It was a historic day for Team USA at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics on Tuesday. The American team won five medals in five different sports, something it has never accomplished in a single day at the Olympics.
But none of those medals were gold.
Advertisement
That already changed early Wednesday, as Elizabeth Lemley secured a gold in the moguls. The U.S. should be well-positioned to contend for the gold in multiple other sports Wednesday as well. Speed skater Jordan Stoltz — aka the next Eric Heiden — will finally take the ice for the 1,000 meters, a race in which he set the world record back in 2024. After helping Team USA win the team event, Madison Chock and Evan Bates will see if they can capture the gold in the ice dance Wednesday.
In addition to that, Chevonne Forgan and Sophia Kirkby had some impressive training runs in doubles luge Tuesday, and could contend for a medal in the event.
But before all that happens, there were a number of early morning events on Wednesday.
Here are the top stories of the day so far:
Advertisement
1. Elizabeth Lemley, Jaelin Kauf take gold and silver in moguls
All four American women advanced to the moguls final Wednesday, but only two performed well enough to advance to the final run. Those two — Elizabeth Lemley and Jaelin Kauf — absolutely smashed it in the final.
Lemley turned in a fantastic performance, surging ahead of the pack to take the gold with a score of 82.30. At the time of her run, Lemley’s score sat four points higher than her closest competitor … until Kauf made her run.
Kauf was similarly dominant with her performance, scoring an 80.77 and winning the silver medal. The two Americans were the only members of the competition to score above 80.
Advertisement
While Lemley and Kauf were guaranteed podium spots with one racer to go, there was a chance they could get pushed lower on the podium. Jakara Anthony came into the event as the favorite after winning gold in the moguls in 2022. But Anthony slipped during the final, finishing eighth and securing the gold and silver for Team USA.
2. Chloe Kim looks ready in halfpipe qualifiers
Chloe Kim entered the 2026 Games aiming for her unprecedented third consecutive gold medal in the halfpipe. And while Kim was considered a favorite to get the job done, a shoulder injury just a couple weeks ago resulted in the American facing more questions than normal before heading to the Milan Cortina Olympics.
Well, Kim answered all those questions during qualifiers Wednesday. She turned in a massive performance with her first run, ending any doubts about her health being an issue.
Advertisement
Kim will wear a shoulder brace when she takes the halfpipe in Thursday’s final. If her run in qualifiers is any indication, the brace won’t hold her back at all.
3. Ryan Cochran-Siegle takes silver again in super-G
Ryan Cochran-Siegle set the tone early in the super-G on Wednesday. As the third skier to make his run, Cochran-Siegle led the pack immediately, and then was forced to watch as other major threats tried to knock him off the podium.
In the end, only Switzerland’s Franjo von Allmen was able to top Cochran-Siegle, giving the American his second straight silver-medal finish in the super-G at the Olympics. Cochran-Siegle also took home the silver medal in the event in 2022.
Advertisement
His spot on the podium was not a guarantee. The big threat, Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt, was expected to knock Cochran-Siegle down to third, which would have made for a more stressful finish for the American. But Odermatt took a slightly awkward turn at the halfway point that knocked him off his game. He wound up finishing third in the event.
Highlight of the morning
It certainly didn’t look like Elizabeth Lemley’s first time in the Olympics. Lemley was electric during her final moguls run Wednesday, earning an 82.30 score to obliterate the competition. The only other athlete who came close to touching Lemley’s run was her country-mate Jaelin Kauf, who earned a silver medal.
Advertisement
While both performances were impressive, Lemley’s was truly a sight to behold, one worth watching multiple times.
Leave a Reply