Winter Olympics 2026: five more gold medals up for grabs on day three – live

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Oh whoops, I misinformed myself. We’re not quite done, but it’d be a surprise if anyone among those yet to go again goes faster than Franzoni.

Franzoni of Italy does indeed record the fastest run, with Monney of Switzerland second, Odermatt of Switzerland third, and Von Allmen of Switzerland fourth. We’ll see how their partners go in tomorrow’s slalom section.

Franzoni, by the way, looks not unlike a non-ginger version of Jannik Sinner – himself a brilliant skier, good enough to contemplate life as a pro before opting for tennis. Naturally, though, he’s not missing this, so has himself a job.

There’s a second Italy team, 36-year-old Dominik Paris an old stager relative to the 24-year-old Franzoni, and he’s close … but tires on the second half of the run and has to settle for third.

Dominik Paris looking good! Photograph: Denis Balibouse/Reuters

The speedometer in the corner of the screen is a pleasing addition, reminding us just how nuts all this is, and Franzoni of Italy has a chance of dipping under Switzerland’s time … here he comes, clipping a gate, and he’s quicker by 0.28s.

Austria have Switzerland in their sights, through Daniel Hemetsberger with his two black eyes and missing teeth following a training-run crash. He goes quicker … but Odermatt of Switzerland beats the time on his second run, then Schieder of Italy falls at 90mph, then gets up and dusts himself down like he’s Jake Blues.

Furthermore, which event demands the hardest athletes?

Which of these events is most terrifying? This a question that reminds me of when a teacher asked five-year-old me which hand I wanted to be caned on, and I kept saying neither – yes, a real man would’ve said either or both – except the other way around, the answer being all of them. But for the less lily-livered, there must be an answer.

The slalom section of this competition is tomorrow, which is to say the downhillers go today, then the times of the two team members are added together, with the quickest taking gold. Germany now lead, having gone faster than Switzerland.

We’re away in our skiing, Switzerland up first. They set a combined time of 1:53.64, believed to be pretty decent, but let’s see how Chechia do; so far, they’re behind.

There goes Switzerland’s Stefan Rogentin! Photograph: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images

The opportunity to absorb into a whole new world of sport and competition, love and joy, is such a blessing. It’s nice and sunny today, and I’m looking forward to seeing who has the best big coat. Last time, Ghana were the winners and by far – click the arrow, third photo.

We’re almost ready to start the men’s team combined skiing. This is a new Olympic event that begins with downhill then moves into slalom.

The photo in question…

Trump must’ve been steaming, etc etc.

Shout out, hold tight, biggup.

Today's highlights

Times are all GMT. For Sydney it is +11 hours, for New York it is -5 hours and San Francisco it is -8 hours

• 9.30am – Alpine skiing men’s team combined, downhill

• 11.30am – Freestyle skiing women’s slopestyle final, featuring Kirsty Muir

• 1pm – Alpine skiing men’s team combined

• 4.30pm – Speed skating women’s 1000m

• 5.05pm – Curling mixed doubles semi-final, Great Britain v Switzerland

• 6.30pm – Snowboard women’s big air final, featuring Mia Brooks

• 7.12pm – Ski jumping men’s individual – normal hill, final

A primer for today’s Team GB hopes.

Preamble

Buongiorno a tutti e benvenuti alle Olimpiadi invernali 2026 – terzo giorno!

We open today with some light curling, after which it’s into the alpine skiing and the downhill discipline of the men’s team combined. That should get us going nicely for the freeski women’s slopestyle final, up at 11.30am and featuring Team GB’s 21-year-old Kirsty Muir, third-best in qualifying and going for a medal.

After that comes the final of the men’s team combined slalom at 1pm, then we might take in some women’s ice hockey, with Germany facing France, before it’s into some luge and the final of the women’s 1,000m speed skating.

At 5.05pm, Bruce Mouat and Jen Dodds go for Great Britain in the semi-final of the mixed doubles curling – they’re heavy favourites – then we’ve more luge, some ski jumping and figure skating, before the medal run of the women’s big air snowboarding, featuring the 19-year-old Brit Mia Brookes – who has a serious hope of a medal after saving herself following a fall, nailing her second and third efforts to qualify.

“I listened to Metallica. Megadeth. Pantera, Judas Priest, stuff like that,” she explained. “It came out of me in an athlete way.”

Esattamente! Andiamo!