Gold-Maier ends our frustration at the Olympics, Preuß competes one last time

After days of frustration, the German team can finally look forward to a gold medal again. Ski crosser Daniela Maier sensationally comes first. Tomorrow we can continue with gold. The Olympics update.

What was important on Friday at the Olympics

Daniela Maier sensationally wins gold in ski cross for Germany

Finally a gold medal again! Daniela Maier relieved Germany’s Olympic frustration of the last few days and won the Olympic victory in ski cross. With four dominant rounds, the German prevailed with a start-to-finish victory in the final against world champion Fanny Smith and top favorite Sandra Näslund.

Daniela Maier celebrates at the finish after her Olympic victory. She wins gold for Germany in ski cross. Oliver Weiken/dpa

Philipp Horn again only achieved fourth place in the biathlon mass start

Fourth place seems to haunt our biathletes at the Olympics. After it looked like a podium for a long time in the mass start, Philipp Horn missed a target in the last shooting and had to go into the penalty loop. This meant that the Frenchman Fillon Maillet still had the chance to overtake him. For the fourth time it was only enough for fourth place.

The finale in the freeski halfpipe turns into a fall spectacle

In the halfpipe, the American Alex Ferreira was crowned Olympic champion ahead of the competition from Estonia and Canada. The competition was characterized above all by eight falls, some of which were spectacular. Also at the Women’s qualifier Cassie Sharpe falls heavily and hits his head. But the all-clear: As she is being transported away, she can already wave to the fans.

Dutch women dominate again in speed skating over 1500 meters

The Dutch women once again showed their dominance in speed skating. Antoinette Rijpma-de Jong won the third Olympic gold for the “Oranje” over 1500 meters ahead of Norway and Canada. The only disappointment for the Dutch: 500-meter Olympic champion Femke Kok only came a disappointing fifth.

All medal decisions on Friday (February 20th)

Ski Freestyle – Skicross Women

Gold: Daniela Maier (GER), Silver: Fanny Smith (SUI), Bronze: Sandra Naeslund (SWE)

Ski Freestyle – Aerials Men

Gold: Xindi Wang (CHN), Silver: Noe Roth (SUI), Bronze: Tianma Li (CHN)

Biathlon – 15 km mass start men

Gold: Johannes Dale-Skjevdal (NOR), Silver: Sturla Holm Laegreid (NOR), Bronze: Quentin Fillon Maillet (FRA)

Speed skating – 1500m women

Gold: Antoinette Rijpma-de Jong (NED), Silver: Ragne Wiklund (NOR), Bronze: Valerie Maltais (CAN)

Curling – game for 3rd place men

Bronze: Switzerland

Ski Freestyle – Halfpipe Men

Gold: Alex Ferreira (USA), Silver: Henry Sildaru (EST), Bronze: Brendan Mackay (CAN)

Short track – 1500 m women

– will be updated –

Short track – 5000 m relay men

– will be updated –

Philipp Horn (Germany) on the cross-country ski trail at the biathlon. — The biathlete Philipp Horn again came fourth in the men’s mass start. Hendrik Schmidt/dpa

What stood out beyond the sporting competitions

Neureuther with criticism of decentralized Olympic Games

Even before the games are over Felix Neureuther drew his first conclusions about the Olympics in Milan and Cortina. The ARD expert criticized the lack of atmosphere at the decentralized Winter Games. Despite great sporting achievements, the spirit that normally characterizes the event was missing. However, he found positive words for the Germans’ performance.

The crazy story of the American “Golden Girl” Alysa Liu

Four years ago Alysa Liu ended her figure skating career at the age of 16 and yet she is now an Olympic champion. After she broke up in 2022 because of too many rules, she dared to make a comeback under her own terms two years later. Now the “Golden Girl” from the USA was able to fulfill her big dream of gold with a strong freestyle.

Alysa Liu poses with the gold medal Imago

What will be important at the Olympics on Saturday

11 a.m.: Cross-country skiing star Klaebo wants to set the next Olympic record

Cross-country skiing star Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo wants his sixth gold in the sixth race in the mass start over 50 kilometers, something that has never happened before. The Norwegian already holds the record together with US speed skater Eric Heiden. It would then be Klaebo’s eleventh gold medal overall, and he would further extend his record as the record winner at the Winter Games.

12.00 p.m.: After winning Olympic gold in ski cross, the men now want to follow up

Daniela Maier celebrated the first German Olympic gold in ski cross on Friday. Now the men are also taking to the course: Of the German quartet, Florian Wilmsmann in particular has a good chance of winning another medal in the ski freestyle discipline.

2.15 p.m.: Franziska Preuß is hoping for her first individual medal in the last race of her career

The last chance for Franziska Preuß for an individual Olympic medal. She just announced that she would end her career after the Olympics. She feels “after so many years in competitive sports that now is the right time to start a new chapter in my life.” Although she is not one of the favorites in the mass start, Preuß has already proven that she can deliver her best performance in decisive races.

7:00 p.m.: Two-man bobsleigh women want to win more precious metal in the ice track

The German team has already collected 15 medals. Now more precious metal is to be added to the women’s two-man bobsleigh. After her tearful silver in the monobob, Laura Nolte now wants gold and it looks good. Laura Nolte leads after the first two rounds ahead of her German colleague Lisa Buckwitz and the American Kaillie Armbruster Humphries.