Key Highlights
- Curling: GB women face Italy needing win to stand any chance of making semi-finals.
- Nordic combined: Norway’s Jens Luras Oftebro completes hat-trick of golds with victory in team sprint.
- Ski mountaineering: Marianne Fatton of Switzerland wins the women’s title, Oriol Cardona Coll of Spain wins men’s gold.
- Freestyle skiing: Men’s halfpipe qualifiers postponed until tomorrow; women’s currently scheduled to go ahead (18:30) with British medal hope Zoe Atkin in action.
The Winter Olympics Unfolding – Day 13
Curling is the highlight of today’s action, with Team GB’s women facing Italy needing a win to have any chance of making the semi-finals. Bruce Mouat’s men’s rink will face Switzerland in their semi-final later (18:35 GMT), after being put through by defeat for hosts Italy.
It’s been an eventful day on the slopes too, with Marianne Fatton of Switzerland beating France’s Emily Harrop for women’s ski mountaineering gold. In a surprise twist, Spain’s Oriol Cardona Coll secured men’s gold in this discipline, making it a thrilling day for Alpine athletes.
The freestyle skiing arena saw the women’s halfpipe qualifiers postponed until tomorrow due to weather conditions, but British hopes are high with Zoe Atkin set to compete. Meanwhile, the men’s event is currently scheduled to go ahead (18:30), and we can expect plenty of excitement as they navigate the pipes.
Team GB’s Struggles and Triumphs
The day kicked off with Team GB making their way to the venue. Despite heavy snow, they managed to get there eventually, while the Americans were also running late. However, it’s not all gloom for the Brits as Rebecca Morrison delivered a ‘miracle shot’ against Italy to secure an impressive win.
Richard Winton from BBC Sport Scotland noted that GB are playing their ‘A game’ and are taking every opportunity presented to them in this crucial match. The team’s performance has been vital, especially considering they were the underdogs when they arrived at Milan-Cortina.
The Closing Ceremony Crisis
Paolo Petrecca, the head of Rai Sport, faced a significant crisis during the opening ceremony, where he confused Mariah Carey with an Italian actress and mixed up locations. His performance was so bad that he had to resign midway through the Games. Now, his replacement is also facing scrutiny as Team GB’s women’s curling team faces a tough semi-final match.
Steve Cram, a curling commentator for BBC Two, noted that if they hear ‘USA, USA’ during the broadcast, it probably means things aren’t going well for GB. The atmosphere in the venue is tense with GB needing to win and hope that Switzerland beats the US, which would be preferable to facing a match of minimal importance.
Future Prospects
The day sets up an interesting scenario as GB needs victory over Japan and hopes that Switzerland will defeat the USA. The semi-finals are crucial for Team GB’s prospects in this event, with Rebecca Morrison performing exceptionally well despite the tough conditions.
It’s a reminder of how pivotal every match can be at these high-stakes events, where one slip-up could mean the difference between success and failure. With six gold medals up for grabs on Thursday, all eyes will be on the athletes as they push themselves to their limits in pursuit of glory.
