Olympics news, live updates: USA vs. Slovakia in men’s semis; USA’s Alex Ferreira takes home gold in freeski halfpipe; curling falls to Switzerland

The United States turned in its most spectacular win to this point Friday, taking down Slovakia 6-2 in the semifinal to advance to the gold-medal recreation.

The U.S. obtained two objectives from Jack Hughes, with 4 different gamers chipping in scores of their very own. While Slovakia tried to rally late, the deficit proved to be too giant for them to really make it a recreation in the third interval.

As a end result, Team USA will play in the gold-medal recreation for the primary time since 2010. They’ll tackle Canada in a rematch of that 2010 ultimate, which Canada gained.

Corinne Stoddard turns into the primary American to medal in brief monitor pace skating since 2010.

Stoddard gained bronze after getting handed by Korea’s Kim Gil-li and Choi Min-jeong in the ultimate laps. Gil-li gained gold and Min-jeong gained silver.

Polish skater Kamila Sellier suffered a critical damage in the sixth quarterfinal of Friday evening’s 1500m short-track pace skate and was taken from Assago Ice Skating Arena to a close-by hospital. Polish officers indicated that she was in good spirits, even elevating a thumbs-up as she left the world.

Late in the quarterfinal, Sellier appeared to lose her footing and slipped, colliding with the United States’ Kristen Santos-Griswold. In the following accident, Santos-Griswold’s skate caught Sellier on the face. Sellier slid into the protecting retaining wall, and medical crews raised a sheet round her to defend the scene from the viewers. She was stretchered from the ice.

Read more on the latest on Sellier’s status.

A go in the ultimate laps helped the Netherlands win the men’s 5000m pace skating relay. Korea gained silver and Italy gained bronze.

Dutch pace skater Jens van ‘t Wout has now gained three golds and a bronze medal in the Winter Olympics. Only former South Korean-born Russian short-track pace skater Viktor Ahn had performed it earlier than van ‘t Wout. Ahn did it twice, as soon as for Russia and as soon as for South Korea.

At lengthy final, Alex Ferreira is a gold medalist.

The 31-year outdated halfpipe specialist lastly accomplished his Olympic set Friday evening, including a long-coveted gold to the silver and bronze he gained in 2022 and 2018.

He did it by stomping his third and ultimate run, waving his proper pole round like a lasso on the backside of the pipe and transferring into first place with a rating of 93.75.

From there, Ferreira had to survive three extra challengers. Estonia’s 19-year outdated Henry Sildaru gave it a superb run however got here up .75 factors brief in accordance to the judges.

Team Canada girls’s hockey workforce performed a decent gold-medal recreation towards the U.S. on Thursday, however in the end got here up brief. Megan Keller scored the game-winning aim for Team USA, selecting up the walk-off win.

After the competition, Team Canada didn’t appear too blissful whereas receiving an Olympic stuffed animal whereas nonetheless on the ice.

It took practically the total 60 minutes, however Canada goes to the gold-medal recreation. Nathan MacKinnon’s rating with 35.2 seconds left gave Canada its first lead of the sport, and pushed the Canadians into the ultimate.

On paper, Canada turned in a formidable efficiency, main Finland in photographs 39-17. Despite that, Canada trailed the whole means, falling behind 2-0 earlier than coming again to rating three-straight objectives and win the competition.

It was a tense couple minutes for followers of Team Canada. Moments after it seemed like Canada scored a go-ahead aim with beneath a minute left, the decision went to a overview.

After a prolonged overview, officers decided the aim would stand, placing Canada up 3-2 with 35.2 to go.

Canada waited a very long time to take their first lead of the sport, however they claimed it when it mattered most. With 35.2 seconds left, Nathan MacKinnon scored to give Canada a 3-2 lead.

That could possibly be the sport for Canada, which wanted a late energy play to pull forward. Finland practically killed that energy play, however Canada scored on the last-possible second.

Finland will now want to pull off a miraculous rating to ship this one to additional time.

With the third interval winding down, Canada now has an enormous benefit. After a high-sticking name, Canada can have an influence play by way of basically the remainder of the interval.

If Finland can kill the facility play, they might be again at full power with roughly 30 seconds to play.

Canada can take a win right here if they will capitalize on the benefit. Otherwise, the sport may head into additional time with each groups tied 2-2.

Reinhart, stationed in entrance of Finland goalie Juuse Saros, deflected a Cale Makar shot from the purpose to put Canada on the board.

Finland leads 2-1 with beneath six minutes to play in the second interval.

Oh, Canada! As Sebastian Aho sat in the field after taking an interference penalty, the Finns discovered a means to capitalize.

After the puck discovered its means out of their defensive zone, speedy Erik Haula zipped by way of the impartial to choose it up and beat Jordan Binnington with a backhand for a shorthanded aim.

Finland has two objectives on 9 photographs and have now scored on an influence play and a penalty kill.

Sebastian Aho’s face-off win went instantly again to Mikko Rantanen, who then fired a wrist shot previous Jordan Binnington.

The face-off was in Canada’s defensive zone after Sam Bennett took an pointless penalty in Finland’s zone moments earlier than. The energy play aim is Rantanen’s second of the event and was their first shot on aim in over seven minutes.

Team USA made it robust in the ultimate finish, however couldn’t steal a degree to ship it to extras. Switzerland hit their ultimate shot, knocking Team USA out of the home to take two factors — and the win — in the semifinal.

With the win, Switzerland is assured a medal on the 2026 Olympics. They’ll play in the gold-medal recreation Saturday.

For Team USA, they’ll have a shot on the bronze.

Team USA continues to be restricted towards Switzerland. The Swiss workforce has held the Americans to only a single level in each finish in which they’ve scored, making it 5-4 going into the ultimate finish.

Switzerland holds the hammer in the final finish, and simply wants to make sure that the U.S. doesn’t steal a degree right here.

The Americans have some work to do towards Switzerland late. Team USA is down 5-3 in the ninth finish.

The Americans want to make progress now, as they maintain the hammer in the ninth finish. A visit to the gold-medal recreation is on the road, so Team USA will want to step up its recreation now if it needs to play for gold.

The American snowboarding legend has undergone a number of surgical procedures on her fractured leg, which she suffered just seconds into her downhill race after clipping a gate along with her shoulder.

The same ending to the seventh finish because the sixth with Alina Paetz knocking the lone U.S. rock from the home for a second straight scoreless finish.

Switzerland stays on high 4-3 with three ends left to play.

Alina Paetz cleared the U.S. rock from the home to preserve the Americans from tying the match at 4.

Switzerland will preserve the hammer as we transfer to the seventh finish.