The Athletic has live coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics.
It’s the match we’ve all been waiting for: U.S. vs. Canada for a gold medal.
The women’s ice hockey final is a marquee event of Day 13, a matchup of continental rivals who like each other so little that it might be the “nastiest rivalry in hockey.”
It doesn’t hurt that these two teams tend to meet in championship games. Either Canada or the U.S. has won every women’s Olympic gold medal, with the Canadians winning five and the Americans winning two. They’ve also combined to win all 24 Women’s World Championships. Familiarity, as they say, breeds contempt.
When these teams met earlier in round-robin play, the U.S. waltzed to a 5-0 victory. But there wasn’t a ton at stake in that game, and Canada’s star Marie-Philip Poulin was out with an injury.
Top events to watch
Ice hockey: Women’s final
Times: 1:10 p.m. ET, 7:10 p.m. in Italy
TV: Peacock
What to watch for: If there was any doubt Poulin would be recovered from her injury and ready for this one, the Canadian superstar put that to rest in the semifinals against Switzerland, when she became the leading scorer in women’s Olympic history by notching her 19th goal. Poulin is at her best when the pressure is highest, scoring the game-winning goal in all three of her gold medal wins (2010, 2014, 2022).
Figure skating: Women’s free skate
Times: 1 p.m. ET, 7 p.m. in Italy
TV: Peacock
What to watch for: Will it be a podium sweep for Japan? Ami Nakai sits in first place after the short program, followed by teammates Kaori Sakamoto (second) and Mone Chiba (fourth). Wedged between them is U.S. skater Alysa Liu, who hopes to play spoiler from the third-place position. Liu is the Americans’ best hope for a medal, as Isabeau Levito sits in eighth place and Amber Glenn is in 13th, with the latter taking a devastating “invalid element” penalty in her short program routine.
Alysa Liu of Team USA is in third place entering the free skate. (Sarah Stier / Getty Images)
Speedskating: Men’s 1,500m
Times: 10:30 a.m. ET, 4:30 p.m. in Italy
TV: Peacock
What to watch for: Jordan Stolz is the man to watch, as the American star will be going for his third gold medal at the Milan Cortina Olympics. Stolz already won the 500m and 1,000m. Kjeld Nuis of the Netherlands is the defending Olympic champion in this event, and he’ll be in the field as well.
Ski mountaineering: Women’s and men’s sprint
Times: 7:55 a.m. ET, 1:55 p.m. in Italy
TV: Peacock
What to watch for: The only new sport in the 2026 Olympics will crown its first champions. In ski mountaineering, competitors have three ascent stages (racing on skis, racing on foot up a set of steps, and racing again on skis), followed by a descent on foot to the finish line. The races typically take less than four minutes to complete. Anna Gibson represents the U.S. on the women’s side, while Cameron Smith competes for the men.
Nordic combined: Team sprint 2×7.5km
Times: 8 a.m. ET, 2 p.m. in Italy
TV: Peacock
What to watch for: Norway tends to dominate Nordic combined events (just as Norway has tended to dominate the 2026 Games), but keep an eye on Germany, with star Vinzenz Geiger.