Olympics, Flora Tabanelli bronze in freestyle big air. Short track, Fontana: 'What anger at the podium'

The invisible protagonist of life. Pressure is what drives an athlete to explore the impossible, to raise the bar, to dare beyond his or her limits. But it is also the main obstacle to performance, the mistake in a gesture repeated a million times during training that becomes a nervous breakdown, the regret of a faded victory, eternal shame. The line is thin, often imperceptible. Precisely, invisible. Experts call it 'mindset', mentality: those who galvanise at key moments, those who freeze, almost numb. It is not a question of technical or physical preparation, it is the ability to bear the weight of immense expectations. At the Games, the concept deflagrates, exponentially expands: everything is played at lightning speed, in just a few moments, and what is more, every four years.

Often there is no second chance. One's 'self' intercepts the hopes of technicians, of leaders, of one's own nation. And some succeed and some fail. Joy and misery. The two sides of the same medal, Olympic in this case. 'I couldn't take it'. Alex Vinatzer repeated this twice at his home Olympics. After the team combined, in which he threw Giovanni Franzoni's splendid downhill run to the nettles. After the special slalom, sadly calling himself 'one of the losers'. His race lasted just 23 seconds: a fall following another half-slide. Two mistakes that plastically describe his state of mind at the starting gate, on the Stelvio: too much tension, too much nervousness, too much anxiety.

L'italiano Alex Vinatzer sfreccia lungo la pista durante una gara di sci alpino, slalom gigante maschile, alle Olimpiadi invernali del 2026, a Bormio, Italia, sabato 14 febbraio 2026. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Same competition, a few hours later. Atle McGrath is first: he can manage the lead but cannot feel calm because Meillard's descent is excellent. There is a race to run but no risks and instead the Norwegian forks. In a flash he lets out a scream, starting a desperate show, a psychodrama: the poles thrown at the edge of the piste, the shin guards angrily taken off, the run slowed down by the boots towards the woods and finally the lying down on the snow, looking for a secluded place to cry. The image of the fragile human inside the superhuman athlete. 'It's all understandable, those who criticise him don't know how we athletes feel, how much pressure we bear,' teammate Kristoffersen caresses.

Invulnerable also seemed to be Ilia Malinin, the skating god. One of the most predictable golds. And instead a double tumble and eighth place. He seeks the gaze of his father, who not only does not return it but even keeps his head down with his hands in his hair. A humiliating reaction for the 21-year-old son, face like an angelic putto, who feels betrayed. The outburst - later removed - on social media is alarming, spine-tingling. Sinister, sibylline messages. "I think I've reached the point in life where I no longer care what happens to me," he says. "Sometimes I wish something bad would happen to me". "I don't want to live like this anymore". The paradox: being the best and still not feeling good enough. Michael Jordan explained how to accept himself as an athlete: 'To learn how to win you must first learn how to fail'.

"I would be happy if all the politicians and government officials would come to the Olympics, 'regardless of political affiliation and role, of course, because it is a time of celebration for the people, but I imagine they also have very, very complicated agendas. If they do not come, it is their choice'. This was said by Milan's mayor Giuseppe Sala responding to reporters who asked him what he thought about the lack of presence of government representatives and especially the premier Giorgia Meloni at the Olympic events. There are those who say that there is little Olympic spirit in the city: 'but no, that is not true, then those who live in Rome say so,' he concluded on the sidelines of an event promoted by Assolombarda.

The Italian national ice hockey team will play on Tuesday, 17 February, at 12.10 p.m., in the playoffs for the quarter-finals of the Olympic tournament in Milan Cortina against Switzerland.

Where on Sunday a winter-like bedlam reigned, silence has returned to the Biathlon Arena in Antholz, interrupted only by a few training shots. Tomorrow, however, 19,000 fans will be heard again, who will come here for the men's relay, one of the most eagerly awaited and heartfelt races. After the crowning of Lisa Vittozzi, who in the pursuit won Italy's first Olympic gold in the biathlon, tomorrow it will be the men's quartet's turn. Today's training took place in an atmosphere of calm concentration.

 The difficult launch fraction will fall to Patrick Braunhofer. The 27-year-old from Val Ridanna will have to do everything not to miss out on the train of favourite nations. Bookmakers give Italia at the foot of the podium, which Norway, France and Sweden should play for. These three teams can in fact count on more top-level athletes. To spoil their party, in addition to the Azzurri, will be the Germans.

Olimpiadi Milano Cortina 2026 - Biathlon - 20 km individuale maschile - Anterselva Biathlon Arena, Alto Adige, Italia - 10 febbraio 2026. Patrick Braunhofer dell'Italia in azione REUTERS/Pawel Kopczynski

 'Queen Lisa' teaches that in biathlon anything is possible, even winning the pursuit starting from fifth position with a 41-second gap to first. You just have to believe in it. And don't make mistakes at the polygon. The second fraction will be up to Lukas Hofer, who, if he has the right day, can make the difference. Then it will be Nicola Romanin's turn, who will start with an extra gear. Summoned to the team practically at the last minute, he is experiencing a magical moment, also thanks to an excellent 16th place in the sprint. Tommaso Giacomel, on the other hand, will close the game. He will have the challenging task of catching up with those ahead of him, as the legendary Federico Pellegrino 'ate' Finland in the cross-country relay. A good performance, like the one he showed in the pursuit, would give Giacomel the right charge for the final race of these games, the mass start on Friday.

 For Rebecca Passler, first suspended from the games because she tested positive for letrozole and then readmitted, it was the long-awaited day of her return to the team. The 24-year-old trained in a serious and concentrated manner, especially trying out the polygon, after all these days of forced stop. She followed the instructions of dt Klaus Hoellrigl and her coach, but - predictably - avoided meeting the press. No one here thinks she will be named for Wednesday's relay, which at this point will consist of Michela Carrara, Hannah Auchentaller, Dorothea Wierer and Lisa Vittozzi. For the Italian women, the podium is really within reach.

Lindsey Vonn has left the Ca'Foncello hospital in Treviso, where she underwent four operations in recent days following the nasty fall she suffered in the downhill at the Milan Cortina Games. The American champion was discharged from the facility yesterday morning - according to hospital sources - and is now returning to the United States, as she had announced on her social channels.

The Italia v China match of the men's curling single-round preliminaries ended 4-11.

Anger that she will try to turn into grit: that's how Arianna Fontana came out after a 1,000 metre final that ended in a 'spat': "It's angering because she didn't give me a chance to play for the podium and just when the Chinese girl pushed me I was about to launch myself and try to take first place. He 'sported' me big time. No room for an appeal, it all came down to the physicality of a super-fought race. "I tried to close the gap, to get back under, but by then the race was over,' Fontana adds. "My balls were in a twist," he says with a very Lombard expression, "because I was fine, I felt good. Race after race I always felt better, I was feeling good, and unfortunately it went like this. Maybe later, when I'm alone, I'll have a little cry, but then tomorrow we have to refocus because we have an important final in two days with the relay,' she emphasises. "Today," concludes the multiple medallist, "we are going back to the village with a bit of bitterness in our mouths, so it will be more gasoline for sure that we will add to the fire for this relay final. We are skating well, we are competing well, we have to stay calm in spite of everything: we will enter the track without fear, without letting anyone step on our toes," she concludes.

The Chinese extend: 2-8 against the Italian curlers in the sixth end.

Coup de théâtre in Bormio. The Swiss Loic Meillard won the gold medal in the men's slalom, at the end of two sensational heats. Behind him the Austrian Fabio Gstrein, silver medallist, and the Norwegian Henti Kristoffersen. A race that ended with the exit of the favourite Atle Lie McGrath, dominator of the first run in the morning. Tommaso Saccardi, the only Italian at the start of the second heat, finished twelfth (Alex Vinatzer, Tommaso Sala and Tobias Kastlunger were out in the morning). After a complicated morning, which had seen dozens of athletes (including the Olympic giant slalom champion, Lucas Pinheiro Braathen) go out because of the heavy snow, McGrath took the lead ahead of the Swiss Loic Meillard (+0.59) and the Austrian Fabio Gstrein (+0.94). The weather is far better, as is the visibility: he is the last to go down, there is a slight advantage to be administered, but the trials of the rivals put pressure on. There is no margin for error, the stakes are high. Meillard, penultimate to descend, is phenomenal and puts everyone behind him with a majestic performance (1:53.61 the overall time, 56.73+56.88). At the finish line he is incredulous: silver is already in his pocket and there is only McGrath to wait for. After his run, it is another celebration for Switzerland. Gold is for the Swiss, silver for Austria with Gstrein (1:53.96, 57.08+56.88) and bronze for Norway with Kristoffersen (1:54.74, 57.73+57.01).

The Italian curlers recovered, and at the ter,mine of the fourth end they shortened China's lead: 2-4.

2-man bobsleigh, Lochner leading at mid-race, Baumgartner/Mircea 9/i

Cortina d'Ampezzo (Belluno), 16 Feb (LaPresse) - Johannes Lochner flies on the first day of the two-man bobsleigh race on the Eugenio Monti of the Cortina Sliding Centre: after the first two runs the German paired with Georg Fleischhauer dominates the provisional ranking with an overall time of 1'49"90, the result of the best partial in both runs. At the halfway mark the three German crews are at the top of the ranking, with Friedrich/Schuller overtaking Ammour Schaller in the second run, respectively 0"80 and 1"24 behind the leaders. Ammour's uncertainties keep the Americans Del Duca/Williamson, fourth at 1"34 with the Romanians Tentea/Iordache fifth at 1"48, in the game for the podium. In the second downhill the Italian team gave up something with Patrick Baumgartner and Robert Mircea slipping back three places from the first run: ninth place at 1"68. The two decisive downhill runs are scheduled on Tuesday 17 February at 7pm and 9.05pm.

The men's curling match got off to an uphill start. The fourth end starts 0-4 for the Chinese.

"I hope the country is proud of you. We, as the Olympic movement, are so proud of everything you have done. We are here at Casa Italia to spend some time with our friends and to say thank you once again to all those who are really making these Games unforgettable'. These are the words of IOC President Kirsty Coventry, guest at Casa Italia in Cortina. The former swimmer visited the Galleria Farsetti and was welcomed by the mayor of the Ampezzo resort Gianluca Lorenzi. "I have to thank the mayor and everything that has been done to make this an incredible experience for everyone. I was in the Olympic village this morning with the athletes and they shared some of the most beautiful moments with me," added Coventry, who specifically wanted to thank "the residents of Cortina for opening their homes to the world, it was really fabulous" and complimented the organising committee, "very quick to find solutions to any little challenge that comes up, it was really appreciated by all the teams, all the people who are here and part of the Olympic movement," concluded the IOC president. "We have incredible partners and this has made everything work so smoothly. And congratulations must be given to the Italian team, you are doing an incredible job. The atmosphere, the stories...I think you have broken your own medal record, right? It's incredible."

Elisa Confortola, who failed to overtake Arianna Fontana in the semifinals, won the B final. "It is a good result. I was a bit demoralised not to have passed in the final,' she confessed, 'but then two who came second and fourth passed me, it is still a sixth place at the Olympics, at my first Olympics, so I can be more than happy. There are no team orders but she certainly wouldn't have fought with a team-mate: "It's never nice, you always try to be a bit more careful in certain overtakes even if inside (the track, ed.) we are all against everyone. I tried until the end; Arianna was great, she really did a perfect, clean race. The speed of my overtaking was not enough'.

Rebecca Passler rejoined the Italian biathlon team after winning her appeal against the suspension imposed on her before the Milan-Cortina Games for an alleged anti-doping rule violation.

Passler began training in the afternoon, filling magazines in the bright sunshine of Antholz's Arena Alto Adige and firing sets of five shots at the range, while his trainers watched intently.

"After today, I will enter the track even meaner". The disappointment of being left off the podium is short-lived and leaves room for a desire for revenge: Arianna Fontana is still hungry for medals and wants to play it out to the end together with her teammates in the relay on Wednesday and in the last individual 1500 metres on Friday. In the 1500, the athlete to keep an eye on is the American Corinne Stoddard: "It will be interesting to see if she will be able to find good sensations, since this Olympics has not gone well for her anyway, but she is one of the strongest opponents there are.

Below is the composition of the cross-country sprint teams on Wednesday 18 February at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Games as communicated by Fisi. Women: Ganz Caterina and De Martin Iris. Men: Barp Elia, Pellegrino Federico.

In a sport that has 500 players in Italia, the Hockey girls managed to make it to the quarter-finals only to be defeated by the United States (which has 100,000). How did they do it? In Dario Ricci's video, the reasons for this beautiful page of Italia sport.

The ranking is confirmed. The Italian Olympian - after gold in the relay and silver in the 500 - remains at the foot of the podium in the women's 1,000 metre final.

Arianna Fontana is fourth. But the images are under scrutiny by the Var.

The women's 1000 metre final started with the Italian chasing her 14th medal.

Olympic debutant Elisa Confortola ended the B final of the women's 1,000 metres in the lead. Sixth place overall for her.

"I'm no longer willing to take drugs to ski, I've never taken so many, but I want to live it a little easier'. So said Federica Brignone, at a press conference at Casa Italia in Cortina d'Ampezzo the day after her second Olympic gold medal. "Until now it has been really tough," Brignone added, "I have been working 24 hours a day to be on the track and to be competitive, so I want to work like the other years, but not so exhaustingly.

'Women champions must be everywhere and also at the top decision-making levels, at the top of the federations and national committees'. This was stated by Nawal El Moutawakel, vice-president of the IOC, who spoke at an event on this topic at Casa Italia in Milan. 'Today we can see that there has been a path that the IOC has taken,' added the number 2 in world sport, 'with progress, because in Paris the participation of men and women was 50-50 and now at the Winter Olympics in Italia we are at 47.9, and it is an extraordinary result that we have achieved thanks to the commitment of the IOC and partners. But everyone's effort is needed, because on 22 February the curtain will come down on the Games, but the legacy must be there as well'. Nawal El Moutawakel has made history as far as women's leadership in sport is concerned: she was the first athlete from her country, Morocco, to be invited to the 1984 Los Angeles Games where she won the gold medal in the 400 metres hurdles. A historic victory because it was Morocco's first gold medal, the first by an African athlete and the first by a Muslim woman at the Olympic Games. As an athlete, she retired at a young age and dedicated her life to strengthening the presence of women in sport. "At this moment, Italia is at the centre of the Olympic movement, at its beating heart, with so many exceptional women who have made history in the movement,' she concluded, 'sportswomen who have the same courage and determination as their male colleagues.

The 'vile hatred' spread on social media and the 'insurmountable pressure'. This is how Ilia Malinin, the US 'God of Quadruplets' skater, tells his side on social media about the collapse that took him from being the super favourite for gold last Friday to finishing only eighth in the men's figure skating competition. "On the biggest stage in the world, those who seem the strongest may still be fighting invisible battles within themselves," Malinin writes on Instagram to accompany a video that intersperses images of his tears on Friday in Milan-Cortina with smiling ones of the great successes he has already collected at only 21 years old. "Even the happiest memories can end up tainted by noise. Vile online hatred attacks the mind and fear draws it into darkness, no matter how hard you try to stay sane, despite the endless and insurmountable pressure. Everything builds up as these moments flash before your eyes, resulting in an inevitable collapse. That's the side of the story,' Malinin explains. Gold in the team event with the US team, first by a wide margin after the short programme, on Friday night 'Quad God' took to the track last, as super favourite. The athletes in the top four provisional positions, including Italy's Daniel Grassl, all fell. The Milan Ice Skating Arena, packed to the rafters for the stars and stripes prodigy, was waiting for him, wondering not whether he would win (that seemed a foregone conclusion) but whether he would bring the quadruple Axel to an Olympics for the first time. First element of his programme and first mistake: Malinin's jump was only easy. From there on a downward spiral: two falls and downgraded jumps. The backflip, performed almost by inertia, was irrelevant for the judges' verdict: 15th in the free programme, 8th in the final ranking.

Azzurri in the final for the men's 5,000-metre relay.

Elisa confortola enters the B final.

"Mattarella's embrace at the finish? It was really special already to win at home, in front of your public, there was the whole grandstand singing the anthem, a giant flag in the stands waving, I think it's one of the most special emotions and moments I've experienced. I didn't even know he was coming to the Super-G. I found him there and when they told me I said 'hooray, thank goodness I didn't make a fool of myself'. He told me 'I was counting on it', I replied 'You were, I honestly really wasn't'. With his usual humility, he has always behaved with humility and respect with us athletes, it's something I really like'. This was said by Federica Brignone, double gold medallist at the Winter Games in Milan-Cortina, at a press conference at Casa Italia the day after her success in the giant slalom on the Tofane Olympia, on the presence at the arrival after the gold medal in the Super-G of the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, who is now waiting for the Italian woman at the Quirinale with medals and flag.

Italy's alpine skier Federica Brignone shows her two gold medals after a press conference in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, February 16, 2026. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger

"At the moment 1.3 million tickets have been sold for the Games in Milan Cortina, 108,000 yesterday alone". These are the numbers released by the Milan Cortina Foundation, during the IOC briefing on the Games. Social media generated more than 8 billion engagement. Moreover, in Italia during the first weekend 31 million spectators followed the Olympic Games. "The response of the public is extremely positive, what the numbers are telling us and the growth that takes place daily is of a very linear path that can be replicated in this last week of the Games," said Luca Casassa, head of Media Relations & Digital Communications of the Milano Cortina 2026 Foundation.

Incredible qualification in the 500-metre short track heats for Pietro Sighel: the Italian, engaged from the start of the race in a head-to-head battle for first place, was bumped just a few metres from the finish line by Latvian Reinis Berzins, who in turn was run over by Turkish Furkan Akar. Incredibly standing on his skates, Sighel turned around after the collision and crossed the finish line on his back. Just as - but in that case by choice - he had done last week at the finish of the mixed relay won by Italia. Quarters, semi-finals and finals of the men's 500-metre short track event are scheduled for Wednesday, 18 February.

Pietro Sighel durante la gara di short track 500 m maschile delle Olimpiadi invernali Milano-Cortina 2026, Milano, Italia, 16 febbraio 2026. Foto: Claudio Furlan/LaPresse

Pietro Sighel qualified for the quarter-finals of the men's 500 short track at the Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina. The Italian finished second in his heat, crossing the finish line backwards again as in the relay, with a time of 40"942. Also flying to the quarter-finals, with a bit of luck, was Lorenzo Previtali second in his heat with a time of 40"993. Quarter-final pass also for the last Italian Thomas Nadalini, also second in his heat with 40"921.

"I have completely ruined my leg and knee, and every day is a struggle. It will take time, the tibia is no longer aligned, it has a hole. Mine was a multiple fracture, and I never wanted to think about how serious it was'. This was stated by Italian skier Federica Brignone in an interview with La Repubblica. 'For two months,' she adds, 'I couldn't even bend my leg, and even now I don't know if I can play tennis anymore. So yes, I would swap my two Olympic medals to go back and not suffer this injury'. 'In the race,' Brignone continued, 'you are in a state of high alert, like when you are afraid of dying. Once I crossed the finish line I heard the roar and it was incredible. I don't even think that today's giant was my best race. If I had come here to win gold I would have gone home without a medal. It was a miracle to be there, to carry the flag, what I most wanted and lacked in my life. I already have medals and cups, I just came here to have fun and be grateful to be participating in my home Olympics. Now I will continue to take care of my recovery, to try to do all the sports I love'. By now she is a symbol: do women in winter sports receive the same treatment as men? 'I have always been respected by the male world in this sport,' says the Italian skier, 'for me there is no discrimination. There are fewer female coaches because objectively it is a very physical job and women struggle a bit more. But equality remains'. Will it change her life? She has earned €360,000 in bonuses. "I don't give a damn about money, my house is fine as it is. It only scares me that I can no longer keep my life private,' Brignone concludes.

Trouble-free qualification for Arianna Fontana. The 'blonde arrow' of short track finished in first position in the first quarter-final of the 1,000 metre race. Fourth in the same battery was the Italian Chiara Betti, who was eliminated from the competition. Elisa Confortola also qualified, who managed to cross the finish line second in the fourth battery at the last, ahead of the Dutch Michelle Velzeboer. The semi-finals are scheduled at midday, medal competition at the end of the morning.

Here are the Italian men and women competing today, 16 February, at the Olympic Games in Milan Cortina:

- Bobsleigh: 2-man Bobsleigh - Heat 1 and Heat 2; Patrick BAUMGARTNER, Robert Gino MIRCEA, 10:00 and 11:57;

Further reading

The legacy of the Olympics, an opportunity for growth and social development

14 February 2026