4h agoFri 20 Feb 2026 at 8:41amAussies in action on day 14
Freestyle Skiing
Kyra Wheatley was seeded 23rd and was eliminated in the women’s ski cross 1/8 finals
Reilly Flanagan finished 20th in men’s aerials qualification
Bobsleigh
2-woman event: Sarah Blizzard and Desi Johnson, and Bree Walker and Kara Reddingius – heat 1 from 4:00am AEDT, heat 2 from 5:50am AEDT
4m agoFri 20 Feb 2026 at 1:05pm
Straight in to run two of the final
Ok, no rest for the wicked here.
We are right into the action for run two.
Noe Roth takes it kind of easy, as he already has 131 in the bank.
He goes for a back double full- full- full, it isn’t perfect, and he scores 67.42. he’ll take his first round score.
Now it’s American Christopher Lillis, who needs to hit one now.
he does a double full- full – full. Looks good, he lands it, but not perfectly. Is it going to be enough?
It’s top six or bust here, remember.
He scores a 102.71 … that’s not enough he’s seventh right now.
10m agoFri 20 Feb 2026 at 12:59pm
Swiss one-two after first run of men’s aerials final
Ok, for the people who were concerned about the landings – or lack of them – these guys are beginning to hit their mark in the final.
The final jump of run one is Swiss Pirmin Werner with a Double Full – Full – Double Full.
This is a big one, he spins and twists and gets around perfectly to hit the landing.
He is happy, the crowd is going off!
What will he score? It’s 127.50, he goes second.
The top five after round one:
Pirmin Werner (SWI) 127.50
15m agoFri 20 Feb 2026 at 12:54pm
China’s Wang Xindi, Qi Guangpu enter the conversation
Alright, someone has pushed things into a higher gear here in Livigno!
China’s Wang Xindi has gone for a double full- full- full, and he’s hit the landing as well.
That was very well done.
He scores 120.36, and he moves up to second!
But how long will he hold onto it?
Next up is defending champion Qi Guangpu, who geos for a back Full- Double Full – Full.
He gets some solid air, and he streets the landing, that was great!
Qi gets a 121.68, and now he goes second!
19m agoFri 20 Feb 2026 at 12:50pm
Six 100-plus scores already
We’ve had five 100-plus point scores so far in the men’s aerials final.
Now it’s six!
Canada’s Lewis Irving goes for a back double full – full – full.
He hits the landing, although there is a sizeable spray of snow coming off at the impact. He gets 102.26, that’s up to fourth!
25m agoFri 20 Feb 2026 at 12:44pm
Some huge jumps being laid down at the aerials
China’s Sun Jiaxu has thrown his hat in the ring, so to speak, with a big first run in the men’s aerials final.
A goes for a full-double full – full – and he stomps the landing.
He hits a 117.26, that’s good enough for second so far.
Now it’s Li Tianma – he topped qualification 2 with a big quintuple twisting effort.
He’s going for a back double full – full – full.
That is a beautiful landing! He is in form, isn’t he?
He gets a 119.91, and he demotes his teammate to third.
33m agoFri 20 Feb 2026 at 12:36pmIt’s time for the men’s aerials final
Swiss skier Noe Roth lands a quintuple twisting jump to kick off the men’s aerials final (Getty Images)
We are off to a big start in the men’s aerials final.
All 12 will jump twice, and the top six will go to the Super final (or medal round).
First up is Switzerland’s world champion Noe Roth, who has upped the ante by putting in a back full-triple full-full (a quintuple twist).
And he nails it! A good landing, the crowd goes off at Livigno and he scores 131.56! Wow what a start.
Our Olympic reporter Simon Smale tells me that Roth trains a fair bit in Brisbane, so surely that’s worth at least half a medal to the Aussie tally if he grabs one. Just kidding, folks.
39m agoFri 20 Feb 2026 at 12:30pm
Games experience is important
i know i might sound a bit nasty saying this, but i can’t help but get a bit annoyed with sending athletes to the Olympics simply because “it’s good experience”. should they not be competing because they are actually able to be competitive? surely Italy is a long way to go just for an athlete who won’t make it past qualifiers to get a bit of experience.
– Experience
Experience,
I understand your position but I disagree pretty strongly.
Competing at the (Winter) Olympics is totally different to anything else on the planet. Getting results elsewhere doesn’t mean you’re going to hack it when it comes to the quadrennial event.
If Australia (or any country) only sent people who were pretty much guaranteed top-five finishes, then the Games would be a much smaller event – and in my opinion the lesser for it.
This is why there are qualifying metrics you have to meet to get to an Olympics.
The whole point is for athletes to build on performances between qualifiers and finals or between Games.
For example, Reilly Flanagan in aerials improved substantially between his qual 1 and qual 2 jumps.
It wasn’t enough to make finals, but he did what he could.
When he competes in the mixed team aerials on day 15, he will have had Olympic experience and hopefully he can improve again.
48m agoFri 20 Feb 2026 at 12:21pmWheatley looking forward to seeing her ‘special’ family
Kyra Wheatley has had a great amount of support in Livigno.
Before she left for Livigno, they made her a video that was enough to make her burst into tears for hours.
“The little like village I have around me is, I think one of the best in the biz.
“They made me a good luck video recently and I was just bawling my eyes out for like an hour.
“It was so cute. I couldn’t, I, it’s so much love. It like makes me so happy.
“My friends and family all were involved in it and they did like cute little like childhood videos and like a little segment being like, ‘even though she’s an Olympian she’s also just normal and there was some really special pictures and videos in there,’
“It was fun, it was really cute.”
Now her racing is over, she is desperately looking forward to seeing them soon.
“I’m so excited to go out with them later and have a few bevvies.”
52m agoFri 20 Feb 2026 at 12:17pmDanielle Maier wins the women’s ski cross gold medal
Danielle Maier (Red) won gold in women’s ski cross, Fanny Smith (blue) took silver and Marielle Berger Sabbatel (Yellow) finished out of the medals (Getty Images)
Here we are…
Danielle Maier (GER) – redSandra Naeslund (SWE) – greenMarielle Berger Sabbatel – yellowÂ
And they’re off!
Maier gets the best start, in front of Naeslund around the first turn.
Smith is in third and Berger Sabbatel in fourth.
Now Naeslund has slid sidewards, with Smith coming.
Maier is out the front around the final turn, with Smith second and Naeslund is coming again!
It’s Danielle Maier from Fanny Smith and Sandra Naeslund gets the bronze.
53m agoFri 20 Feb 2026 at 12:16pm
Big crash in small final
Switzerland’s Talina Gantenbein wins the small final for 5th to 8th.
Italy’s Jole Galli was in second early on and trying to make a move up the inside, but she landed wrong off a jump and fell heavily.
She got up and skied to the finish, but that could have been nasty.
57m agoFri 20 Feb 2026 at 12:12pm
Kyra Wheatley ‘a little disappointed’
ABC Sport spoke to Olympic debutant Kyra Wheatley in the mix zone after her run.
She was looking on the positive side of things, saying she had gained valuable experience ahead of future Olympics.
“It was a massive thrill,” Wheatley said.
“My heart was just like everywhere. I could feel it in my fingers and toes at the start in the gate.
“But I’m a little disappointed.
“I knew I could have got it, but I guess it’s just the experience that maybe I’ll gain later.”
1h agoFri 20 Feb 2026 at 12:08pm
The seedings of the four big finalistsSandra Naeslund (SWE) – 2Marielle Berger Sabbatel (FRA) – 17
That is one heck of a performance from the Frenchwoman.
It just shows there is a big difference in being able to race quickly on your own, and getting to the bottom before your opponents in a physical race.
1h agoFri 20 Feb 2026 at 12:06pm
Defending champion, world champion to race for gold
Another big finish in the second semifinal.
Defending champion Sweden’s Sandra Naeslund blew straight to the lead and held it, with Swiss skier and reigning world champion Fanny Smith coming very close to touching skis as she tried to pass on one of the turns.
Naeslund held her ground and kept the lead, as Italy’s Jole Galli tried to close in and grab a final spot.
But she lost ground off the final jump, while Smith closed in and forced a photo finish with Naeslund.
Both advanced to the big final (medal round).
1h agoFri 20 Feb 2026 at 12:02pm
Time for the semifinals
We’re up for the semifinals in women’s ski cross.
And Germany’s Danielle Maier has flown the start again!
She races well clear, and wins her way to the big final.
There was a bit of a bumping duel between Marielle berger Sabbatel and Switzerland’s Talina Gantenbein.
Berger Sabbatel got the better of it, and she’s through to the big final.
1h agoFri 20 Feb 2026 at 11:49am
World champion through to women’s ski cross semis
The reigning world champion, Switzerland’s Fanny Smith has made it through to the last four in quarterfinal three.
France’s Jade Grillet Aubert advanced in second.
1h agoFri 20 Feb 2026 at 11:47am
Time for some deep breathing .. at home at least
Andrew, I just don’t think I can watch any more of these crash landings! I’m switching to blog-only mode and will await your updates …
– Ladybird
Ladybird,
I understand totally. It’s been a bit crash-happy so far today, but let’s be optimistic there will be more happy landings in store for teh final.
Also, you’ve got 45 minutes to do some meditation / cup of tea/ whatever to get your blood pressure under control before the final, which begins at 11:30pm AEDT.
1h agoFri 20 Feb 2026 at 11:44am
A close finish in quarterfinal 2
It was a Swiss double in quarterfinal with Talina Gantenbein (green) getting the win 2 (Getty Images)
Well, that’s the closest finish yet in quarterfinal 2, with Swiss skier Talina Gantenbein taking it out fast, and her teammate Sixtine Cousin ahead of Anouck Errard of France.
Only the top two go through, Errard made a huge run off the final jump and flew down the inside line but it wasn’t enough.
It’s Switzerland one-two, with Gantenbein and Cousin advancing.
1h agoFri 20 Feb 2026 at 11:39am
Women’s ski cross quarterfinals
This is a crazily stacked first quarterfinal 1 with the Beijing silver and bronze medallists Marielle Thompson and Danielle Maier, plus Sweden’s Linnea Mobaerg.
Maier gets out fast! Thompson is left at the back, Mobaerg is third.
Maier is flying in front, Marielle Berger Sabbatel of France is second, Thompson is going to miss out. Mobaerg comes third.
The 2022 silver medallist is out! That’s a shock.
But what a huge heat for Danielle Maier! She just had an extra gear there.
1h agoFri 20 Feb 2026 at 11:31am
Finalists set in men’s freeski halfpipe
Estonia’s Henry Sildaru rose right up the standings with a big second run in the men’s freeski halfpipe (Getty Images)
The 12 finalists are set for the men’s freeski halfpipe.
Brendan Mackay (CAN) 92.75
Nick Goepper (USA) 90.00
Henry Sildaru (EST) 88.00
Alex Ferreira (USA) 85.75
Hunter Hess (USA) 85.00
Birk Irving (USA) 84.25
Andrew Longino (CAN) 83.50
Dylan Marineau (CAN) 82.25
Gus Kenworthy (GBR) 81.25
Lee Seungheun (KOR) 76.00
Benjamin Lynch (IRL) 75.75
Ben Harrington (NZL) 75.25
The final will be at 5:30am AEDT tomorrow (Saturday)