Day 12 at the Winter Olympics: Teenagers Take Over Milano
From Choi Gaon’s breakthrough gold to Mikhail Shaidorov’s stunning skate, the next generation is already running the Winter Games.
Every Winter Games gives us that reminder: the stage might be massive, but age rarely matters. Teenagers show up without baggage, without fear, and sometimes without a reputation to protect. That is usually when the magic happens.
Milano has been no different. In fact, some of the biggest moments so far have belonged to athletes who, not that long ago, were juniors dreaming about this stage.
At just 17, Choi Gaon delivered one of the defining performances of these Games.
Up against two-time defending champion Chloe Kim in the women’s halfpipe final, the expectation was that experience would win out. Instead, it was resilience. After taking a heavy fall earlier in the contest, Choi climbed back up the pipe and threw down a third run that scored 90.25.
The Republic of Korea had never medaled in this event before. Now they have gold, and a 17-year-old who looks completely comfortable under Olympic pressure.
Hmmm. What about figure skating? It tends to follow a script. Favorites lead, contenders chase, and the podium usually reflects the season rankings.
Not this time.
Twenty-one-year-old Mikhail Shaidorov was not widely viewed as the man to beat in the men’s individual event. Then he skated the free program of his life.
By the end of the night, he was standing above the medal favorites with gold around his neck.
For Kazakhstan, it was their first Olympic gold in this discipline and their first Winter Games gold since 1994. For Shaidorov, it was a career-defining moment that arrived earlier than most expected.
We are not done.
When Abby Winterberger drops into the freeski halfpipe later in the Games, she will do so at just 15 years old. One of the youngest athletes in the entire field, competing on the biggest winter stage there is.
That is the theme of Milano so far. Athletes who are not waiting for their turn.
They are taking it.
And if this is what the present looks like, the future of the Winter Games is in very good hands.
Outlook (EST)
7:00 AM Snowboard: Women’s snowboard slopestyle final
7:45 AM Nordic combined: Men’s individual Gundersen large hill/10km (cross-country segment)
8:30 AM Biathlon: Men’s 4x7.5km relay
10:22 AM Speed skating: Men’s team pursuit medal finals
10:41 AM Speed skating: Women’s team pursuit medal finals
1:30 PM Freestyle skiing: Men’s freeski big air final
3:05 PM Bobsleigh: Two-man (heat 4)
Around the Games:
Short-track speed skating: Xandra Velzeboer completed the 500m–1000m double with a dramatic 1000m gold (1:28.437), edging Courtney Sarault at the line and keeping the Netherlands perfect atop the short-track podium.
Alpine skiing: Switzerland’s Loïc Meillard stayed composed through the chaos to win slalom gold in 1:53.61 after favorites Lucas Pinheiro Braathen and Atle Lie McGrath failed to finish.
Ski jumping: Austria’s Jan Hoerl and Stephan Embacher claimed the inaugural men’s super team gold after heavy snow canceled the final round, locking in victory on round-two scores.
Bobsleigh: Elana Meyers Taylor stormed from third to first on the final run to win women’s monobob gold at her fifth Olympics, finally securing the elusive top step.
Freestyle skiing: Canada’s Megan Oldham captured women’s big air gold with 180.75, holding off Eileen Gu, who became the most decorated female Olympic freeski athlete with five medals.
Figure skating: Japan’s Miura Riku and Kihara Ryuichi rallied from fifth after the short program to win their nation’s first Olympic pairs title.
Ice hockey: The United States and Canada set up another women’s Olympic final, with Marie-Philip Poulin scoring twice to break the all-time Olympic women’s goals record.
And that’s it for this one. What are your predictions for Day 7? Put them down in the comments below.
As always, if you have any questions about the Winter Olympics, thoughts on the coverage, or anything else, feel free to drop them in the comments or DM me. I’m always happy to answer questions.
I’ll be back tomorrow with what actually mattered.