Team USA highlights from Sunday, February 15 at 2026 Winter Olympics

[ASFN Admin]

The United States packed a full day’s worth of statements into Sunday’s schedule at the Milan Cortina Games, from the hockey rink to the sliding track and slopestyle course. The headliner came in men’s ice hockey, where a 5–1 rout of Germany locked up a perfect preliminary round and a bye straight into the quarterfinals, but there were podium pushes underway in women’s monobob, big scores in men’s freeski big air, and important qualifying work across snowboard slopestyle and mixed team events.

While Elana Meyers Taylor and Kaillie Humphries drove themselves into medal positions in women’s monobob, Mac Forehand topped a wild men’s freeski big air qualifying session with the day’s highest total score. On the curling sheets, the U.S. men’s four-player team notched a statement round-robin win over defending Olympic champion Sweden and edged Norway in another men’s round-robin game, while Tabitha Peterson’s women’s rink rallied late to beat China. Elsewhere, American snowboarders quietly checked off job one by pushing multiple riders into the men’s and women’s slopestyle finals, the U.S. contested the Olympic debut of skeleton’s mixed team competition, and two American teams lined up in mixed team snowboard cross at Livigno Snow Park.

Taken together, Sunday looked like the kind of turning-point day delegations circle on the calendar: one where a flagship team grabbed control of its bracket and several other squads positioned themselves to fight for medals as the second week ramps up.

Snowboard cross (mixed team): Americans race in quarterfinals​

You must be registered for see images attach

Feb 15, 2026; Livigno, Italy; Nick Baumgartner and Faye Thelen of the United States reacts after a mixed snowboard cross team quarterfinals during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Livigno Snow Park. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

In mixed team snowboard cross at Livigno Snow Park, five-time Olympian Nick Baumgartner and Faye Thelen headlined one U.S. team, with Nathan Pare and Stacy Gaskill forming a second American pairing. Both U.S. duos reached the quarterfinal phase of the bracket on the sport’s second Olympic appearance in this format, adding depth to Team USA’s presence in one of the Games’ most chaotic head-to-head events.

MORE: Team USA highlights from Thursday, February 12 at 2026 Winter Olympics

Skeleton (mixed team): U.S. pairs debut in new Olympic event​

You must be registered for see images attach

Feb 14, 2026; Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy; Mystique Ro of the United States during women’s individual skeleton during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Cortina Sliding Centre. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-Imagn Images

In the Olympic debut of the mixed team skeleton event, Team USA’s Mystique Ro and Austin Florian finished seventh, while Kelly Curtis and Dan Barefoot placed 10th. The two American pairs gave the U.S. a pair of top-10 results as sliders adapted to a format combining one women’s and one men’s run per team on the same heat sheet.

Snowboard slopestyle (women’s): Dhawornvej, Perlmutter make final​

You must be registered for see images attach

Feb 15, 2026; Livigno, Italy; Lily Dhawornvej of the United States during slopestyle qualification during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Livigno Snow Park. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Lily Dhawornvej and Jessica Perlmutter finished 10th and 11th in women’s snowboard slopestyle qualifying with scores of 68.90 and 68.58, clearing the line for the final. Their progression puts two U.S. riders into the medal round, where cleaner runs and added difficulty could move them into podium contention.

MORE: 8 unique Winter Olympics rules that will surprise you

Snowboard slopestyle (men’s): Martin, Canter, Gerard into the final​

You must be registered for see images attach

Feb 15, 2026; Livigno, Italy; Jake Canter of the United State during slopestyle qualification during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Livigno Snow Park. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

In men’s snowboard slopestyle qualifying, Ollie Martin (78.30), Jake Canter (70.53), and Red Gerard (70.00) placed sixth, 10th, and 11th to advance to the final. The trio’s work ensures three American boards in the last round, giving Team USA multiple medal paths depending on execution and trick selection in the Livigno course’s final runs.

Curling (women’s round-robin): Late steals lift USA over China​

You must be registered for see images attach

Feb 14, 2026; Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy; Tabitha Peterson of the United States during a women’s curling round robin game during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

In women’s round-robin play, the U.S. rink skipped by Tabitha Peterson stole points in both the ninth and tenth ends to seal a 6–5 comeback win over China. The result kept the Americans near the top of the women’s standings and nudged them closer to clinching one of four available semifinal spots.

Curling (men’s round-robin): USA score statement win over Sweden​

You must be registered for see images attach

Feb 14, 2026; Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy; Aidan Oldenburg of the United States reacts after a men’s curling round robin game during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

In men’s round-robin curling, Team USA produced a headline 8–5 victory over defending Olympic champion Sweden, with all four American players under age 27. The win pulled the U.S. into a tie for third at 4–2 in the updated men’s standings and was widely described as a statement result in their medal-round push.

Curling (men’s round-robin): USA staves off Norway rally​

You must be registered for see images attach

Feb 14, 2026; Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy; Ben Richardson and Aidan Oldenburg of the United States during a men’s curling round robin game during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

Earlier on Sunday, the U.S. men’s four-player team also outlasted Norway 10–8 in another men’s round-robin game after nearly letting a 5–0 lead slip away. Danny Casper helped deliver the decisive two points in the 10th end as the Americans improved to 4–2, jumping Norway in the standings and strengthening their path toward the knockout phase.

Freeski big air (men’s qualifying): Forehand tops wild round​

You must be registered for see images attach

Feb 15, 2026; Livigno, Italy; Mac Forehand of the United States reacts after his third jump in the men’s freestyle skiing big air qualification during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Livigno Snow Park. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Mac Forehand led men’s freeski big air qualification with a combined 183.00 points, edging Austria’s Matej Svancer (182.25) and Norway’s Birk Ruud (181.00) in a tightly packed top three. His performance, highlighted by multiple triple-cork variations, secured him the top seed and last drop in the final at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Bobsled (women’s monobob): Meyers Taylor, Humphries in medal positions​

You must be registered for see images attach

Elana Meyers Taylor (USA) celebrates winning the silver medal in the womenÕs monobob during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games at Yanqing Sliding Centre on Feb. 14, 2022.

In women’s monobob, Americans Elana Meyers Taylor and Kaillie Humphries sat second and third, respectively, at the midpoint of the four-run event, trailing only Germany’s Laura Nolte. Teammate Kaysha Love was close behind in fifth, giving Team USA three sleds in the top five heading into the final day of sliding in Cortina.

Ice hockey (men’s Group C): USA steamrolls Germany, secures quarterfinal bye​

You must be registered for see images attach

Feb 15, 2026; Milan, Italy; Jack Hughes and Brady Tkachuk of United States in action with Moritz Seider and Tim Stutzle of Germany in men’s ice hockey group C play during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

In men’s Group C ice hockey, the United States beat Germany 5–1 to finish the preliminary round 3–0 and clinch an automatic bye to the quarterfinals. Auston Matthews scored twice and added an assist, Connor Hellebuyck made 23 saves on 24 shots, and the U.S. outshot Germany 37–24 in a wire-to-wire win at Milano Santagiulia Arena.

RELATED: NHL teams with the highest winning percentages over the past decade

Final whistle​

You must be registered for see images attach

Feb 15, 2026; Livigno, Italy; Jake Canter of the United State during slopestyle qualification during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Livigno Snow Park. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

From men’s Group C hockey and men’s curling round-robin to women’s monobob and slopestyle qualifiers, Sunday’s results showed U.S. athletes advancing in both marquee team sports and newer mixed formats. With quarterfinals, finals and medal races looming across those disciplines, Team USA heads into the back half of Milan Cortina with momentum in several key events.

— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories on The Big Lead —​

OLYMPICS: 2026 Winter Olympics medal count, standings entering February 15

DAYTONA 500: 2026 Daytona 500 starting lineup & TV schedule

NFL: Tennessee Titans’ new logo leaked in Fanatics mishap?

NBA: Mac McClung shares 2026 NBA Slam Dunk arsenal fans were robbed of

GOLF: 2026 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am tee times, Round 4 groupings for Sunday

VIRAL: 2026 Winter Olympics star compares muscles with NFL running back Saquon Barkley

The post Team USA highlights from Sunday, February 15 at 2026 Winter Olympics appeared first on The Big Lead.

Continue reading...