Breezy Johnson brought the first gold to the USA. Photo by Reuters.
The competitions in Cortina d'Ampezzo began with the women's downhill, where Breezy Johnson took first place, securing the USA's first gold medal at these Games. The silver went to Germany's Emma Aicher, and the bronze medal was awarded to Italy's Sofia Goggia.
However, the day was overshadowed by the fall of legendary Lindsey Vonn, who returned to the sport in 2024 after a five-year hiatus. The athlete was evacuated from the course by helicopter.
According to the latest reports, 41-year-old Vonn was taken to a hospital in Treviso, where she underwent surgery.
"In the afternoon, she underwent orthopedic surgery on her left leg to stabilize the fracture," medical personnel reported.
Lindsey Vonn fell just 13 seconds after the start. Photo by Reuters.
In the men's skiathlon over a distance of 10+10 kilometers, gold was won by Norwegian Johannes Klæbo. The silver went to Frenchman Mathis De Loj, and the bronze medal was awarded to his compatriot Martin Levstrem Nienge.
Russian athlete Savely Korosteleva, competing under a neutral flag, finished in fourth place. At one point, he had a chance for bronze, but De Loj received a warning from the judges for cutting the course during a pit stop. The appeal from the Russian side was unsuccessful, as the jury did not see a significant advantage for the French athlete.
Mathis De Loj (number 9) became the bronze medalist, while Savely Korosteleva (number 15) finished fourth. Photo by AFP via Getty Images.
For the first time in Olympic history, a representative from Haiti participated in cross-country skiing: Stevenson Savar finished in 64th place, the last among those who finished.
Stevenson Savar is the first skier from Haiti to successfully complete a race at the Olympics. Photo by Reuters.
40-year-old Karl Benjamin became the oldest Olympic champion. Photo by Reuters.
In the mixed relay biathlon, the French team emerged victorious, with Italy taking second place and Germany securing the bronze medal.
Among women in the parallel giant slalom, gold was won by Zuzana Maderova (Czech Republic), silver went to Sabina Payer (Austria), and bronze was awarded to Lucia Dalmaso (Italy).
The men's giant slalom was won by Karl Benjamin (Austria), with Kim Sang Kyum (South Korea) in second place and Tervel Zamfirov (Bulgaria) in third.
Norway also marked its presence with a gold medal thanks to speed skater Sander Eitrem, who set a new Olympic record in the 5000 meters with a time of 06:03.95. Silver was claimed by Metodey Yilek (Czech Republic), and bronze went to Riccardo Lorello (Italy).
Max Langenhan with the gold medal and Olympic mascots. Photo by AFP via Getty Images.
In the luge competitions, German athlete Max Langenhan won, with silver going to Jonas Meller (Austria) and bronze to Dominik Hischnaller (Italy).
Late in the evening, in the team figure skating tournament, the United States triumphed, thanks to the performance of Ilia Malinin, who brought the team the gold medal.
Photo by Neil Hall / EPA / Shutterstock.
Japan won the silver, and the bronze medal went to the hosts of the Olympics - Italy.
On Monday, February 9, five sets of medals will be contested in various disciplines, including speed skating, alpine skiing, ski jumping, and freestyle, as well as continuing competitions in curling and women's hockey.
The XXV Winter Olympic Games are taking place from February 7 to 22 in the Italian cities of Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo.
