Day 4 of the 2026 Winter Games in Milan was a whirlwind of American dominance and unexpected heartbreak. From the ice rink to the slopes, the United States saw a mix of historic achievements and surprising upsets.
USA Women’s Hockey Blank Canada 5-0
In what many predicted to be a tight battle at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, the U.S. Women’s National Team delivered a statement victory. The Americans dismantled archrival Canada with a 5-0 shutout, improving their Olympic record to 4-0 and outscoring opponents by a staggering 20-1 margin.
- Star Performers: Caroline Harvey continued her hot streak with a goal and two assists. Hannah Bilka netted two goals, while Abbey Murphy proved to be a constant thorn in Canada’s side, tallying three assists and drawing four penalties.
- What’s Next: The U.S. moves into the quarterfinals as the top seed to face host nation Italy.
Ilia Malinin Takes the Lead in Men’s Figure Skating
The “Quad God” lived up to his reputation. Ilia Malinin delivered a flawless short program, landing a clean quad lutz-triple toe loop combination and even throwing in a backflip to electrify the crowd.
Malinin sits in first place with a score of 108.16, leading Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama (103.07) and France’s Adam Siao Him Fa (102.55). The gold medal will be decided during Friday’s free skate.
Upsets on the Slopes: Shiffrin and Johnson Miss Podium
In a shocking turn of events, the “dream team” of Mikaela Shiffrin and Breezy Johnson finished off the podium in the women’s team combined. Despite Johnson giving the U.S. a 0.06-second lead after a blazing downhill run, Shiffrin struggled in the slalom, finishing 15th among the field.
The U.S. did manage to secure a medal, however, as Jackie Wiles and Paula Moltzan claimed the bronze.
- Gold: Austria (Ariane Raedler & Katharina Huber)
- Silver: Germany (Kira Weidle-Winkelmann & Emma Aicher)
Historic Silver for USA Curling
Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin made history on Tuesday, securing the silver medal in mixed doubles curling. Though they fell 6-5 to Sweden’s Isabella and Rasmus Wranå in a tense final, the achievement marks two major firsts:
- The first Olympic curling medal for a U.S. woman.
- The first U.S. medal in the mixed doubles discipline since its 2018 debut.
Drama in the Biathlon: A Bronze and a Confession
Norway’s Sturla Holm Laegreid took bronze in the 20km individual biathlon, but it was his post-race interview that went viral. In a raw moment on live television, Laegreid issued a public apology for cheating on his girlfriend, stating he wanted to “try everything” to win her back.
On the podium, he was joined by gold medalist Johan-Olav Botn (Norway) and silver medalist Eric Perrot (France).
2026 Olympic Medal Count & Schedule
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| Mixed Curling | Sweden | USA | Italy/TBD |
| Women’s Alpine Combined | Austria | Germany | USA |
| Men’s 20km Biathlon | Norway | France | Norway |
