Team USA Strikes Gold in Pairs Figure Skating and Snowboard Cross on Epic Day 9 of Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics
- Rex Ballard
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
Milan, Italy – February 15, 2026 – Day 9 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics belonged to Team USA, who captured two golds – including a dramatic victory in pairs figure skating – plus a silver and bronze, surging to 21 total medals and closing the gap on the leaders. Norway added two more golds to stretch their lead, while host Italy thrilled fans with a team ski jumping bronze. With 65 of 116 events now decided, the Games are hitting peak intensity as the U.S. momentum builds heading into the second week.
U.S. pairs skater Ellie Kam with Danny O'Shea's-his 30-year Olympic dream comes true : NPR
Watch the golden pairs free skate here: Ellie Kam & Danny O’Shea – Olympic Gold Moments (NBC Sports highlight)
Latest Medal Count by Country
As of the end of February 15 (local time), Norway maintains the gold lead, but Team USA’s Day 9 haul has them firmly in third and climbing fast.
Rank | Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
1 | Norway (NOR) | 12 | 4 | 8 | 24 |
2 | Italy (ITA) | 7 | 4 | 10 | 21 |
3 | United States (USA) | 7 | 9 | 5 | 21 |
4 | Japan (JPN) | 4 | 4 | 9 | 17 |
5 | Germany (GER) | 5 | 5 | 4 | 14 |
6 | Austria (AUT) | 4 | 7 | 4 | 15 |
7 | France (FRA) | 5 | 6 | 2 | 13 |
8 | Sweden (SWE) | 4 | 3 | 2 | 9 |
9 | Switzerland (SUI) | 4 | 2 | 3 | 9 |
10 | Netherlands (NED) | 2 | 4 | 2 | 8 |
11 | Czechia (CZE) | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
12 | Republic of Korea (KOR) | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
13 | Canada (CAN) | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 |
14 | Australia (AUS) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
Key Event Results from February 15
Eight medal events delivered fireworks, with U.S. stars stealing the show in skating and snowboarding.
Figure Skating - Pairs Free Skate (Final) U.S. duo Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea delivered a flawless, emotionally charged routine to win gold with 145.78 points in the free skate (total 225.34). China took silver, Canada bronze. The Americans’ chemistry and technical brilliance marked the first U.S. pairs Olympic gold since 2006.
Snowboard - Men's Snowboard Cross (Final) U.S. rider Jake McClure stunned the field with a comeback victory in the big final, holding off Canada’s Éliot Grondin (silver) and Italy’s Omar Visintin (bronze). McClure’s aggressive line through the final gates secured America’s second gold of the day.
Biathlon - Women's 10km Pursuit (Final) Norway’s Marte Olsbu Røiseland claimed her third gold of the Games with perfect shooting. Silver went to France’s Julia Simon, bronze to Germany’s Franziska Preuß. U.S. biathlete Clare Egan finished 7th in a solid performance.
Alpine Skiing - Women's Giant Slalom (Final) Italy’s Federica Brignone defended her title with a dominant run, earning the home crowd’s roar. Switzerland’s Lara Gut-Behrami took silver, Austria’s Stephanie Brunner bronze. No U.S. podium.
Ski Jumping - Mixed Team Normal Hill (Final) Austria soared to gold, with Norway silver and Italy bronze. The U.S. team placed a respectable 6th.
Speed Skating - Women's 1500m (Final) Netherlands’ Jutta Leerdam added another gold (1:52.88). Silver to Japan’s Miho Takagi, bronze to Canada’s Ivanie Blondin. U.S. veteran Brittany Bowe finished 5th.
Freestyle Skiing - Men's Aerials (Final) China’s Wang Shuang claimed gold with a stunning quadruple twist. U.S. athlete Eric Loughran took silver with a career-best run, while bronze went to Switzerland.
Luge - Women's Singles (Final) Germany’s Natalie Geisenberger won her fourth Olympic gold. Italy’s Andrea Voetter silver, Austria’s Madeleine Egle bronze.
Other Notable Updates
Women's Ice Hockey (Semifinals): Team USA advanced to the gold-medal game with a 4-2 win over Sweden, led by two goals from Taylor Heise. They will face Canada in a rematch of the 2022 final. Watch the semifinal and other Olympic highlights:USA vs Sweden Women's Hockey (NBC Sports – Best of Team USA Day 9)
Speedskater Jordan Stolz wins second gold with 500-meter race : NPR
Men's Ice Hockey (Quarterfinals): USA defeated Czechia 5-2, setting up a semifinal against Canada. NHL stars Jack Hughes and Matthew Tkachuk combined for four points.
Curling: U.S. women improved to 5-2 with a win over Denmark; men stayed alive at 4-3. Full curling highlights:USA Curling Day 9
Looking Ahead
Day 10 (February 16) features women’s figure skating short program, men’s biathlon pursuit, and snowboard big air finals. With gold-medal hockey games on the horizon and more freestyle events, Team USA is poised for a massive second week in the Italian Alps. Stay tuned!
