The Rematch Is Set: USA vs. Canada for Women’s Hockey Gold
Get ready for another chapter in one of the fiercest rivalries in all of sports. Canada and the United States are headed for a gold medal showdown in women’s hockey - again. This will be the seventh time the two powerhouses have met with gold on the line, and if history tells us anything, we’re in for a battle.
Canada punched its ticket with a gritty 2-1 win over Switzerland, thanks to - who else - Marie-Philip Poulin. The Canadian captain delivered when it mattered most, scoring both goals, including the game-winner in the second period. Her first tally was historic, marking her 19th Olympic goal - the most ever in women’s hockey - and her 20th sealed the deal.
This wasn’t a cakewalk for Canada. Switzerland made them work, applying pressure late and keeping the score tight, but Poulin’s clutch gene showed up yet again. With the win, Canada sets up a rematch of their lopsided preliminary round loss to the U.S., a 5-0 defeat that surely still stings.
Team USA Keeps Rolling
While Canada had to grind it out, Team USA looked like a machine in their semifinal. The Americans dominated Sweden 5-0, extending their tournament-long streak of offensive fireworks and defensive lockdowns.
Six games. Thirty-one goals scored.
Just one allowed. That’s not just dominance - that’s a statement.
The U.S. got contributions from up and down the lineup: Cayla Barnes, Taylor Heise, Abbey Murphy, Kendall Coyne Schofield and Hayley Scamurra all found the back of the net. Aerin Frankel was rock-solid in goal again, stopping all 21 shots for her third shutout of the tournament.
Veteran defender Lee Stecklein, who’s been here before, summed it up perfectly: “It’s one shot for gold. And then if you don’t get it, you have to wait four years, if you’re lucky, to be there again.
So it’s a whole different sort of pressure. I think this group is ready.”
They certainly looked ready when they blanked Canada just a week ago. But gold medal games have a way of flipping the script. Buckle up.
Elana Meyers Taylor Finally Strikes Gold
Elana Meyers Taylor’s career has been defined by excellence - and perseverance. And now, finally, the American bobsled icon has the one thing that had eluded her: Olympic gold.
In her fifth Winter Games, Meyers Taylor delivered a clutch performance in the monobob, edging Germany’s Laura Nolte by just four-hundredths of a second. That’s the kind of margin that separates heartbreak from history.
At 41 years old, and just over a year removed from giving birth to her second child, Meyers Taylor added a sixth Olympic medal to her resume - tying her with speedskating legend Bonnie Blair as the most decorated U.S. female Winter Olympian ever. She was already the most decorated Black Winter Olympian in history. Now she’s got the gold to match the legacy.
Kaillie Humphries, another American and a three-time Olympic gold medalist, took bronze. Like Meyers Taylor, she’s also returned to the podium after becoming a mom. These are elite athletes showing the world what’s possible - on and off the ice.
Eileen Gu Takes Silver in Big Air Freeski Final
Eileen Gu came into the freeski big air final looking to defend her Olympic title, and while she didn’t leave with gold, she still delivered a performance that reminded everyone why she’s one of the sport’s biggest stars.
Battling tough conditions - including a snowstorm that delayed the final by over an hour - Gu saved her best for last. In her third and final run, she landed a left double cork 1260 with a toxic grab, a stylish and technically demanding trick that earned her an 89.00. That was enough to vault her from seventh place to silver.
But it wasn’t quite enough to catch Canada’s Megan Oldham, who scored a combined 180.75 to take gold. Italy’s Flora Tabanelli, just 18 years old and competing in her first Olympics, grabbed bronze with a poised performance beyond her years.
Redemption Run: Japan’s Miura and Kihara Win Pairs Gold
Sunday was heartbreak. Monday was redemption.
After a costly error in their short program left them shaken and emotional, Japan’s Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara bounced back with a flawless free skate to capture gold in the pairs figure skating competition.
Their performance wasn’t just technically sharp - it was emotionally charged and artistically on point. Their total score was nearly 12 points ahead of the next closest competitors, a dominant margin in a discipline where the smallest mistake can be costly.
As their score went up and the gold became official, Kihara broke down in tears, embraced by Miura - this time in celebration, not sorrow.
Georgia’s Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava took silver, while Germany’s Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin earned bronze.
From the ice rink to the bobsled track, the storylines are building toward a dramatic finish. All eyes now turn to Thursday, when the U.S. and Canada meet once again for women’s hockey gold.
History says it’ll be intense. The players say they’re ready.
And fans? We’re in for a classic.