Team USA Wins First Two Events at 2026 Winter Olympics
U.S. women's hockey and mixed doubles curling teams both won their debut matches Thursday at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. Meanwhile, skiing legend Lindsey Vonn showed she's pushing through a torn ACL to compete for her fourth Olympic medal.
Before the Opening Ceremony even began, Team USA was already racking up wins at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina.
The women's ice hockey team kicked off their campaign with a commanding 5-1 victory over Czechia at Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena. Hailey Scamurra led the charge with two goals, while teammates Alex Carpenter, Joy Dunne, Hilary Knight, and Tessa Janecke all contributed to the dominant performance.
The game turned decisively in the second period when Dunne and Scamurra scored just 83 seconds apart, building on Carpenter's earlier power-play goal. Knight added another late in the period to seal the win, even after Czechia's Barbora Jurickova managed a breakaway goal coming out of the penalty box.
Team USA's mixed doubles curling duo of Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin also delivered, sweeping both their Thursday matches. They battled back from a 6-4 deficit against defending silver medalist Norway to win 8-6, then dominated Switzerland 7-4 in their second outing.
Perhaps the most inspiring story of the day came from Alpine skiing legend Lindsey Vonn. Despite tearing her ACL during a training run, the three-time Olympic medalist posted a video showing her doing intense workouts including barbell squats, agility drills, and box jumps while wearing a knee brace.
"I'm not giving up, working as hard as I can to make it happen!" Vonn wrote on social media. She still needs to complete a qualifying training run before Sunday's downhill event, with opportunities potentially available Friday or Saturday if weather cooperates.
Why This Inspires
Vonn's determination embodies the Olympic spirit at its finest. At an age when most athletes have retired, she's pushing through injury to chase her fourth medal, showing that perseverance and heart can triumph over physical setbacks.
In snowboarding, Red Gerard and Jake Canter both landed impressive backside 1800 jumps during Big Air qualifying, setting themselves up as strong medal contenders.
Team USA is off to a strong start in Milan Cortina, proving that American athletes are ready to shine on winter's biggest stage.
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Based on reporting by Yahoo Sports
This story was written by BrightWire based on verified news reports.
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