. USA | 9-4 |
The U.S. team's journey through the round-robin demonstrated both victories and close matches, contributing to their eventual playoff qualification.
Analysis of Women's Curling Competition
The women's curling playoff bracket featured a strong field. Switzerland, after defeating the USA in the semifinals, advanced to face Sweden for the gold medal. Canada, Team USA's opponent for bronze, also navigated a challenging path to the final stages of the competition. The results indicate a competitive landscape among the top curling nations.
Conclusion and Future Implications
As the 2026 Winter Olympics approach their conclusion, the focus sharpens on the medal events. The U.S. women's curling team's quest for bronze against Canada is a key highlight for Saturday. Simultaneously, Eileen Gu's participation in the halfpipe final offers another significant moment for the United States. The outcomes of these events will conclude the participation of these athletes and teams in the Milan Cortina Games, with final medal standings reflecting the culmination of years of training and competition.
Read More: Wales Beats Scotland by 17-5 in Six Nations Rugby on Feb 21, 2026
Sources Used:
ESPN: "2026 Winter Olympics: Live updates Saturday from Milan Cortina" - https://www.espn.com/olympics/story//id/47990030/2026-milan-cortina-italy-winter-olympics-best-moments-saturday (Published: 15 hours ago)
Sports Illustrated: "Women's Curling at 2026 Winter Olympics: Updated Playoff Bracket and Team USA Schedule" - https://www.si.com/winter-olympics/womens-curling-2026-winter-olympics-playoff-bracket (Published: 1 day ago)
ESPN (Lacrosse): "2026 Winter Olympics: U.S. women’s curling goes for bronze, Eileen Gu competes in halfpipe and more" - https://www.espnlacrosse.com/2026/02/20/2026-winter-olympics-u-s-womens-curling-goes-for-bronze-eileen-gu-competes-in-halfpipe-and-more/ (Published: 1 day ago)
Olympics.com: "Winter Olympics 2026 women’s curling: Canada and the United States complete playoff field" - https://www.olympics.com/en/milano-cortina-2026/news/winter-olympics-2026-women-curling-canada-united-states-complete-playoff-field-results (Published: 2 days ago)
Sporting News: "Olympic women's curling standings: Updated results, schedule for 2026 Winter Games" - https://www.sportingnews.com/us/olympics/news/olympic-womens-curling-standings-results-schedule-2026-winter-games/5c6fa5641771d53eac9f2968 (Published: Feb 12, 2026)
NBC Olympics: "Who's competing in women's curling at the 2026 Winter Olympics?" - https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/whos-competing-womens-curling-2026-winter-olympics (Published: Feb 11, 2026)
SBNation: "What to expect from Team USA Curling at the 2026 Winter Olympics" - https://www.sbnation.com/olympics/1102383/curling-winter-olympics-2026-team-usa-results-medal-schedule-scores (Published: Feb 9, 2026)
NBC News: "USA men's hockey wins 6-2 vs. Slovakia for spot in gold medal game" - https://www.nbcnews.com/sports/olympics/live-blog/2026-winter-olympics-live-updates-mens-hockey-rcna256612 (Published: 1 day ago)