Winter Olympics 2026 Day 11: Mac Forehand wins silver as Frostad stuns in freeski big air; curling, hockey, bobsled updates

Day 11 of the Milan–Cortina Winter Games delivered dramatic turns across venues: the men's freeski big air final produced one of the sport's most electric showings, curling moved deeper into medal contention, hockey qualification playoffs tightened, and two-man bobsled teams grappled with changing ice. The program was also disrupted by snow flurries that postponed several freestyle events.

Big Air final becomes instant classic; Frostad edges Mac Forehand

The men's freeski big air final on Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 1: 30 p. m. ET turned into a sport-defining round. Norway's Tormod Frostad produced a near-flawless performance to claim gold, while Mac Forehand of the United States earned silver after a night of huge tricks and high drama.

Forehand arrived in the final after an eye-popping qualifying performance, where he combined a switch left triple cork 1980 with a left nose-butter triple cork 1620 to top the field heading into the medal round. He had planned even bigger tricks for the final and landed multiple technically demanding rotations, but Frostad's scores ultimately nudged him into the top spot.

Judges were pushed to their limits by an unprecedented level of difficulty across the leaderboard. Multiple athletes unveiled new tricks, and several competitors posted individual jump scores in the 90s. The result marked both a breakthrough for Frostad and a career-defining Olympic moment for Forehand, who leaves with a silver that underscores his rapid rise in freeski big air.

Curling and hockey: knockout pressure intensifies

Curling continued to produce late-turn drama as teams jockeyed for semifinal positioning. Canada seized control against Britain with a crucial steal that put them ahead 8-5 with just two ends remaining. Britain's path to a medal grew markedly harder as the match approached its final stones.

Elsewhere, Switzerland booked a semifinal berth after an 8-4 victory over Germany. Italy held a narrow 7-5 advantage over the United States heading into the last end, with the hammer in hand. Sweden recorded a 7-4 win over Norway, while Britain and the United States sat on four wins apiece after eight games, setting the stage for pivotal matchups in the coming sessions.

In men's hockey qualification play, the Czech Republic advanced to a quarterfinal meeting with Canada. Sweden faced Latvia in a nail-biting playoff with a quarterfinal showdown against the United States at stake; Sweden's roster, stocked with NHL talent, needed to avoid an upset to set up an early clash between two medal favorites.

Bobsled, speedskating and weather disruptions shape the program

Weather once again affected the Winter Games schedule. Snow flurries postponed the women's freestyle aerials qualification and the snowboard slopestyle final, forcing organizers and athletes to adapt to shifting timetables and uncertain conditions.

On the ice track, two-man bobsled competitors contended with a noticeable temperature swing between rounds. Morning runs at about 37 degrees Fahrenheit gave way to much colder conditions—near 23 degrees—later in the day, which altered ice grip and track consistency. American pilot Frank Del Duca and brakeman Josh Williamson described the variable ice and emphasized that while early starters sometimes find the best conditions, the grouped start order can equalize chances among close rivals.

Speedskating delivered medals as well: the United States took silver in the men's team pursuit, while Canada secured its second straight gold in the women's event, continuing strong form on the oval.

As the Games move past their midway point, athletes and teams face a compressed schedule where weather, ice and a handful of pivotal moments will decide who advances and who departs. Tuesday's big air final will be remembered for accelerating the sport's technical boundaries and for solidifying Mac Forehand's status as one of the event's brightest young stars.