"2. Netherlands will be off from previous speed skating highs"   For sure, only in some women's events we can win gold medals, but I'm afraid won't even make the top 8 this time. But I like to be surprised by the short trackers, so who knows, maybe it will still work out well.

Stage 25 in Schladming (AUT)   Men´s Slalom:   1. Henrik Kristoffersen    1:53.80 2. Atle Lie McGrath    1:54.14 3. Clement Noel    1:54.34   Full Final Results HERE

OK, so here is my first post ever on this site.  Have been a lurker for a few years.  Huge fan of the Olympics dating back to Barcelona.  A statistics junky.  Drives my family crazy.  I really like seeing the perspectives of the various nationalities on here.  However, make no mistake I root for the Red White and Blue.  I keep my own medal total predictions for each four-year cycle and update them as the various world cup competitions, injuries, etc. occur.  Here's my USA predictions:   Alpine Skiing:  4 Medals - Vonn's return is huge.  Macuga's injury hurt in the speed events but Vonn makes that up.  Johnson is an outside threat.  Shiffrin certainly a favorite in Slalom.  The new combined event will be interesting.  Moltzan and Shiffrin are threats in GS.  Men not likely to medal but an outside shot in the speed events.     Biathlon:  1 Medal - Campbell Wright has a shot (pun intended).  Would be USA first in biathlon.  Women won't be close.  Mixed relay will be competitive (top 8).  Probably optimistic here with Wright but would be neat for first medal in this event.   Bobsled: 2 Medals - This one is tough for me.  Humphries and Meyer-Taylor are the veterans and very competitive and threat to medal in both women's events but likely their last hurah as they are getting older.  Love is a wildcard.  All comes down to the actual track on the sliding events.  Very unlikely the men even threaten a medal.  Delu Duca can be competitive in the two-man but won't beat the German men.  Can anyone stop the German sweeps in the men's events?     Cross Country Skiing: 2 Medals - Assuming two from Diggins.  Could be more.  Individual sprint is classical so that dampens the threat a bit.  Would love to see the US women medal in the relay but prolly not.  Schumaker is making some noise for the men and an outside shot to medal.     Curling: 0 Medals - Had Shuster qualified I think he would have competed for a medal but good time to pass the torch.  Team Casper needs to get some good experience here for the  future.  Women not likely to medal.  Mixed doubles would be the best chance but not a favorite per se.     Figure Skating: 4 Medals - Manlin, Chock/Bates, Team and one of the women.  Pretty straightforward here.     Freestyle Skiing: 8 Medals - All about the men in Halfpipe, BA and Slopestyle, need a double medal in one of those...women in those events would be a long shot but possible.  If only Gu competed foe USA.   Need 4 medals there.  Womens Moguls hopefully good for 2 considering there are two events.   Men have an outside shot.  Dual moguls event helps here.  Pick-up two more in aerials (likely men and team...maybe the women's).   Ice Hockey: 2 Medals - I say women for Silver but are the actual favorites for gold this time just never know with the CAN match-up.  Men with NHL should be fun.  We should medal but chemistry will be key for the all the men's teams.     Luge: 1 Medal - Likely from the women (singles) or team event.   Men's doubles is competitive as well.  Going to come down to whomever best masters the track...  Germans showing some weakness here lately but more than making up for it in bobsled.   Nordic Combined: 0 Medals - Men are getting better but not close to medal contention.  If the women were in there would be one here.     Short Track: 3 Medals - Banking on Stoddard and Santos.  Those two also make the women's relay and mixed teams very competitive.  As everyone says this is so unpredictable.  Men are becoming more competitive.  Kim and Heo could find themselves in a final.  If you're there. anything can happen.   Skeleton: 1 Medal - Prolly my least confident guess.  Ro was looking strong but fell off this World Cup season.  Decent shot in the mixed team with Florian.  Men won't medal by themselves.     Ski Jumping: 0 Medals - Men are getting competitive especially a couple of younger fellas.  My dark horse pick for a US medal in 2030 is here.  Women are not there with this current group.   Ski-Mo: 0 Medals - Only qualified with the continental quota.  I really don't know too much but seems like a European sport.  Guess that balances with Flag Football showing up in 28'     Snowboarding: 3 Medals - This is tricky and could be a zero for the first time.  Banking on Kim being ok, but she might not be Gold worthy.  Barbieri is young and competitive on the men's side of the half pipe.  A couple men should threaten in SS and BA.  Women and men in cross will compete.  Non are favorites to medal but this is also unpredictable.     Speed Skating: 6 Medals - Counting on Stolz for 4 including Mass Start which he did well in during the fall.  500m is going to be real tough with the young Pole.   Dawson can compete in top 5 at 5,000 and 10,000.  Men's Pursuit should medal.  On the women's side Bowe in her farewell has been consistent top 5 at 1,000 and 1500 i don't see a medal for her but maybe two top-5's.  Jackson will compete in the 500m.  Women's pursuit could challenge for Bronze.  Mangenello medaled in Mass Start multiple times this fall.  Looking at Stolz for 4, Team Pursuit for 1 and need one other to medal.     So this puts us at 37 and not being overly aggressive/optimistic.  Previous best was Vancouver in 2010 with 37 and home at Salt Lake with 34.  I see us right in that mix, a nice round number would be 35.  Best golds was SLC with 10.  Could really threaten to top that.  Regardless, I am hoping this is the best for Team USA outside of North America.     Winter OG are by far my favorite.  As a fan, much easier to follow most all events.     Feel free to give me feedback on the predictions.  My other overall thoughts are:   1. Germany will have an off games.....outside of mens Bobsled. 2. Netherlands will be off from previous speed skating highs 3. As always Italy will surprise.  I see a lot of pessimism form their fans on here but I have confidence in the home field. 4. Cannot put a finger on where CAN will land.  Part of me sees them with a strong games but I can also see them disappointing.          

Now they say the regret that decision and tried to recall the declined quota but it was to late 🙈 bad excuse or just imcompetent. Even if they would consider him bad enough to not have a realistic top12 capacity individual he would still have a chance for top12 in team as long as Jacobsen would make it to the finish line

Sarah Mitton opened her season four days ago with a  nice 20.22.

Luge trainings are a premiere also in Europe, DH trainings instead are very common (sometimes are shown also for world cup races, like Kitz)

2/4 of our male mogul skiiers injured short before the olympics and Wallberg has barely been able to compete ahead of the games😓

Woah, Peacock has official training for both downhill and luge on their schedule :O   (I know this usually gets broadcast in Europe, but I don't remember ever seeing luge official training available in Canada or the US before)

Two Olympics in a row that Curling gets one of the most iconic venue of the games (though in Milan’s case there is definitively a lot of competition) :D

Thursday January 29th, 2026 - Round-Robin Day 3 Schedule (GMT +2)   13:00   Belgium vs Mexico 16:30   Iceland vs Romania 20:00   Chinese Taipei vs South Africa