The growth of women’s hockey since it was added as an Olympic sport in at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, has been exponential.

That popularity showed up in the ratings for the women’s gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics on Feb. 19. Team USA’s overtime victory against rival Canada was the most-watched women’s hockey game on record, according to NBC. It averaged 5.3 million viewers with an audience peak of 7.7 million viewers in overtime on USA and Peacock.

Team USA defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime, marking the Americans’ first Olympic gold medal since the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, which they won in a shootout. Team USA trailed much of the game, before Hilary Knight scored an equalizer with less than three minutes remaining in regulation to send the game to overtime.

“There was no way we were losing this game,’ Knight said. ‘That’s all. Simple as that. We had some awesome heavy hitters on the ice. I knew we were going to get possession, so I just had to find a place in front of the net.’

‘When Meg (Keller) pulled her move, I knew we had it immediately,’ Knight said.

Team USA has appeared in all but one gold medal game since 1998 — each time facing off against the Canadians. The Americans now have three golds.

‘The greatest rivalry in all sport for that reason, every game is tight,’ said Canadian defender Renata Fast, who assisted on Canada’s lone goal. ‘We knew that coming in every single battle, every single play is so important because the game is that close against this matchup. So this is the exact game we expected today, and obviously we just didn’t come out the way we wanted to.’

The next generation of the rivalry is in training. Women’s hockey has grown by leaps and bounds since 2000, as one of the fastest-growing youth sports in North America. USA Hockey reports that girls’ and women’s participation has surged 65% over the past 15 seasons.

The highly anticipated USA-Canada gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics is happening.

The U.S. men’s hockey team routed Slovakia 6-2 in Friday’s semifinal for its first trip to the Olympic championship game since 2010.

The USA-Canada game will be Sunday, Feb. 22 at 8:10 a.m. ET. Slovakia and Finland will play for bronze on Saturday at 2:40 p.m. ET.

Dylan Larkin scored the opening goal for the second game in a row and Tage Thompson made it 2-0 on the power play.

The Americans poured it on in the second period, getting two goals by Jack Hughes and one by Jack Eichel.

The only concern for the USA  is that Thompson didn’t play in the third period after getting cross-checked. He was held out for precautionary reasons.

Canada had won 3-2 in the earlier semifinal, rallying from a 2-0 deficit to beat Finland. The Canadians played without injured captain Sidney Crosby.

‘It’s best on best. It’s what every American and Canadian grows up watching and grows up hearing about,’ USA captain Auston Matthews said of the upcoming game against Canada. ‘This is the pinnacle of the sport. This is as good as it gets and a rivalry that’s as good as it gets. So there will be not one TV without the game on in the United States and Canada. And that should get you pretty fired up.’

Canada had beaten the USA in last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off final and won their meetings in the 2002 and 2010 gold medal games.

USA TODAY is in Milan and provided live updates for the USA vs. Slovakia men’s hockey semifinal. Here are highlights:

Tage Thompson injury update

Team USA head coach Mike Sullivan gave a postgame update on Tage Thompson’s early exit.

‘We held him out for precautionary reasons more than anything,’ he said. ‘We held him out for a lower body injury. So we’ll see how he recovers, but I would anticipate him being ready for game time.’

Final score: USA 6, Slovakia 2

Jack Hughes scores twice as the USA wins the men’s hockey semifinal. The Americans will play Canada for gold and Slovakia will play Finland for bronze.

USA vs. Slovakia scuffle

The Tkachuk brothers and Erik Cernak have been going at each other all game. Cernak and Brady and Matthew Tkachuk get unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. Brady is also called for roughing.

USA vs Slovakia score

6-2 USA with five minutes left.

Slovakia vs USA score: Pavol Regenda scores

Slovakia cuts the deficit to four goals. It’s the first time that Connor Hellebuyck has given more than one goal. USA 6, Slovakia 2

USA vs. Slovakia score: Brady Tkachuk scores on breakaway

He was stopped on his first breakaway when shooting. He stickhandles this time and scores. USA 6, Slovakia 1

Brady Tkachuk stopped on breakaway

He’s in all alone but Stanislav Skorvanek stops him.

Slovakia vs USA score: Juraj Slafkovsky gets Slovakia on board

Connor Hellebuyck was caught out of position going behind the net and couldn’t get set in time. Slafkovsky, the 2022 Olympics MVP, scores his fourth goal of the tournament. USA 5, Slovakia 1

Tage Thompson injury update

He’s not on the power play and NBC notes that he’s not on the bench either. NBC says he is being held out of the third period for precautionary reasons. He had been cross-checked earlier in the game.

Third period is underway

USA leads 5-0 and is still on a power play. The rest of the penalty is killed.

When is the men’s hockey gold medal game?

If the USA can hold on for the final 20 games, it would advance to the gold medal against Canada. The game will be played on Sunday, starting at 8:10 a.m. ET. The bronze medal game is Saturday at 2:40 p.m. ET.

USA women’s hockey team cheers on USA men

Jack and Quinn Hughes attended Thursday’s gold-medal game between the U.S. women and Canada, where the Americans reigned victorious and clinched their first gold medal since 2018.

The U.S. women’s hockey team returned the favor on Friday.

One day after capturing gold in an overtime thriller, members of the U.S. women’s team returned to Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena to cheer on the U.S. men during their semifinal matchup against Slovakia.

Hannah Bilka wished the men ‘good luck” ahead of Friday’s semifinal. “I think they are such an incredible team and they have the winners in that locker room. I know that they can (win gold),” she told USA TODAY Sports.

The Hughes brother were on hand to support their mother, Ellen Weinberg-Hughes, who serves as the performance consultant for the U.S. women’s hockey team. The siblings also met Tom Brady and caught up with Olympic champion Mike Eruzione at Thursday’s gold-medal game.

USA men’s hockey leads Slovakia 5-0 after two periods

USA took over in the second period, running up an 10-2 edge in shots by halfway through. Matt Boldy kicked in the puck, so no goal there, but Jack Hughes showed off his skill set with a slick move to score at 12:14, and Jack Eichel followed up 19 seconds later. Hughes scored again at 18:24 to give the US a 5-0 lead.

USA goes back on power play

Patrik Koch is called for interference. The power play will extend into the third period.

USA vs. Slovakia score: Jack Hughes gets second goal

Jack Hughes scores right after the power play expires for his second goal of the game. USA 5, Slovakia 0

USA goes on power play

Oliver Okuliar is called for cross-checking. Slovakia kills it but the USA scores right after.

Slovakia makes goalie change

Samuel Hlavaj is out and Stanislav Skorvanek is in. Hlavaj is not happy about being pulled.

USA vs. Slovakia score: Jack Eichel gets goal

That’s two goals in 19 games for the USA. The Tkachuks do the work behind the net to set up Jack Eichel. USA 4, Slovakia 0

USA vs. Slovakia score: Jack Hughes gets goal

Jack Hughes has been making great passes all tournament. This time, he makes a great move around a defender to put himself in position for a wrist shot that beats Samuel Hlavaj. USA 3, Slovakia 0

USA goal waved off

On-ice officials rule that Jake Guentzel kicked in the puck. Still 2-0 USA.

USA goes on power play

Martin Fehervary is making his second trip to the penalty box for the second time, this time for holding. Auston Matthews has some great chances and the USA gets five shots, but no goals.

Slovakia goes on power play

Charlie McAvoy is called for high sticking, his second penalty of the day. No shots and USA kills it off.

USA goes on power play

Martin Fehervary is called for rough Brady Tkachuk. The USA scored on its first power play. But it won’t be this time because Auston Matthews is called for hooking. We’ll have 4-on-4 hockey. And the penalty to Matthews is also killed.

Second period underway

USA leads 2-0.

End of first period: USA 2, Slovakia 0

Dylan Larkin put USA on the board 4:19 into the game, scoring his second goal in two games. Slovakia played hard, but the USA took a 2-0 lead with 40.9 seconds on the clock, with Tage Thompson scoring on a power play. The USA has looked fast and strong, and has an 11-8 edge in shots.

USA vs Slovakia score: Tage Thompson scores on power play

Jack Eichel sets up Tage Thompson for a one-timer and his shot goes in short side. Quinn Hughes gets the second assist. USA 2, Slovakia 0

USA goes on power play

Milos Kelemen is called for tripping.

Chance for USA men’s hockey

Jack Hughes has been making great passes all tournament. He does it again to set up Tage Thompson, but Samuel Hlavaj stops him.

Slovakia goes on power play

Zach Werenski puts the puck over the glass and is called for delay of game. USA kills this one, too, and is 12-for-12 at the Olympics.

Slovakia goes on power play

Charlie McAvoy is called for goalie interference. The USA is perfect so far on the penalty kill and they continue. Dylan Larkin gets the best chance on a short-handed 2-on-1.

Johnny Gaudreau’s family in attendance

The family of the late Johnny Gaudreau is in Milan for the game. Team USA has his jersey in the locker room, just as they did in the 4 Nations Face-Off. Zach Werenski, who played with Gaudreau on the Blue Jackets, set up the opening goal. Gaudreau and brother Matthew died in 2024 when they were bicycling in New Jersey and were hit by a driver.

USA vs. Slovakia score: Dylan Larkin scores for the USA

Dylan Larkin gets the USA’s opening goal for the second game in a row. Beautiful up-ice pass by Zach Werenski to Larkin, who splits the defense and beats Samuel Hlavaj. USA 1, Slovakia 0

Game underway

Connor Hellebuyck and Samuel Hlavaj in net. Jack Eichel line starts for USA. Winners faces Canada for gold.

What time is USA vs. Slovakia men’s hockey semifinal today?

Date: Friday, Feb. 20
Time: 3:10 p.m. ET (9:10 p.m. local)
Location: Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena (Milan)

Puck drop between the USA and Slovakia is set for 3:10 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 20 from Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan.

Where to watch USA vs. Slovakia men’s hockey semifinal

TV channel: NBC
Streaming options: NBCOlympics.com | NBC Olympic App | Peacock

NBC will broadcast Friday’s USA vs. Slovakia men’s hockey semifinal at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Watch USA vs. Slovakia on Peacock

Is there a live stream of the Olympic men’s semifinal?

Streaming options for the game include NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Olympic App (with a cable TV or satellite login). You can also stream the game on Peacock, NBC’s subscription streaming service.

Goaltending matchup

Connor Hellebuyck vs. Samuel Hlavaj, who upset Finland in the preliminary round.

Team USA lines vs Slovakia

Canada vs. Finland score: Canada rallies to win

Canada, playing without injured captain Sidney Crosby, is heading to the gold medal game after rallying from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Finland 3-2. Nathan MacKinnon scored a last-minute goal that survived an offsides challenge. Canada will play the USA-Slovakia winner in Sunday’s gold medal game. Finland, the 2022 Olympic champion, will face the loser in Saturday’s bronze-medal game.

Recent USA vs. Slovakia Olympics history

Slovakia beat the USA in 2022 in a shootout. The USA beat Slovakia in 2018 in the preliminary round and the qualification game.

Connor Hellebuyck to start for USA

He has given four goals in four games at these Olympics and has a 0.98 goals against average and .958 save percentage.

USA vs. Slovakia predictions

Mike Brehm, USA TODAY – USA 3, Slovakia 2: Goalie Connor Hellebuyck has been one of the better goalies in the tournament. That alone should be enough to get the USA to the championship game. But the Americans also have been finding enough offense and have overcome any adversity that comes their way.

Jace Evans, USA TODAY – USA 5, Slovakia 2: The talent difference will again be on display in this one. While the USA got a scare in the quarterfinals, it came from a Sweden team that brought an equal number of NHL players to the Games. Slovakia has just seven NHL players in its lineup.

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press – USA 4, Slovakia 2: The Americans faced their first real adversity in the quarterfinals, unable to score on Sweden the way the Americans had done in the round robin. They had to reset after losing a 1-0 lead with 91 seconds to play in regulation, and came out of it looking aces. Slovakia has had a great tournament, but the USA has superior depth. 

Team USA ice skater Amber Glenn fell just short of the podium in women’s singles on Thursday, Feb. 19, finishing in fifth place after a disappointing short program at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Glenn bounced back in the free skate, scoring a 147.52 to move from 13th place after the short program to fifth in the final standings. Without a fall in the short program, she would’ve had a strong shot at medaling.

But unfortunately for Glenn, it didn’t work out that way. She was, however, able to make a joke out of the situation in a video she posted to TikTok on Friday, Feb. 20, where she landed the move she fell on during the short program despite holding her phone while doing so.

‘Come with me to do the jump that cost me an Olympic medal,’ Glenn said at the start of the video as she was skating around the practice rink.

Glenn then landed the jump.

‘I’m fine,’ she said. ‘Everything’s fine.’

Glenn’s free skate, which secured the third-best score of any skater (147.52), was an impressive bounce-back given the circumstances. It was an important finish to her first, and possibly last, Olympics showing after the disappointing short program.

“No matter how the elements go today, I want to remember that I never even thought that I’d get here so that, in itself, is an accomplishment, and doing it as my authentic self and standing for what I believe in,’ Glenn told NBC before her performance.

Glenn’s TikTok was potentially therapeutic. And while she likely is still upset about how the short program unfolded, she’s leaving Milan with her head held high after her impressive rebound on Feb. 19 in the free skate.

Scottie Scheffler entered the 2026 Genesis Invitational with the longest active streak of cuts made on the PGA Tour. He hadn’t missed the weekend at an event since August 2022. He cut it close on Friday at Riviera Country Club, though.

Scheffler ended Feb. 20 with a second-round 68, moving to even par for the tournament and sitting tied for 41st when he finished his round. With the projected cut at even par, putting the tournament’s top 50 golfers and ties into the weekend round, Scheffler was left to sweat out the rest of the round in the clubhouse.

Scheffler’s tournament got off to a rough start during Thursday’s first round, which was suspended by weather. Scheffler was +5 through the opening 10 holes, though he recovered upon returning to the course Friday morning to finish with a 74. He was 3-under par during Friday’s second round.

The world’s No. 1 golfer has made a habit of playing from behind to start the 2026 season. He also flirted with the cut line after a poor first round at the WM Phoenix Open earlier this month.

What is cut line at the 2026 Genesis Invitational?

The cut line at the 2026 Genesis Invitational consists of the top 50 golfers in the field (and ties). It is currently set at even par. Scheffler was tied for 41st when his round ended with more than 40 golfers still on the course. There’s still ample time for movement on the Genesis leaderboard.

How many consecutive cuts has Scottie Sheffler made?

Scheffler had made 67 consecutive cuts heading into the Genesis Invitational, according to PGA statistics. The second-longest active streak heading into the weekend was Harris English’s 21 straight cuts made. English shot a second-round 68 to enter the weekend at -1.

Tiger Woods owns the PGA record for consecutive cuts made, clearing 142 from 1998 to 2005.

Who missed the cut at Genesis Invitational?

While Feb. 20 results are not yet final, a number of notable golfers, including Lucas Glover, Justin Rose, Jason Day and Keegan Bradley, all sit well above the cut line.

Another day of competition is in the books at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.

Athletes from more than 90 countries are battling in 116 events over 16 days, and USA TODAY is keeping a tally of every nation finishing on the podium. Here’s a look at the latest medal standings after all the action wrapped up on Friday, Feb. 20.

Find the upcoming medal event schedule below.

USA TODAY Sports has a team of more than a dozen journalists on the ground in Italy to bring you behind the scenes with Team USA and keep you up to date with every medal win, big moment and triumphant finish. Get our Chasing Gold newsletter in your inbox every morning and join our WhatsApp channel to get the latest updates right in your texts.

Broadcast coverage of the 2026 Milano Cortino Winter Olympics is airing exclusively airing across NBC’s suite of networks with many competitions airing live on its streaming service, Peacock, which you can sign up for here.

What is the medal count at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics?

All data accurate as of Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, at 5:20 p.m.

Meet Team USA 2026: Get to know the athletes behind the games

1. Norway: 37 Total (17 Gold, 10 Silver, 10 Bronze)
2. United States: 29 Total (10 Gold, 12 Silver, 7 Bronze)
3. Italy: 27 Total (9 Gold, 5 Silver, 13 Bronze)
4. Japan: 24 Total (5 Gold, 7 Silver, 12 Bronze)
5. Germany: 22 Total (6 Gold, 8 Silver, 8 Bronze)
6. France: 20 Total (6 Gold, 8 Silver, 6 Bronze)
7. Netherlands: 18 Total (8 Gold, 7 Silver, 3 Bronze)
7. Austria: 18 Total (5 Gold, 8 Silver, 5 Bronze)
9. Switzerland: 17 Total (6 Gold, 6 Silver, 5 Bronze)
9. Canada: 17 Total (4 Gold, 5 Silver, 8 Bronze)
11. Sweden: 16 Total (6 Gold, 6 Silver, 4 Bronze)
12. China: 12 Total (4 Gold, 3 Silver, 5 Bronze)
13. South Korea: 10 Total (3 Gold, 4 Silver, 3 Bronze)
14. Australia: 6 Total (3 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze)
15. Finland: 5 Total (0 Gold, 1 Silver, 4 Bronze)
16. Czech Republic: 4 Total (2 Gold, 2 Silver, 0 Bronze)
16. Slovenia: 4 Total (2 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze)
16. Poland: 4 Total (0 Gold, 3 Silver, 1 Bronze)
19. Great Britain: 3 Total (3 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
19. New Zealand: 3 Total (0 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze)
21. Spain: 2 Total (1 Gold, 0 Silver, 1 Bronze)
21. Latvia: 2 Total (0 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze)
21. Bulgaria: 2 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 2 Bronze)
24. Brazil: 1 Total (1 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
25. Kazakhstan: 1 Total (1 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
26. Estonia: 1 Total (0 Gold, 1 Silver, 0 Bronze)
27. Georgia: 1 Total (0 Gold, 1 Silver, 0 Bronze)
28. Individual Neutral Athletes: 1 Total (0 Gold, 1 Silver, 0 Bronze)
29. Belgium: 1 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 1 Bronze)

2026 Winter Olympics medal events upcoming schedule

Feb. 21

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING: Men’s 50km Mass Start Classic
FREESTYLE SKIING: Mixed Team Aerials Final
FREESTYLE SKIING: Men’s Cross Final
SKI MOUNTAINEERING: Mixed Relay
CURLING: Men’s Gold Medal Game, Women’s Bronze Medal Game
BIATHLON: Women’s 12.5km Mass Start
SPEED SKATING: Men’s, Women’s Mass Start
FREESTYLE SKIING: Women’s Halfpipe Final
ICE HOCKEY: Men’s Bronze Medal Game
BOBSLED: Women’s Doubles: Heat 4

Feb. 22

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING: Women’s 50km Mass Start Classic
CURLING: Women’s Gold Medal Game
BOBSLED: Men’s Quads Final
ICE HOCKEY: Men’s Gold Medal Game

Alysa Liu won the gold medal in women’s figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.
Her platinum-striped hairstyle was originally done by St. Louis hairstylist Kelsey Miller.
Liu had her hair touched up at a salon in Milan before her gold-medal performance.
The 20-year-old skater’s hairstylist watched her win on a phone while at work in St. Louis.

MILAN — A noteworthy hairstylist in St. Louis said she watched on a phone when Alysa Liu won the gold medal in women’s figure skating singles at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

That would be Kelsey Miller, the hairstylist who dyed platinum stripes in Liu’s dark hair during the U.S. Championships in St. Louis in January. Liu earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic team and, you can say, earned those platinum stripes that were on display for a worldwide audience Thursday, Feb. 19.

Liu, 20, triumphed at the Milano Ice Skating Arena, then noted her gold dress matched her platinum stripes – to the delight of the St. Louis hairdresser.

‘I think this is her iconic look now that she should trademark,’ Miller, 39, told USA TODAY Sports during a phone interview.

Miller shared a photo of her and Liu, and Liu’s Instagram page includes a photo dated Jan. 9 along with “kelsey.styles.hair.’’

The hair underwent an Italian touchup before Liu took the ice for the Olympics at the Milano Ice Skating Arena, according to a man at JennyBMilano hair salon who identified himself as Christian Broccoli. He said he was one of three brothers at the hair salon and that Liu visited him at the recommendation of a contact with the Milano Cortina Winter Games.

Oh, Liu’s page features another photo with this comment “someone said i look like king tut.’’

‘Her top halo was brassy’

Miller said she was introduced to Liu through a mutual client and one of Liu’s coaches made the appointment. Until Liu arrived at Thirteenth and Washington, the hair salon where Miller works, Liu’s identity remained a secret.

Courtesy of Liu, some background; Liu dyed her hair on her own in 2023 and 2024 before visiting Miller on Jan. 8, according to the hairstylist.

‘Her top halo was brassy, so I went through and bumped the warmth out to make it more platinum,’ Miller told USA TODAY Sports. ‘When you lift someone with dark hair, they lift really warm. So when she came to me, she wasn’t lifting her hair light enough to pull out all the warmer tones of her hair. So I had to bleach her again and then tone it to make it a milky color.’

Ultimately, Miller said, ‘We had to lift the warmth out of her hair in order for the halos to look bright blonde.’

During a five-hour appointment, Miller said, the hairstylist got to know more than Liu’s hair.

Miller said she learned about how Liu’s father fled from China after organizing protests and hunger strikes in 1989. And that Liu has four siblings. And how she stopped skating for two years before making a comeback. That led to the electrifying performance that earned her a gold medal.

‘And then to watch her be so successful,’ Miller said, ‘watch her be so happy and passionate with doing what she loves. I mean, that’s huge.

‘It just goes to show you she knew what she was doing. She’s very smart. She’s a very smart woman.’

A usual hair appointment

After the appointment in St. Louis, Miller said, she stayed in touch with Liu.

‘I reached out to her to make sure her hair was feeling good, if she needed anything, any service, a toner, a deep conditioning mask, anything like that,’ she said. ‘Just her hair is like her identity. Clearly. We see that all over TV. So I had to make sure it was looking right.’

Liu declined any of those services but sought touchup help during the Olympics. On Instagram, Liu posted a photo with the caption ‘and styled @jennybmilano.’ JennyBMilano is a hair salon in Milan.

The man who identified himself over the phone as Broccoli said Liu came into the salon twice, once to have the platinum stripes brightened and once to have the sides cut. He said he watched on TV when Liu won the gold medal.

Miller, the hairstylist, said she was watching on a phone at the salon where she works in St. Louis while cutting a client’s hair.

‘She was holding her phone and we were both watching it while I was cutting,’ Miller said. ‘I couldn’t miss it.’

And Liu’s hair?

‘I loved it!’ Miller said. ‘The way her halos were sitting on her head when she held the American flag behind her was so dramatic and made the halos stick out even more in my opinion.’

U.S. free skier Hunter Hess’ Winter Olympics came to an end on Friday, Feb. 20 with the men’s freeski halfpipe at the Livigno Snow Park.

But before Hess competed in the medal round of the event, he flashed an ‘L’ over his forehead at the end of his qualification run that was directed to President Donald Trump, who called Hess a ‘real loser’ on social media following Hess’ comments about how it is difficult to represent the United States at the Winter Olympics due to the country’s current political division.

‘Apparently I’m a loser,’ Hess said into the camera after his qualifying run.

Hess was one of four U.S. free skiers who qualified for the 12-man final at the Livigno Snow Park on Friday evening. He posted a best score of 85.00 with his second qualifying run, which was a 2.25-point improvement from his first run.

He finished 10th in the finals with his best score coming in at 58.75 in his third run.

‘I worked so hard to be here. I sacrificed my entire life to make this happen,’ Hess said. ‘I’m not going to let controversy like that get in my way. I love the United States of America. I cannot say that enough. My original statement, I felt like I said that, but apparently, people didn’t take it that way. I’m so happy to be here, so happy to represent Team USA.’

The first-time Olympian caught Trump’s attention following his comments during a news conference ahead of the opening ceremony, where he said ‘it’s a little hard’ to represent the United States on the Olympic stage. Hess’ teammates, like the four-member women’s halfpipe team led by three-time Olympic medalist Chloe Kim, discussed the current climate of the United States, but he was the only one who got Trump to lash out on Truth Social.

‘There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of,’ Hess said at a news conference in Milan ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics. ‘Wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S. I’m representing my friends and family back home, the people that represented it before me, all the things that I believe are good about the U.S. I just think if it aligns with my moral values, I feel like I’m representing it.’

Following his gold medal win in the event, Hess’ teammate, Alex Ferreira, told reporters in Livingo that he stands by his teammate when asked about Hess’ gesture during his qualifying run.

‘I stand by my teammate,’ Ferreira said.

As noted by The Athletic, Hess also updated his Instagram profile, adding ‘a real loser’ to his bio.

Friday’s event ends a 12-day stretch where Hess had to sit around and continue training for his event before he could compete in the Olympics following Trump’s comments. He called the layoff ‘the hardest two weeks’ of his life.

‘It was probably the hardest two weeks of my life,’ Hess said. ‘I’ve never been subject to that type of criticism before.’

He added, according to Yahoo Sports: ‘Luckily my family was there to support me and help me get through it. There was a lot of noise and I’ve never been subject to that type of criticism. But with my family’s help, I was able to get through it. And skiing has saved my life, time and time again, and it seems to have done so again.’

This story has been updated with new information.

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Hanging over much of NASCAR’s offseason was a nine-day trial that ended with the sanctioning body of stock car racing settling with Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing and another team, Front Row Motorsports.

Now, the sport is seemingly headed back to court.

Joe Gibbs Racing filed a lawsuit in the Western District of North Carolina on Thursday against the team’s former competition director, Chris Gabehart. Gibbs’ team alleges that Gabehart “embarked on a brazen scheme to steal JGR’s most sensitive information and use it for the benefit of a direct competitor in NASCAR — Spire Motorsports.”

USA TODAY Sports obtained a copy of the lawsuit, where JGR seeks to recover damages of up to $8 million because Gabehart allegedly violated “his contractual obligations and wrongfully” used “JGR’s confidential information and trade secrets.”

JGR claims that Gabehart stole the team’s trade secrets after his demands for additional authority with the organization were “rebuffed” and he became ‘dissatisfied’ with his position at JGR.

The filing did not request an injunction preventing Gabehart from working for Spire, though it’s unclear if he actually reached an employment agreement with the team. Gabehart is not listed on Spire’s website in a leadership or crew chief position. Spire is also not named as a co-defendant in the lawsuit.

According to JGR’s claims, Gabehart met with team owner Joe Gibbs on Nov. 6, 2025 and demanded authority that would give him “carte blanche” over all racing decisions. When Gibbs declined to give Gabehart that power, Gabehart informed Gibbs he preferred to leave JGR and the two parties began working towards what JGR believed was an “amicable” and “generous” separation agreement.

However, JGR says it became “suspicious” of Gabehart’s intentions when it learned he had already allegedly met with Jeff Dickerson, the owner of Spire. JGR says it then conducted a forensic investigation of Gabehart’s JGR-owned laptop and found “shocking” results.

JGR claims that its forensic investigation revealed that Gabehart allegedly synced his personal Google Drive with his JGR laptop, repeatedly conducted online research about Spire while he was still employed by JGR, had a Google Drive folder titled “Spire,” and captured “more than a dozen” photos the day after his meeting with Gibbs — Nov. 7 — that contained “images of JGR files containing Confidential Information and Trade Secrets.”

Additionally, JGR alleges that the photos also contained “comprehensive post-race audit and analyses of team and driver performance” for the entire 2025 season, complete team payroll details and compensation plans, pit crew analytics for the 2024 NASCAR season, and “detailed analytics of racecar tires used to assess impact on race results.”

JGR says it learned on Feb. 11 that Gabehart had taken the position as Spire’s chief motorsports officer, a role in which he “would be responsible for all of Spire’s racing strategy and operations,” which JGR contends is similar to what he did for them as competition director. Previously, JGR claims, Gabehart told them in December that his position with Spire wouldn’t be similar to the role he had with JGR.

Gabehart took to social media Friday afternoon, posting a statement. ‘I feel compelled to speak out today and forcefully and emphatically deny these frivolous and retaliatory claims,’ he wrote.

Considered to be one of the smartest minds around the NASCAR garage, the 44-year-old Gabehart began his career in NASCAR’s Cup Series in 2012 as an engineer on Kyle Busch’s car with JGR. He was then the crew chief for Erik Jones in the second-tier Xfinity Series, then became the crew chief for Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 in 2019. With Gabehart leading his team, Hamlin won 22 races in a six-year stretch, including a pair of Daytona 500s. Hamlin also made the final championship four in three seasons.

The winner of three Super Bowls as the head coach of Washington, Joe Gibbs founded Joe Gibbs Racing in 1992. The team has won five Cup Series championships, most recently with Busch in 2019. Gibbs’ grandson Ty — now a Cup Series driver — won the team’s fourth Xfinity Series championship in 2022.

A member of both the Pro Football and NASCAR hall of fames, Gibbs now co-owns JGR with his daughter-in-law Heather. In addition to his grandson and Hamlin, the team also fields Cup Series cars driven by Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe.

The former Tennessee quarterback is ineligible to play college football after a Knoxville (Tennessee) judge denied a preliminary injunction on Friday, Feb. 20. The judge’s decision is a major win for the NCAA and closes the door for Aguilar’s return to the Vols for the 2026 season.

Aguilar, 24, can still declare for the 2026 NFL Draft and is expected to be at the NFL scouting combine on Feb. 27 in Indianapolis.

The former Appalachian State quarterback sued the NCAA in Knox County Chancery Court over the league’s eligibility rules regarding former junior college players. He started his college career at City College of San Francisco in 2019, redshirting his freshman season. The 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19.

Aguilar played the 2021-22 season at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, California, before transferring to App State from 2022 to 2024. Including his one season at Tennessee in 2025, he played only three seasons at NCAA member schools.

Two-time Tennessee graduate Chancellor Chris Heagerty granted Aguilar a 15-day restraining order against the NCAA’s eligibility rules and then extended it until he could make a ruling on it. However, it was Heagerty who denied the injunction order for Aguilar.

The NCAA issued a statement in the wake of Haegerty’s ruling:

‘The NCAA is thankful for the judge’s decision today which demonstrates the court’s consideration of eligibility standards and protecting access to the collegiate experience for current and future student-athletes,’ the organization said in a statement. ‘We will continue to defend the NCAA’s eligibility rules against attempts to circumvent foundational policies and hinder fair competition to all student-athletes. The NCAA is making changes to deliver more benefits to student-athletes and will continue to work with Congress to provide stability for all college athletes.’

Had he returned to Tennessee in 2026, Aguilar would have been owed ‘approximately $2 million’ in NIL money. However, Aguilar’s attorney, Cam Norris, could not sway Heagerty of the significant damage to Aguilar that would occur if he were denied.

“In fact, the plaintiff (Aguilar) has repeatedly taken the position in this civil action that the requested relief would solely apply to him and not affect others. This argument seems to actually hurt the plaintiff’s chances to show sufficient evidence that the ‘JUCO’ rule affects Tennessee trade or commerce to a substantial degree.”

Aguilar led the SEC with 3,565 passing yards in 2025, which was also the third-most in a single season in Tennessee history. Redshirt freshman George MacIntyre, five-star freshman Faizon Brandon and Colorado transfer Ryan Staub will compete for the Vols’ starting job.