Team Homan in women’s curling semi against Sweden; Canada faces Finland in men’s hockey without Crosby
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02/20/26 13:07
MacKinnon scores late go-ahead goal for Canada
– Paul Attfield
Nathan MacKinnon capped a furious comeback, scoring a power-play goal with 36 seconds remaining to put Team Canada into a 3-2 lead over Finland in its Olympic semi-final.
MacKinnon’s goal – with Niko Mikkola in the box for high sticking – beat Juuse Saros on the short side, with the star one-timing a pass from Connor McDavid to put Canada within sight of the gold-medal game.
02/20/26 12:54
Theodore ties it up for Canada
– Paul Attfield
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Shea Theodore celebrates with Travis Sanheim after scoring their second goal.Mike Segar/Reuters
With Canada pouring forward in search of an equalizer, an unlikely trio teamed up to knot the score at 2-2 with just under 10 minutes remaining in regulation.
Defenceman Shea Theodore was the hero, firing a puck over the shoulder over Juuse Saros after good work from fellow blueliner Travis Sanheim and Tom Wilson to tee him up.
02/20/26 12:53
Opinion: In saying he’s a ‘true Canadian,’ Gretzky shows he’s still a wonderful deflector
– Cathal Kelly
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Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier watch today’s semi-final.Andreas Rentz/Getty Images
More than a year after Wayne Gretzky blew up his relationship with Canada, he decided to finally address it.
Gretzky’s been swanning around Milan. I guess he’s Canadian again, because how American can anyone who wasn’t born there be when Tom Brady’s hanging about?
Ahead of the Canada-Finland semi-final, Gretzky appeared on the CBC panel. Amidst all the hockey banter, host James Duthie put the question to him.
Say this for Gretzky – he’s always been a wonderful deflector of the puck. That he thinks this is about hockey suggests he either doesn’t get much, or that he’s come to the realization that there is no way of explaining how he’s carried on.
He seemed to suggest that everyone’s problem with him was purely sporting – “I want Canada to win a gold medal. I’ve never wavered from that.”
If Gretzky’s serious about getting past this, he’ll have to sit down with someone more hard hitting than a sports journalist, and not before the big hockey game.
He can tell all the Canadians he feels so connected to why he doesn’t choose to live in their midst, but wants to be able to wave the flag for them whenever he’s feeling starved of attention. Something tells me his Republican pals aren’t up on the latest Canadian goalie controversies. That may be part of it, too.
It’s not too late for Wayne Gretzky, a true Canadian, to become an actual one again. But one canned answer about winning a gold medal isn’t going to do the trick.
Read the full column here.
02/20/26 12:13
Canada trails Finland 2-1 after busy 2nd period
– Paul Attfield
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Connor McDavid controls the puck against Anton Lundell.Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Facing a multi-goal deficit for the first time at these Olympics, Sam Reinhart handed Team Canada a lifeline shortly before the end of the second period to cut the deficit to 2-1 against Finland in the Olympic semi-final.
With Canada on its second power play of the period, Connor McDavid got the puck back to Cale Makar at the point, and Reinhart tipped the blueliner’s shot past Juuse Saros with just over five minutes remaining.
Canada’s first power play in the period had an adverse impact, allowing Finland to score a shorthanded goal just 3:26 in to take a 2-0 lead. With Sebastian Aho, who set up Mikko Rantanen’s opener, in the penalty box for interference, Joel Armia cleared the puck up the boards, springing Erik Haula to beat Jordan Binnington backhanded.
With Team Canada legends Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier looking on forlornly, head coach Jon Cooper went with what play-by-play voice Chris Cuthbert called the “nuclear option,” promoting Nathan MacKinnon to the top line alongside McDavid and Macklin Celebrini in an effort to generate some offence to get back into the contest.
It certainly helped, as Canada outshot Finland 14-3 in the period, but it will need more in the third period to reach Sunday’s gold-medal game.
02/20/26 12:04
Reinhart gets Canada on the board; McDavid sets Olympic points record
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Sam Reinhart scores Canada’s first goal past Juuse Saros in the 2nd period.Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
Connor McDavid set a record for most points in a single Olympic tournament involving NHL players with his 12th of the Milan Cortina Games during this semi-final against Finland.
The Edmonton Oilers captain got a secondary assist on Sam Reinhart’s goal for Canada late in the third, also assisted by Cale Makar.
– The Canadian Press
02/20/26 12:00
Maltais wins bronze in women’s 1,500m speed skating
– Robyn Doolittle
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Valérie Maltais celebrates on the speed skating podium.Piroschka Van De Wouw/Reuters
Valérie Maltais has taken the bronze in the women’s 1,500m long track.
Maltais, who has already won two medals in Milan, was not expected to medal in this race, but after finishing with a time of 1:54.40, was ranked in the top three heading into the final two racers and managed to hold onto her spot.
The Dutch skater of Antoinette Rijpma-de Jong was gold with 1:54.09 and Norway’s Ragne Wiklund was silver with 1:54.40.
Maltais won bronze in the women’s 3,000m at the start of the Games and was part of the gold-medal winning women’s team pursuit.
Canada’s Ivanie Blondin and Béatrice Lamarche were 8th and 17th respectively in Friday’s 1,500m.
Read the full story here.
02/20/26 11:21
Canada trails Finland 1-0 after first period
– Paul Attfield
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Sam Bennett collides with Juuse Saros of Finland, resulting in a penalty for goaltender interference.David W Cerny/Reuters
Team Canada finds itself in another hole following the first period of its Olympic semi-final, trailing 1-0 against Finland.
With captain Sidney Crosby out injured, Canada’s offence was held firmly in check by Finland through the opening 20 minutes, with the reigning Olympic champions restricting Connor McDavid and Co. to just eight shots.
Canada’s goaltender Jordan Binnington was barely tested for much of the period. But with just over three minutes remaining and Sam Bennett in the penalty box for goaltender interference, Mikko Rantanen found the net, taking a pass from a Sebastian Aho faceoff win and beating Binnington cleanly over his glove hand with a one-timer.
Canada had one real chance of note, with McDavid teeing up Macklin Celebrini just three minutes into the game, but the teenager’s shot was right at Juuse Saros.
02/20/26 10:58
Team Homan falls to Sweden in women’s curling semi-final
– Rachel Brady
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Canada’s Rachel Homan, Sarah Wilkes and Tracy Fleury in action against Sweden.Issei Kato/Reuters
Team Rachel Homan will play for Olympic bronze on Saturday.
Canada’s women’s curling team fell shy in a heartbreaking 6-3 semi-final loss to Anna Hasselborg’s Swedish rink on Friday, missing out on a spot in the gold medal game.
Team Homan still has a shot at the podium, in the bronze medal contest against the U.S.
Sweden and Switzerland will play for gold, after the Swiss toppled the Americans 7-4 in the other semi-final.
Read the full story here.
02/20/26 10:26
Canada hopes to add to long track medal count
– Robyn Doolittle
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Beatrice Lamarche of Canada competes during the speed skating women’s 500m on Feb. 15.Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Canadian long track skaters Beatrice Lamarche, Valerie Maltais and Ivanie Blondin are racing in the women’s 1500m this afternoon.
Canada has already won three long track medals here in Milan, including Maltais’ bronze in the women’s 3000m, Laurent Dubreuil’s bronze in the men’s 500m and the gold medal finish for the women’s team pursuit. Both Maltais and Blondin were part of the gold-medal win.
(Just as an aside, I’m not allowed to take photos inside Olympic venues, but I can’t overstate how many Dutch fans are in the crowd tonight. I bet 90 per cent of the crowd is wearing orange – the Netherlands’ signature colour.)
02/20/26 09:36
Crosby out of Olympic semi-final
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Sidney Crosby, left, Connor Mcdavid sit on the bench during the men’s preliminary round against France on Feb. 15.ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP/Getty Images
Canada will have to win without captain Sidney Crosby to reach the Olympic gold-medal game.
The Pittsburgh Penguins superstar was scratched from Canada’s lineup with a lower-body injury ahead of its men’s hockey semifinal Friday against Finland at the Milan Cortina Games.
Connor McDavid will serve as captain in Crosby’s absence.
Crosby exited Canada’s nail-biting overtime win over Czechia in the quarterfinals after his right leg crumpled as he braced for a neutral-zone hit from bruising defenceman Radko Gudas in the second period.
The two-time Olympic gold medallist played another 13 seconds before Gudas and Czech forward Martin Necas sandwiched him along the boards. One stride later, he circled back to the bench in noticeable discomfort before limping down the tunnel.
The United States and Slovakia face off in the other semifinal later Friday at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. The bronze-medal game is scheduled for Saturday, followed by Sunday’s matchup for gold.
– The Canadian Press
02/20/26 09:30
No glory for the Canadian men in Olympic aerials
– Eric Reguly
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Canada’s Lewis Irving reacts to his run during the men’s aerials final.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
The Canadian men came up short in the aerials competition, though Quebec’s Lewis Irving, 30, put on a good show in a sport that sees competitors launch themselves more than 15 metres into the air to perform complex twists and flips.
In the first qualification round, Irving placed fourth among 25 competitors, putting him in podium contention. In the second qualification round, he was fourth again. He then dropped to seventh in the first of the two finals, putting him out of contention. Only the top six qualified for the medal round.
Read the full story here.
02/20/26 09:14
Norway sets new gold medal record for a Winter Games
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Johannes Dale-Skjevdal celebrates winning gold in the men’s 15km biathlon mass start.Harry How/Getty Images
Norway set a new record for gold medals at a Winter Olympics on Saturday when Johannes Dale-Skjevdal won the men’s 15km biathlon mass start at the Antholz-Anterselva Biathlon Arena on Friday.
The previous record of 16 was also by Norway at the Beijing Games in 2022.
– Reuters
02/20/26 08:56
IOC looks to refresh Olympic business model after Milan Cortina
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The Los Angeles Coliseum in L.A., which will host events for the 2028 Games.Mike Blake/Reuters
As the lights go out on the Winter Games this weekend, the Olympic movement is already pivoting towards Los Angeles 2028 – a privately financed showpiece the IOC is betting will reboot a commercial model that has underwritten the Games for four decades but is now straining in a more sophisticated marketing climate.
Milan Cortina will be the last Olympics with a 41-year-old sponsorship playbook that many in the International Olympic Committee accept desperately needs a refresh, despite contributing billions to the movement’s coffers.
The IOC is eyeing the Los Angeles Olympics as the first with a new marketing structure in play that they hope will secure its financial future in the same way the transformational 1984 Games in the same city did.
– Reuters
Read the full story here.
02/20/26 08:05
Women’s curling semis begin
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Rachel Homan, centre, competes in the curling women’s round robin semi-final.STEFANO RELLANDINI/AFP/Getty Images
Canada’s Rachel Homan is taking on Sweden’s Anna Hasselborg in an Olympic women’s curling semi-final.
Homan surged into the final four with a five-game winning streak to end the preliminary round. That included an 8-6 win over Sweden.
The winner advances to Sunday’s gold-medal game, and the loser will play for bronze on Saturday.
– The Canadian Press
02/20/26 07:56
Two-time Olympic ski cross medalist Marielle Thompson finishes off podium
– Eric Reguly
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Marielle Thompson reacts as she’s eliminated during the quarter-finals.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
None of the three Canadian women in the ski cross race made it out of the quarter-finals on Friday, denying Marielle Thompson her third Olympic podium appearance.
Thompson, 33, of North Vancouver, was one of the favourites going into the race and was one of two of Team Canada’s flag bearers in the Milan Cortina opening ceremony on Feb. 7. She had won ski cross gold in Sochi 2014 and silver in Beijing 2022. She was also World Champion in 2019.
In the quarter-finals Thompson got off to a slow start among the four athletes who compete in each heat and never recovered. “I just didn’t quite nail [the start] and was stuck a little bit behind,” she said. “Then I couldn’t really get going.”
She had won the 1/8 final and had felt confident going into the next heat.
She finished 14th among a field of 32 competitors. Her Canadian colleagues, Hannah Schmidt and Brittany Phelan, finished 12th and 16th. Schmidt is the sister of Jared Schmidt, who competes in the men’s ski cross on Saturday.
Read the full story here.
02/20/26 07:46
U.S.’s Alysa Liu returned to skating with fresh outlook to win Olympic gold
Alysa Liu won Olympic gold for the U.S. in women’s figure skating, ending a 24-year drought. Liu had returned to the sport after stepping away following the Beijing Games in 2022.
The Associated Press
Alysa Liu probably cared the least of all the women in figure skating at the Milan Cortina Olympics about winning the gold medal.
Maybe that is why she won it.
The 20-year-old with the striped hair, prominent frenulum piercing and carefree attitude never showed any worry or strain when she took the ice for her free skate on Thursday night. Instead, Liu waved up at her friends and family in the stands, grinned throughout her program, and acted as if she was going through just another training session at the Oakland Ice Center back in California.
“My family is out there. My friends are out there. I had to put on a show for them,” Liu said afterward. “When I see other people out there smiling, because I see them in the audience, then I have to smile, too. I have no poker face.”
It was all smiles for her crew after Donna Summer’s version of MacArthur Park came to a conclusion. Liu earned a score of 226.79 points, sending her surging past silver medalist Kaori Sakamoto and Japanese teammate Ami Nakai, who took bronze.
– The Associated Press
Read the full story here.
02/20/26 06:47
Mackay tops men’s halfpipe qualifier
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Brendan MacKay in run two of the men’s freeski halfpipe qualification.Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Calgary’s Brendan Mackay has topped the field in the men’s freestyle ski halfpipe qualifier.
The two-time Olympian scored a 92.75 with the best round of the day so far.
Calgarians Andrew Longino and Dylan Marineau also qualified for the final in the seventh and eighth spots, respectively.
– The Canadian Press
02/20/26 06:40
U.S. captain Knight more nervous about proposal than gold medal game
United States captain Hilary Knight kept her cool to lead her side past Canada in the Olympic women’s ice hockey final, and then admitted she was more nervous about getting down on one knee than about the gold medal showdown.
Knight, like her partner the U.S. speedskater Brittany Bowe, is appearing in her last Games, and went out on a high as the Americans took the title from their biggest rivals on Thursday.
The U.S. beat the Canadians with a 2-1 overtime win after the captain equalized with just over two minutes left.
The day before the final, Knight posted her marriage proposal video on social media, having had that moment hanging over her since the start of the Games.
– Reuters
Read the full story here.
02/20/26 06:26
Irving, Nadeau through to men’s aerials final
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Émile Nadeau competes in the second round of qualifications for men’s aerials.Hannah Peters/Getty Images
Two Canadians are through to the final of the men’s freestyle skiing aerials event.
Quebec City’s Lewis Irving finished fourth in his first jump and advanced straight to the final. Émile Nadeau of Prévost, Que., has qualified in ninth place after the second jump. Irving is a bronze medallist from Beijing 2022 in the mixed team aerials event.
They’ll be competing later today for a chance in the super final.
– The Canadian Press
02/20/26 06:09
With her knee taped up, Poulin hid her pain from her teammates
– Grant Robertson
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Captain Marie-Philip Poulin reacts to Canada’s heartbreaking 2-1 overtime loss to the U.S. on Thursday.DARRYL DYCK/The Canadian Press
Marie-Philip Poulin never told her teammates on Team Canada how bad her injured knee actually was.
When it came time for the gold medal game against the United States in Milan, she showed up at the rink, got it wrapped in tape, and refused to let anyone suspect it might hurt as bad as it did.
“She wouldn’t let any of her teammates know the type of pain that she’s in,” defender Renata Fast said after Canada’s 2-1 loss to the U.S. in overtime.
“We were not aware of anything because she puts her head down and she goes to work. That’s just the type of player that she is. She’s always been that way, but she would never let her teammates know.”
The only point Poulin showed any sign she was in pain was after American Megan Keller put the puck past Canadian goalie Ann-Renee Desbiens to win the game.
Sitting on the bench, Canada’s captain slammed her stick on the boards in front of her. Once, then a second time, then a third.
It was an uncharacteristic outburst for Poulin, a typically stoic player who seems perpetually in control. But she wanted this game. And her teammates wanted it for her.
Poulin wouldn’t say afterward, but this could be her last game at the Olympics for Canada.
Read the full story here.
02/20/26 05:44
Drone operators at the Olympics aim higher for future Games
– Eric Reguly
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Canada’s Marion Thenault competes alongside a broadcast drone in the women’s aerials final one.Patrick Smith/Getty Images
At the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, a flying machine that looked like a helicopter was flying near, but not over, the ski-jump site. Few spectators realized that it was a camera-equipped drone that weighed a hefty 25 kilos; powered by a gasoline engine, it made a racket.
The drone was not taking video of the competitions. It was used for “beauty shots,” said Benoit Dentan, a French-born aerial camera drones pioneer, referring to fairly high-altitude, scene-setter videos, not close-up action.
The operator was ORTO 92, a consortium formed to broadcast the Games.
The gas-powered drones at the Albertville Olympics in 1992 weighed as much as a small lawn mower, bulkier and noisier than the ones used today.Courtesy of Benoit Dentan
Fast forward to 2026 and the latest drones – the ones that are ubiquitous at the Milan Cortina Games – are battery-powered gadgets that weigh 250 grams or less and can fit in the palm of your hand. They have utterly transformed the viewing experience. Viewers can see the athletes’ manoeuvres up close, follow them down the course and even hear the sound of the crashes.
Peak drone technology already? Not a chance; the technology is just getting started, Dentan said. The next Olympics could present viewers with much richer, AI-powered images that include instant athlete analytics. Higher, faster, stronger – the motto of the modern Olympics – will be measured in real time.
Read the full story here.
02/20/26 05:14
Canada racing for medals in pair of speedskating events
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Steven Dubois won gold in the men’s 500m on Wednesday.Leah Hennel/The Canadian Press
Medals will be handed out in short-track speedskating in the men’s 5,000-metre relay and the women’s 1,500-metre event, with Canadians in contention for the podium in both competitions.
The men’s relay team competing in the A final features freshly minted gold medallist Steven Dubois, who topped the podium in the men’s 500-metres on Wednesday. It is also an opportunity for William Dandjinou to win a second team medal at the Games after failing to podium despite being favoured in three individual races.
The women’s event features Courtney Sarault going for her fifth medal at the games and Kim Boutin looking to add a third to her Milan Cortina collection.
– The Canadian Press
02/20/26 05:10
Skip Homan leading Canada into semis against Swedes
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Rachel Homan in action during the women’s curling round-robin against South Korea on Thursday.Misper Apawu/The Associated Press
The women’s curling semi-finals will also take place in Cortina ahead of this weekend’s bronze and gold medal games. Canada’s Ottawa-based team led by skip Rachel Homan had to fight past South Korea 10-7 on the final day of round-robin play Thursday to set up a final-four showdown with Sweden.
Homan’s rink enters the elimination round with a 6-3 record and had missed the playoffs in its last Olympics appearance in Pyeongchang in 2018.
– The Canadian Press
02/20/26 05:07
Canada may play without captain Crosby
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Sidney Crosby, left, is attended to after being injured against Czechia on Wednesday.Hassan Ammar/The Associated Press
The Canadian men’s hockey team may or may not have captain Sidney Crosby on the ice when it takes on Finland with a spot in the final on the line. Canada needed overtime heroics to survive a 4-3 upset scare from Czechia in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. Jordan Binnington made some key saves leading up to Mitch Marner’s game-winning goal. Canada’s head coach Jon Cooper has not ruled out Crosby, injured in the second period against Czechia, for the matchup against the Finns.
Finland survived its own scare coming back from down two goals late to beat Switzerland 3-2, also in overtime. The United States plays Slovakia in the other semifinal.
– The Canadian Press
02/20/26 05:00
What time is the Canada vs. Finland men’s hockey semi-final?
– Globe Staff
Canada will play defending Olympic champions Finland for a spot in the gold-medal game today. The semi-final begins at 10:40 a.m. ET.
The United States and Slovakia are playing their semi-final at 3:10 p.m. ET to determine the other spot in the men’s hockey final on Sunday.
02/20/26 05:00
Today’s Olympic schedule and event start times
– Globe Staff
It’s a big day for Canada as the men’s hockey team faces off with Finland for a spot in the gold-medal game, Team Homan plays Sweden in the women’s curling semi-finals and speed skaters look for more medals on the short and long tracks.
Here are the events to watch for, and you can find the full schedule here.
- 4 a.m. ET – Women’s ski cross seeding (Marielle Thompson among Canadians)
- 4:30 a.m. ET – Freestyle skiing men’s aerials qualification (Miha Fontaine among Canadians)
- 4:30 a.m. ET – Freestyle skiing men’s halfpipe qualification (Andrew Longino among Canadians)
- 8:05 a.m. ET – Canada vs. Sweden women’s curling semi-final
- 10:40 a.m. ET – Canada vs. Finland men’s hockey semi-final
- 12 p.m. ET – Two-woman bobsled run 1 (Cynthia Appiah and Melissa Lotholz among Canadians)
- 2:15 p.m. ET – Short track women’s 1,500m quarter-finals (Canada’s Courtney Sarault, Kim Boutin and Danaé Blais)
- 3:10 p.m. ET – United States vs. Slovakia men’s hockey semi-final
Medal events:
- 7:10 a.m. ET – Women’s ski cross
- 8:15 a.m. ET – Biathlon men’s 15km mass start
- 8:30 a.m. ET – Freestyle skiing men’s aerials
- 10:30 a.m. ET – Speed skating women’s 1,500m (Canada’s Béatrice Lamarche, Valérie Maltais and Ivanie Blondin)
- 1:05 p.m. ET – Curling men’s bronze-medal game (Norway vs. Switzerland)
- 3:18 p.m. ET – Short track men’s 5,000m relay (Canada competing)
- 4 p.m. ET – Short track women’s 1,500m
02/20/26 05:00
Where to watch the Olympics in Canada
– Globe staff
CBC is Canada’s official Olympic broadcaster. The 2026 Winter Games are be available to watch on CBC through your TV provider, or to stream for free on the CBC Gem app or at CBCGem.ca.
You can also follow The Globe and Mail’s live coverage of all the latest news and analysis of the Games, on our website or mobile app.
02/20/26 05:00
Your guide to the 2026 Winter Olympics
– Globe staff
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A spectator wears Olympic ring glasses at Milano Ice Skating Arena.Elsa/Getty Images
The Milan Cortina Winter Olympics are nearing their end and have made history in more ways than one, as Team Canada and the world’s best athletes continue to compete in northern Italy.
From hockey to figure skating and the debut of ski mountaineering, the competition has been nothing short of thrilling. But at the most geographically widespread edition of the Winter Games ever, international tensions – particularly toward the United States – is also be on full display.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Games.
