MILAN — United States Vice President JD Vance is back at the Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena to cheer on the U.S. women’s national hockey team. This time, he was joined by YouTube-star-turned-boxer Jake Paul.

Vance and Paul sat side-by-side at Team USA’s preliminary matchup against Finland on Saturday. The two arrived separately. Vance and his family found their seats shortly before the first period ended, while Paul joined the Second Family after the second period began.

Vance’s daughter, 4-year-old Mirabel, sat on his lap as he chatted closely with Paul. When five-time Olympian Hilary Knight scored to give the Americans a 4-0 lead over Finland at the 29:17 mark, Vance and Paul both stood to their feet and applauded along with the crowd. Vance’s wife Usha and sons — 8-year-old Ewan and 5-year-old Vivek— were also in attendance and seated next to the pair.

It’s not surprising to see Paul in Milan at the 2026 Winter Olympics. His fiancé is Jutta Leerdam, a Dutch speed skater. Leerdam is making her second Olympic appearance and is a medal contender in both long and short distances. She won silver at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing in the 1000 meters and finished fifth in the 500m.

Paul and Leerdam went Instagram official in April 2023, with Paul revealing their relationship by captioning several photos of the couple holding hands, ‘Im Dutch now.’ The couple announced their engagement in March 2025.

Paul is a vocal supporter of the Trump administration. He sat with President Donald Trump at the College Football Playoff National Championship Game in Miami last month and shared several photos from the outing with his 28 million Instagram followers.

Vance has attended several events at the Winter Olympics in Milan while in town for the opening ceremony, where he was booed by a crowd of over 70,000 spectators as Team USA entered the parade of nations. Vance took in the team figure skating event on Friday and watched U.S. women’s hockey defeat Czechia 5-1 on Thursday after meeting with U.S. Olympians and wishing them well earlier in the day.

‘The whole country — Democrat, Republican, Independent. We’re all rooting for you and cheering for you and know you are all going to make us proud,’ Vance said on Thursday. ‘Thank you all and hope you guys have fun.’

Vance didn’t meet with the U.S. women’s hockey team before or after its win on Thursday. Many players said they weren’t aware that Vance was even in attendance until they were informed by media afterwards. Vance did privately meet with the U.S. men’s national hockey team at their hotel on Saturday morning before visiting Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper mural painting, the White House announced.

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MILAN — The figure skating team event at the 2026 Winter Games is into Day 2 and featured the Olympic debut of the ‘Quad God.’ But it was a bit of a scruffy outing for 21-year-old American Ilia Malinin, who is the gold medal favorite in the men’s singles competition.

On Saturday, Malinin finished second behind Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama in the men’s short program of the team competition. Malinin’s performance was shaky, and not what was expected from him as he finished more than 10 points behind Kagiyama.

‘Of course that wasn’t the perfect ideal 100% skate that I would’ve wanted to have, but for the standard I set myself today, I think I achieved that,’ Malinin said after.

The men’s individual competition begins Feb. 10 with the short program, followed by the free skate on Feb. 13. That is what Malinin has his sights set on, and he said he came into this knowing he would give 50% of his potential to pace himself for the individual competition.

‘I’ve already set my mentality, my mindset, the layout that I have a few weeks ago. So really, all I have to do is come here and do my job,’ he said.

‘That’s the way I pace myself, leading up to the individual.’

To close out Day 2, decorated ice dance pair Madison Chock and Evan Bates delivered a sensational free dance, bringing the crowd to its feat and earning a season-best score of 133.23. The duo got big hugs from their US teammates, including Malinin and Alysa Liu, in the kiss-and-cry after the exited the ice.

Team USA leads the team competition standings at the halfway point with 34 points, followed by Japan (33), Italy (28), Canada (27) and Georgia (25). The top five teams advanced to the remaining sessions, which include the free dance tonight and the free skates for the pairs, men and women on Sunday.

USA TODAY Sports is bringing you live results and updates from the figure skating team event. Follow along.

Figure skating live results, scores

Here are the final standings for the free dance portion of the team competition.

Madison Chock and Evan Bates (United States): 133.23 total segment score, 75.37 technical elements score, 57.86 program components score.
Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabri (Italy): 124.22 total segment score, 69.44 technical elements score, 54.78 program components score.
Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha (Canada): 120.90 total segment score, 67.96 technical elements score, 52.94 program components score.
Diana Davis and Gleb Smolkin (Georgia): 117.82 total segment score, 66.10 technical elements score, 51.72 program components score.
Utana Yoshida and Masaya Morita (Japan): 98.55 total segment score, 54.75 technical elements score, 43.80 program components score.

How is figure skating scored?

A figure skating routine is made up of two scores: Technical elements score and program components score. The technical elements score is exactly what it sounds like: It’s for the jumps, spins and step sequences in a performance. The program components score is made of up composition, presentation and skating skills.

Figure skating team event results, scores

Here are the team competition standings at the halfway mark. Only the top five teams move on for the second half of the competition, which starts with the ice dance free dance today.

United States: 34 points
Japan: 33 points
Italy: 22 points
Georgia: 28 points
Canada: 27 points  
France: 17 points
Korea: 11 points
Great Britain: 11 points
China: 10 points
Poland: 6 points

Quad God figure skater: Ilia Malinin’s nickname

Simply put, Ilia Malinin has the greatest array of jumps any figure skater in history has ever possessed. He’s launched himself into the air for seven quadruple jumps in a single long program at last month’s Grand Prix Final and was the first skater to land a quad Axel.

Malinin’s username used to be Lutz God, but he changed it to Quad God after landing his first quad jump. 

“i didn’t think much about it … Days go by and people started asking, ‘Why’d you name yourself Quad God, you only landed one jump,’’ he said on Milan Magic, USA TODAY’s new Olympics podcast that drops its first episode Saturday. ‘And then I was like, ‘Oh, OK maybe I should be come a Quad God.’ From there I found my rhythm of landing quad after quad after quad and then of course landing the first quad axel.”

“In the most humble way possible, I think it’s definitely helped my confidence in not only to skating in general but just feeling like I deserve to be recognized as who I am.”

Listen to ‘Milan Magic’ on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch full episodes on YouTube or on USA TODAY.

Are backflips allowed in figure skating?

They now are. For nearly 50 years, the backflip was banned in figure skating, after American skater Terry Kubicka became the first one to execute it at the 1976 Innsbruck Games. French skater Surya Bonaly did it at the 1998 Winter Olympics, landing it on one blade, but the move was illegal and she was deducted for it. 

The International Skating Union reversed course and made the move legal in 2024, paving the way for it to be done at the 2026 Winter Olympics, 50 years after it was first done.

Ilia Malinin peforms a backflip in his short program, so figure skating fans will get to see it on the Olympic stage today.

Men’s short program results for team competition

Here are the standings for the men’s short program in the team competition.

Yuma Kagiyama (Japan): 108.67 total segment score, 61.12 technical elements score, 47.55 program components score.
Ilia Malinin (United States): 98.00 total segment score, 52.62 technical elements score, 45.38 program components score.
Stephen Gogolev (Canada): 92.99 total segment score, 53.63 technical elements score, 39.36 program components score.
Kevin Aymoz (France): 88.05 total segment score, 43.74  technical elements score,  44.31 program components score.
Daniel Grassl (Italy): 87.54 total segment score, 46.58 technical elements score, 40.96 program components score.
Nika Egadze (Georgia): 84.37 total segment score, 44.22 technical elements score, 40.15 program components score.
Boyang Jin (China): 84.15 total segment score, 45.20 technical elements score, 38.95 program components score.
Junhwan Cha (Korea): 83.53 total segment score, 41.78 technical elements score, 41.75 program components score.
Vladimir Samoilov (Poland): 80.47 total segment score, 43.26 technical elements score, 37.21 program components score.
Edward Appleby (Great Britain): 69.68 total segment score, 35.91 technical elements score, 33.77 program components score.

Madison Chock, Evan Bates to skate free dance 

America’s A-team ice dance pair will be going back-to-back in the team event. 

Madison Chock and Evan Bates are skating the free dance portion, making it a full Olympic schedule for the decorated U.S. couple. The duo did the rhythm dance in the opening event of the competition and absolutely crushed it. They finished in first with a score of 91.06, just ahead of the French team of Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron to earn the full 10 points for the U.S.

It confirms what will be a busy, tight schedule for Chock and Bates, with the ice dance event on Monday, Feb. 9 and Wednesday, Feb. 11, meaning four performances in six days. Still, the pair give the U.S. a great chance to secure another 10 points and get in position to win team event gold for the second-straight Games.

How long is short program in figure skating?

Short programs are 2 minutes, 40 seconds long. Competitors are allowed plus or minus 10 seconds.

Quad Axel in figure skating: How Ilia Malinin trains for it

Malinin shared with Christine Brennan and Brian Boitano on Milan Magic, USA TODAY’s new Olympics podcast that drops its first episode Saturday, that he likes to skate a full program at least once a day, but that doesn’t mean every jump in that practice session must be a quad. It depends on how his body feels.

“For me, at least the standard base can be all triple jumps, just to keep that stamina, just to keep that stamina in there. But then, of course, depending on how I feel or how the training is going, then I can say, ‘Maybe tomorrow I can go for a full quad layout or maybe do a full quad and the rest can be triples.’ 

“I think the main focus for me is just running the whole program in itself with all the jumps, all the spins and really just getting that muscle memory in your head because I think a lot of the times, especially with me, if I do a certain amount of triple jumps and I feel comfortable with it, then I can go and the quad jumps will get a little easier for me because I’ve been practicing that muscle memory for a while.”

Milan Magic: Listen on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

When does Ilia Malinin skate?

The 21-year-old skated in the men’s short program of the team competition. It’s not yet known if he will skate in the men’s free skate portion of the team event. Then, he’ll compete in the men’s individual competition, which includes the short program on Feb. 10 and the free skate on Feb. 13.

Figure skating TV schedule today

NBC is broadcasting the men’s short program today, and Peacock is streaming it live.

Men’s short program: 1:45 p.m.
Ice dance free dance: 4:05 p.m.

Ice dancing vs. figure skating

Ice dancing does not feature jumps or lifts, like you see figure skating pairs execute. Ice dancing is made up of two segments, the rhythm dance and the free dance.

Team USA figure skating roster

Men: Ilia Malinin, Maxim Naumov, Andrew Torgashev
Women:Amber Glenn, Alysa Liu, Isabeau Levito
Pairs: Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea; Emily Chan and Spencer Akira Howe
Ice dance: Madison Chock and Evan Bates; Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik; Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko

Figure skating jump types

Toe jump: A skater drives the toe pick of their non-takeoff foot into the ice to launch themselves into the air and generate momentum into the jump.

Toe loop: A skater takes off backward and lands on the same back edge of their blade.
Lutz: A skater moving backward jumps off the back outside edge of their skate and uses the toe-pick of their other skate to catapult into the air in the opposite direction and lands on the back outside edge of the picking leg.
Flip: A skater launches off the back inside edge of one skate and lands on the back outside edge of the other skate.

Edge jump: A skater takes off not with their toe pick but off the edge of their skate.

Salchow: A skater launches off the back inside edge of one skate and lands on the back outside edge of their other skate.
Axel: The only forward-facing jump, a skater lands on the back outside edge of their non-takeoff foot while traveling backward. The axel is the hardest jump because of the extra half-revolution that comes with a forward takeoff and a backward landing.
Loop: The skater jumps off a back outside edge of their skate and lands on the same edge.

How figure skating scoring works for team event

Each discipline will play a critical role in who secures a team medal. Skaters and pairs will receive typical scoring after each routine, which leads to the all important standings that will determine how much each skater earned for their country. But at the end of each discipline, the skater or pairs will gain points for their country based on their standings. It goes in this order:

1st: 10 points
2nd: 9 points
3rd: 8 points
4th: 7 points
5th: 6 points
6th: 5 points
7th: 4 points
8th: 3 points
9th: 2 points
10th: 1 point

After all events are completed, the combined score for each team will be used to determine the gold, silver and bronze medals.

MILAN — Captain Hilary Knight continues scoring and the U.S. Olympic women’s hockey team keeps winning.

Knight, the five-time Olympian, scored for the second game in a row to tie the U.S. Olympic women’s hockey record. It was her 14th career goal, tying her with Natalie Darwitz and Katie King.

The goal gave the USA a 4-0 lead, and the Americans won 5-0.

Alex Carpenter opened the scoring for the second game with a row with a power-play goal. Taylor Heise, Megan Keller and Abbey Murphy also scored for the USA, which has outscored Czechia and Finland by a combined 9-1 score.

Keller finished with three points and Murphy, Laila Edwards and Britta Curl each had two points.

Aerin Franklin started in net for the second consecutive game and finished with 11 saves.

Finland, outshot 49-11, couldn’t play its Thursday opening game vs. Canada because of a norovirus outbreak on the team.

The USA will next face Switzerland on Monday, Feb. 9, and then play defending Olympic champion Canada the next day.

USA TODAY Sports was at the game in Milan bringing you live updates and highlights.

Watch USA women’s hockey on Peacock

Final score: USA 5, Finland 0

USA improves to 2-0 at the tournament.

USA goal: Abbey Murphy scores

Abbey Murphy picks up a rebounds and scores with about four minutes left. She has two points in the game. USA 5, Finland 0

9 minutes left

Still 4-0 USA.

USA power play

USA quickly back on the power play as Noora Tulus is called for hooking. Finland kills the penalty.

USA power play

Petra Nieminen is called for tripping. USA has two power-play goals so far. Laila Edwards hits the crossbar. Penalty is killed.

Third period underway

4-0 USA.

End of second period: USA 4, Finland 0

Hilary Knight, who missed a shift at the end of the first period, came back in the second period and tied the U.S. Olympic women’s hockey scoring record. Her 14th career Olympic goal gave the USA its 4-0 lead. It was the USA’s second power-play goal of the game. Taylor Heise and Megan Keller also scored in the period. Keller has three points and Laila Edwards has two assists for the game. Shots are 36-9 USA through two periods.

USA power play

Jenni Hiiriskoski is called for tripping. Finland kills it off and gets a shorthanded chance at the end.

USA goal: Hilary Knight ties U.S. scoring record

Captain Hilary Knight is standing at the side of the net on the power play and beats Sanni Ahola. That’s 14 career Olympic goals for Knight, who tied the U.S. record shared by Natalie Darwitz and Katie King. USA 4, Finland 0

USA power play

Ronja Savolainen is called for holding.

USA goal: Megan Keller scores

U.S. defender Megan Keller scored a goal right between Finnish goalkeeper Sanni Ahola’s legs at the 3:37 mark to extend the Americans’ lead. That’s two points for Keller. The score came a little more than a minute after Taylor Heise’s goal. USA 3, Finland 0

USA goal: Taylor Heise adds to lead

The USA breaks down the ice on a 3-on-2. Abbey Murphy feeds Taylor Heise for a goal at 2:31 of the second period. Britta Curl gets the second assist. USA 2, Finland 0

Hilary Knight injury update: Back in after hard fall

Second period underway

1-0 USA.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance attends women’s hockey

Vance is back at Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena. Following Friday’s opening ceremony, where he was booed by a crowd of over 70,000 spectators, Vance and his family took in Team USA’s preliminary matchup against Finland on Saturday. He arrived shortly before the first period ended.

Vance has attended several events while cheering on Team USA for the Winter Olympics in Milan. He attended the team figure skating event on Friday and watched the U.S. women’s hockey team defeat Czechia 5-1 on Thursday.

Earlier Thursday, Vance met with several U.S. Olympians to wish them well despite any political affiliations.

“The whole country — Democrat, Republican, Independent. We’re all rooting for you and cheering for you and know you are all going to make us proud. Thank you all and hope you guys have fun,” Vance said 

End of first: USA 1, Finland 0

Finland was able to hang in there, considering that norovirus had gone through the team. But the USA scores the lone goal of the period. Alex Carpenter needed only seven seconds to convert on the USA’s second power play of the game. Shots were 15-4 USA. Hilary Knight went to the bench immediately after tumbling near the blue line.

USA goal: Alex Carpenter power play goal gives USA lead

The U.S. women weren’t able to score on their first power play of the night, but they converted on the second. Alex Carpenter found the back of the net against Finland at the 15:19 mark of the first period, marking her second goal in as many Olympic games. Both came during power plays. Carpenter is up to 10 career Olympic goals in 13 games. Laila Edwards and Megan Keller were credited with the assists as they were on Carpenter’s goal against Czechia. USA 1, Finland 0

USA power play

Susanna Tapani is called for hooking.

USA power play

The U.S. women had their first power play after Finland’s Michelle Karvinen was called for holding Abbey Murphy’s stick. However, the Americans weren’t able to take advantage and didn’t convert. Caroline Harvey hit the post.

Game underway

USA’s Aerin Frankel vs. Finland’s Sanni Ahola in net. It’s the second consecutive start for Frankel.

Where to watch U.S. women’s hockey vs Finland today

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

USA Network will broadcast Saturday’s U.S. women’s hockey Group B matchup against Finland at the Milano Cortina Olympics. Streaming options for the game include NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Olympic App (with a TV login).

You can also stream the game on Peacock, NBC’s subscription streaming service.

What time is U.S. women’s hockey vs Finland today?

Date: Saturday, Feb. 7
Time: 10:40 a.m. ET
Location: Rho Ice Hockey Arena (Milan)

Puck drop between the U.S. women’s hockey team and Czechia is set for 10:40 a.m. ET on Saturday, Feb. 7 from Rho Ice Hockey Arena in Milan.

Olympics ice hockey schedule today

All times Eastern.

Group B (Women’s): Germany vs. Japan | 6:10 a.m. | Peacock (digital only) and NBCOlympics.com | Germany 5, Japan 2
Group B (Women’s): Sweden vs. Italy | 8:40 a.m. | Peacock (digital only) and NBCOlympics.com | Sweden 6, Italy 1
Group A (Women’s): United States vs. Finland | 10:40 a.m. | Peacock, USA Network and NBCOlympics.com | USA 5, Finland 0
Group A (Women’s): Switzerland vs. Canada | 3:10 p.m. | USA Network and NBCOlympics.com.

Team USA projected lines

Germany beats Japan in women’s hockey game

Laura Kluge had a goal and three assists and Nicola Hadraschek had two goals and an assist as Germany picked up its first win with a 5-2 victory against Japan on Saturday.

U.S. women’s hockey roster for 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics

Here is the full U.S. women’s hockey roster for the Milano Cortina Olympics:

Goaltenders: Ava McNaughton; Aerin Frankel; Gwyneth Philips.
Defenders: Lee Stecklein; Cayla Barnes; Caroline Harvey; Megan Keller; Rory Guilday; Haley Winn; Laila Edwards.
Forwards: Kirsten Simms; Kelly Pannek; Grace Zumwinkle; Hayley Scamurra; Britta Curl-Salemme; Hilary Knight; Tessa Janecke; Hannah Bilka; Joy Dunne; Alex Carpenter; Kendall Coyne Schofield; Taylor Heise; Abbey Murphy.

Norovirus case detected on Swiss women’s hockey team

The Swiss Ice Hockey Federation announced Friday that a member of the women’s team has tested positive for norovirus. It said the positive test became known after Switzerland played its opener against Czechia on Friday.

‘The affected athlete had been staying in a single room since arriving at the Olympic Village on Monday, February 2, 2026, and had been isolated from the team since the onset of symptoms,’ the federation said in a statement. ‘She has been symptom-free since this morning.’

The women’s team skipped the opening ceremony as a precaution. No other Swiss player is showing symptoms, the federation said. Switzerland next plays Saturday against Canada, whose opening game was postponed because of a norovirus outbreak on Team Finland. — Mike Brehm

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Lindsey Vonn’s bib number could be a good omen.

Vonn will start 13th in the downhill at the Milano Cortina Olympics on Sunday, Feb. 8. The only other time she’s drawn that number this season – for the super-G in Val d’Isere, France – she finished third. It was the first of her two super-G podiums this season.

Breezy Johnson, who had the fastest time in training Saturday, Feb. 7, is the first American to start, at No. 6. Jackie Wiles, who had the fastest time in training Friday, Feb. 6, goes 17th. Bella Wright is the last of the four Americans in the 36-skier field, at No. 24.

Vonn was expected to be a favorite to win her second Olympic downhill title, having been on the podium in every World Cup race in the discipline this season. But a crash eight days ago left her with a torn ACL in her left knee, bone bruising and meniscus damage.

Determined to ski in her fifth and final Olympics, Vonn has been doing intensive physical therapy, pool workouts and weightlifting sessions. She completed both training runs, posting the third-fastest time in the second one, before it was canceled because of snow and heavy fog.

‘I will stand in the starting gate tomorrow and know I am strong. Know that I believe in myself. Know that the odds are stacked against me with my age, no ACL and a titanium knee — but know that I still believe,’ Vonn wrote on Instagram. ‘And usually, when the odds are stacked against me the most, I pull the best of what’s inside me out.

‘I will race tomorrow in my final Olympic Downhill and while I can’t guarantee a good result, I can guarantee I will give it everything I have,’ she said. ‘But no matter what happens, I have already won.’

LIVIGNO — Kuura Koivisto did not need permission to send invites to the gun show at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. 

The free skier from Finland went sleeveless during Saturday’s slopestyle qualifiers, in which he finished 14th of 29. The top 12 advanced to Tuesday’s finals, and he came 0.18 away from placing 12th. 

While the wardrobe decision may have appeared to be attention-seeking, it was actually quite the opposite, Koivisto said. Rocking the black tanktop was purely performance-related and had nothing to do with going viral. He would have skied in his hoodie if he felt he was fast enough. Competition first, comfortability second, he said.

“Speed issues for me. Just trying to limit the wind resistance, and hopefully get a tan at the same time,” he joked.

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Finnish skier goes sleeveless at Olympics

The weather was a balmy 31 degrees during the competition, but the sunshine that has soaked the Italian Alps during the daytime this week has made it feel warmer. 

It might have been the nerves, but he was warm all day, from the practice runs to the second qualifying run. Koivisto also skied sleeveless at last year’s world championships, he said.

“In the training, I was sweating a lot and it was fogging up my goggles,” Koivisto said.

He added: “I could have skied in my under layer, but I thought this was a little cooler.”

According to International Olympic Committee rules, competitors merely need their bib to be facing forward (without violating any other apparel rules). American Nick Goepper, who competes in the men’s halfpipe, has said it’s his dream to compete in jeans one day.

Koivisto would have preferred a faster course over the past three days, which included two days of practice before the qualifying rounds. Many competitors noted that the course slowed down from the early afternoon to the end of the competition, which made gathering speed for the three giant jumps at the bottom of the course difficult.

“I’d rather take my hoodie off than my pants,” he said.

It might have been the nerves, but he was warm all day, from the practice runs to the second qualifying run.

Koivisto originally wore a bottom layer and t-shirt, but made the decision to go sleeveless following his third training run.

“I’m a little bummed right now, because it was super small mistakes that made the difference of me not making (finals),” he said. “I have to look back at my run because I haven’t seen it yet. And honestly, I kind of only remember the mistakes.”

Everyone who watched Koivisto will remember him for something else.

Terrance Gore, one of the last major leaguers to make an impact solely with the most exciting of the game’s tools – breathtaking speed – died Friday, Feb. 6, the Kansas City Royals announced.

Gore was 34 and, according to a social media post from his wife Britney, died following complications during a routine surgery. Gore is survived by his wife and three children.

A revered teammate and dynamic personality, Gore’s tremendous speed kept him in the major leagues for parts of eight seasons and produced one of the most remarkable feats to which a player could lay claim: He was a 2015 World Series champion with the Royals in his second season in the bigs, but had not yet recorded his first major league hit.

In fact, it wasn’t until his fifth major league season – 2018 with the Chicago Cubs – that he got his first hit, a single up the middle off future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer.

Yet his legs held immense value.

Gore, perhaps generously listed at 5 feet 7 and 160 pounds, was clocked at 4.29 seconds in the 40-yard dash, and the lower-revenue Royals, always seeking an edge, deployed him as a designated runner during their two-year run as American League champions that culminated in their 2015 title.

He was nearly impossible to catch: Gore was 17-for-17 in stolen bases to begin his career (though he was caught once in the postseason), finally getting nabbed by Cleveland catcher Roberto Perez in 2016.

By then, though, he was a cult hero in Kansas City, on a Royals team that in a powerball era somehow conjured up memories of its 1980s speed and defense dynasty. Led by All-Star Lorenzo Cain and buttressed by Jarrod Dyson and Gore, Kansas City found a way to topple bigger-market clubs and win its first championship in 30 years.

It was Dyson who famously coined the phrase “That’s what speed do,” yet even Dyson could not keep up with Gore, who stole a base and scored a walk-off run in his major league debut.

‘I wouldn’t say I’m cocky,’ he told the Kansas City Star in 2014, ‘but I know I’m really fast.

‘And it’s going to take a perfect throw.’

Gore grew into a more fully-formed player in his second tour with the Royals, batting .275 with 14 hits in 58 at-bats in 2019, and swiping 13 bases in 18 attempts.

He’d latch on with the Dodgers, Braves and Mets in subsequent years, and got one more shot at postseason glory, appearing in the 2021 NLDS for Atlanta. Yet he showed how big his heart was once the Braves went on to win that World Series.

As the Braves celebrated closing out the Houston Astros in Game 6 of that Fall Classic, Gore made sure to pull out his phone and shoot a video call to pitcher Charlie Morton, who broke his right fibula in Game 1 and was home recuperating from surgery.

Simply, he wanted Charlie to be part of the celebration. And somehow, wherever Gore went, a celebration – no matter how unlikely – of some sort was likely to follow.

Gore was born in Macon, Ga. and raised in Gray, a small town to Macon’s northeast, before attending Gulf Coast State College in Florida, from which the Royals selected him in the 20th round of the 2011 draft. He settled in Panama City after retirement and worked as a speed and baseball trainer at a sports facility there, as his family with Britney grew to three children.

Gore retired without a major league home run – and just one run batted in – yet managed to impact the game forever.

MILAN — Captain Hilary Knight continues scoring and the U.S. Olympic women’s hockey team keeps winning.

Knight, the five-time Olympian, scored for the second game in a row to tie the U.S. Olympic women’s hockey record. It was her 14th career goal, tying her with Natalie Darwitz and Katie King.

The goal gave the USA a 4-0 lead, and the USA won 5-0.

Alex Carpenter opened the scoring for the second game with a row with a power-play goal. Taylor Heise, Megan Keller and Abbey Murphy also scored for the USA, which has outscored Czechia and Finland by a combined 9-1 score.

Keller finished with three points and Murphy, Laila Edwards and Britta Curl each had two points.

Aerin Franklin started in net for the second consecutive game and finished with 11 saves.

Finland, outshot 49-11, couldn’t play its Thursday opening game vs. Canada because of a norovirus outbreak on the team.

The USA will next face Switzerland on Monday, Feb. 9, and then play defending Olympic champion Canada the next day.

USA TODAY Sports was at the game in Milan bringing you live updates and highlights.

Watch USA women’s hockey on Peacock

Final score: USA 5, Finland 0

USA improves to 2-0 at the tournament.

USA goal: Abbey Murphy scores

Abbey Murphy picks up a rebounds and scores with about four minutes left. She has two points in the game. USA 5, Finland 0

9 minutes left

Still 4-0 USA.

USA power play

USA quickly back on the power play as Noora Tulus is called for hooking. Finland kills the penalty.

USA power play

Petra Nieminen is called for tripping. USA has two power-play goals so far. Laila Edwards hits the crossbar. Penalty is killed.

Third period underway

4-0 USA.

End of second period: USA 4, Finland 0

Hilary Knight, who missed a shift at the end of the first period, came back in the second period and tied the U.S. Olympic women’s hockey scoring record. Her 14th career Olympic goal gave the USA its 4-0 lead. It was the USA’s second power-play goal of the game. Taylor Heise and Megan Keller also scored in the period. Keller has three points and Laila Edwards has two assists for the game. Shots are 36-9 USA through two periods.

USA power play

Jenni Hiiriskoski is called for tripping. Finland kills it off and gets a shorthanded chance at the end.

USA goal: Hilary Knight ties U.S. scoring record

Captain Hilary Knight is standing at the side of the net on the power play and beats Sanni Ahola. That’s 14 career Olympic goals for Knight, who tied the U.S. record shared by Natalie Darwitz and Katie King. USA 4, Finland 0

USA power play

Ronja Savolainen is called for holding.

USA goal: Megan Keller scores

U.S. defender Megan Keller scored a goal right between Finnish goalkeeper Sanni Ahola’s legs at the 3:37 mark to extend the Americans’ lead. That’s two points for Keller. The score came a little more than a minute after Taylor Heise’s goal. USA 3, Finland 0

USA goal: Taylor Heise adds to lead

The USA breaks down the ice on a 3-on-2. Abbey Murphy feeds Taylor Heise for a goal at 2:31 of the second period. Britta Curl gets the second assist. USA 2, Finland 0

Hilary Knight injury update: Back in after hard fall

Second period underway

1-0 USA.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance attends women’s hockey

Vance is back at Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena. Following Friday’s opening ceremony, where he was booed by a crowd of over 70,000 spectators, Vance and his family took in Team USA’s preliminary matchup against Finland on Saturday. He arrived shortly before the first period ended.

Vance has attended several events while cheering on Team USA for the Winter Olympics in Milan. He attended the team figure skating event on Friday and watched the U.S. women’s hockey team defeat Czechia 5-1 on Thursday.

Earlier Thursday, Vance met with several U.S. Olympians to wish them well despite any political affiliations.

“The whole country — Democrat, Republican, Independent. We’re all rooting for you and cheering for you and know you are all going to make us proud. Thank you all and hope you guys have fun,” Vance said 

End of first: USA 1, Finland 0

Finland was able to hang in there, considering that norovirus had gone through the team. But the USA scores the lone goal of the period. Alex Carpenter needed only seven seconds to convert on the USA’s second power play of the game. Shots were 15-4 USA. Hilary Knight went to the bench immediately after tumbling near the blue line.

USA goal: Alex Carpenter power play goal gives USA lead

The U.S. women weren’t able to score on their first power play of the night, but they converted on the second. Alex Carpenter found the back of the net against Finland at the 15:19 mark of the first period, marking her second goal in as many Olympic games. Both came during power plays. Carpenter is up to 10 career Olympic goals in 13 games. Laila Edwards and Megan Keller were credited with the assists as they were on Carpenter’s goal against Czechia. USA 1, Finland 0

USA power play

Susanna Tapani is called for hooking.

USA power play

The U.S. women had their first power play after Finland’s Michelle Karvinen was called for holding Abbey Murphy’s stick. However, the Americans weren’t able to take advantage and didn’t convert. Caroline Harvey hit the post.

Game underway

USA’s Aerin Frankel vs. Finland’s Sanni Ahola in net. It’s the second consecutive start for Frankel.

Where to watch U.S. women’s hockey vs Finland today

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

USA Network will broadcast Saturday’s U.S. women’s hockey Group B matchup against Finland at the Milano Cortina Olympics. Streaming options for the game include NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Olympic App (with a TV login).

You can also stream the game on Peacock, NBC’s subscription streaming service.

What time is U.S. women’s hockey vs Finland today?

Date: Saturday, Feb. 7
Time: 10:40 a.m. ET
Location: Rho Ice Hockey Arena (Milan)

Puck drop between the U.S. women’s hockey team and Czechia is set for 10:40 a.m. ET on Saturday, Feb. 7 from Rho Ice Hockey Arena in Milan.

Olympics ice hockey schedule today

All times Eastern.

Group B (Women’s): Germany vs. Japan | 6:10 a.m. | Peacock (digital only) and NBCOlympics.com | Germany 5, Japan 2
Group B (Women’s): Sweden vs. Italy | 8:40 a.m. | Peacock (digital only) and NBCOlympics.com | Sweden 6, Italy 1
Group A (Women’s): United States vs. Finland | 10:40 a.m. | Peacock, USA Network and NBCOlympics.com | USA 5, Finland 0
Group A (Women’s): Switzerland vs. Canada | 3:10 p.m. | USA Network and NBCOlympics.com.

Team USA projected lines

Germany beats Japan in women’s hockey game

Laura Kluge had a goal and three assists and Nicola Hadraschek had two goals and an assist as Germany picked up its first win with a 5-2 victory against Japan on Saturday.

U.S. women’s hockey roster for 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics

Here is the full U.S. women’s hockey roster for the Milano Cortina Olympics:

Goaltenders: Ava McNaughton; Aerin Frankel; Gwyneth Philips.
Defenders: Lee Stecklein; Cayla Barnes; Caroline Harvey; Megan Keller; Rory Guilday; Haley Winn; Laila Edwards.
Forwards: Kirsten Simms; Kelly Pannek; Grace Zumwinkle; Hayley Scamurra; Britta Curl-Salemme; Hilary Knight; Tessa Janecke; Hannah Bilka; Joy Dunne; Alex Carpenter; Kendall Coyne Schofield; Taylor Heise; Abbey Murphy.

Norovirus case detected on Swiss women’s hockey team

The Swiss Ice Hockey Federation announced Friday that a member of the women’s team has tested positive for norovirus. It said the positive test became known after Switzerland played its opener against Czechia on Friday.

‘The affected athlete had been staying in a single room since arriving at the Olympic Village on Monday, February 2, 2026, and had been isolated from the team since the onset of symptoms,’ the federation said in a statement. ‘She has been symptom-free since this morning.’

The women’s team skipped the opening ceremony as a precaution. No other Swiss player is showing symptoms, the federation said. Switzerland next plays Saturday against Canada, whose opening game was postponed because of a norovirus outbreak on Team Finland. — Mike Brehm

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CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Next time we see Lindsey Vonn, she’ll be racing the Olympic downhill.

Vonn completed her second training run on the Olympia delle Tofane in as many days Saturday, Feb. 7. Her time of 1:38.28 was two seconds faster than the previous day, and put her in third place before the race was interrupted by heavy fog at the top of the course.

‘When she came down, she talked about skiing and was calm and didn’t talk about the knee at all. And then I didn’t want to ask, either, because I figured that’s a good sign,’ said Aksel Lund Svindal, the two-time Olympic champion who is now Vonn’s coach.

‘How I’ve learned to know her, when she’s calm means that she feels like she has under control.’

Vonn was off-balance on a couple of her landings, including one near the bottom where her damaged left knee appeared to give a little. But Svindal said that is not unexpected. Vonn’s brain is telling her to land on her right leg and, if she does, it causes her to wobble a bit.

‘Try to have less of that tomorrow if we can,’ he said, smiling.

Especially since Vonn will need to push harder Sunday if she wants a medal. Which is the whole point of this last week.

Vonn crashed eight days ago during the last downhill before the Olympics, tearing her left ACL and suffering bone bruising and meniscus damage. But she’s been determined to ski at her fifth Olympics and, if she’s going to ski, she’s going to ski to win.

‘Good enough to win this race, hopefully,’ Svindal said when asked how he’d rate her physical strength right now.

‘But her mental strength, I think that’s why she has won as much as she has,’ he added. ‘Also, she has some experience now at 41 years old. I think that’s what she needs to bring out tomorrow, all her experience and her mental strength.’

Skiers only need to do one training run to be cleared for the race. But Svindal said it was important she do the second run, as well, because the course had changed, and was more like what it will be on race day. Instead of the mushy and soft conditions during the first run, the surface had hardened.

‘All the small bumps, you don’t cut through them, you feel them through your body. So a very different feeling,’ Svindal said.

Some of the jumps were shaved, too, reducing the amount of air skiers get.

‘She knows that she’ll have to push harder tomorrow because the rest of the girls will, and it’s the Olympic downhill. You’re not going to get away with a medal here unless you push hard,’ Svindal said. ‘And I think she’s ready for that.’

But after having a partial knee replacement in April 2024, Vonn felt so good she began contemplating a comeback.

“I retired in 2019 because my body said no more, not because I didn’t want to continue racing,” Vonn told USA TODAY Sports in October. “So I feel like this could be an incredible moment to end this chapter of my life and move forward in a really exciting and peaceful way.”

Cortina was a big part of that.

Cortina has always been one of Vonn’s favorite places. She made her first World Cup podium there, winning a bronze medal in the downhill in 2004, and 12 of her 84 World Cup victories came there.

To ski in an Olympics there, maybe have those be her final races, seemed a fitting end.

“It’s such a special place for me,” Vonn said in October. “I don’t think I would have tried this comeback if the Olympics weren’t in Corina. If it had been anywhere else, I would probably say it’s not worth it.

“But for me, there’s something special about Corina that always pulls me back.”

Vonn had mixed results after she returned to the World Cup circuit in 2024, but she finished the season with a silver medal in the super-G at the World Cup finals in Sun Valley, Idaho. After a full off-season to train and fine-tune her equipment, the 41-year-old Vonn was unstoppable.

She won the season’s first downhill, in St. Moritz, and another in Zauchensee. She was on the podium in all five downhill races, and two of the first three super-Gs.

Vonn led the downhill standings, putting her in position to join Mikaela Shiffrin as the only skiers to win nine season titles in a single discipline. Vonn also was second in the super-G standings and sixth in the overall.

The possibility of winning another season title even persuaded Vonn to rethink her retirement plans.

After last week’s crash, however, her entire focus is on Sunday’s downhill.

‘We knew that today would be different and it would really increase our chances of nailing tomorrow if we did today,’ Svindal said. ‘And that’s why we did it.’