“She skates for herself and the audience, not for the numbers or the ranking. I think that’s her secret weapon. She skates in this bubble where she doesn’t feel the pressure, and that’s why she’s winning.” – Tara Lipinski on Alysa Liu
“That’s how unforgiving this sport is…Up to seven points on that one element and then it kind of affects the rest of your program. Heartbreaking.” – Terry Gannon on Amber Glenn
“The jumps get you invited to the party, but the artistry is what makes people stay. And that’s exactly what Isabeau brought to this skate — the complete package.” – Lipinski on Isabeau Levito
“I got so much love, so much support and everyone was there for me. [I] had so many different people reach out to me: Tom Brady, Steph Curry, Simone Biles, Snoop. I’m honestly just so honored for that. I feel like it just made my day.” – Ilia Malinin to Mike Tirico
“The fun starts tomorrow, that is for sure. Looking forward to a great day of hockey.” – Eddie Olczyk on the Men’s Hockey Quarterfinals, which begin on Wednesday
TOMORROW: Mikaela Shiffrin Looks to Get Back on the Podium in Her Signature Event of the Women’s Slalom
STAMFORD, Conn. – February 17, 2026 – NBCUniversal’s coverage of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics continues tonight at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC and Peacock with Primetime in Milan, hosted by Mike Tirico.
Tonight’s show features Alysa Liu, Amber Glenn, and Isabeau Levito in the women’s short program in figure skating. Also, in their Olympic debut, Team USA’s Mac Forehand, Troy Podmilsak, and Konnor Ralph look to earn a spot on the podium in the men’s big air final.
Tomorrow, Mikaela Shiffrin looks to get back to the podium for the first time since 2018 as she competes in her signature event, slalom (live at 4 a.m. ET on Peacock and the final run live on Peacock at 7:30 a.m. before transitioning to USA Network and Peacock at 7:55 a.m.)
Following are highlights from today’s live coverage of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on NBC, Peacock, USA Network, and CNBC:
FIGURE SKATING WOMEN’S SHORT PROGRAM
Tara Lipinski on Alysa Liu’s short program: “That program was so light and refreshing. She just floated through it. She says she doesn’t feel the pressure. She said, ‘I don’t care about the competition results. I skate now to show my art.’ And that was art.”
Scott Hamilton on Liu: “Alysa Liu is just different. It’s obvious just looking at her. She looks at life differently than everybody else. It’s the way she takes the ice. She’s such a free spirit. She’s relaxed, she’s confident, and she’s got a solid jumping technique that makes her probably the most consistent woman in the field.”
Lipinski on Liu’s comeback to win 2025 World Championships: “This is one of the greatest comebacks I’ve seen in this sport. She’s come back with so much passion, joy and ownership of her skating. She skates for herself and the audience, not for the numbers or the ranking. I think that’s her secret weapon. She skates in this bubble where she doesn’t feel the pressure, and that’s why she’s winning.”
Terry Gannon as Liu finishes her performance: “The comeback continues for Alysa Liu.”
Lipinski on Amber Glenn: “She hit the most beautiful triple axel, nailed the triple-triple. The easiest of the jumping passes was the loop, right before she was going into it, she really had a shot. It would’ve been close at that gold medal in the short program. But loss 7 points.”
Weir: “As soon as your foot hits that ice, you know that you just messed up.”
Gannon on Glenn’s score: “That’s how unforgiving this sport is…12th place. Up to seven points on that one element and then it kind of affects the rest of your program. Heartbreaking.”
Johnny Weir on the triple axel attempts in the competition: “Two women are attempting the triple axel in this competition. It’s about a five-point advantage over the women doing double axels. Ami Nakai and Amber Glenn of the United States will go for that big jump.”
Lipinski on Amber Glenn’s technical difficulty and perseverance: “She has one of the most difficult short programs, including the triple axel — three and a half revolutions in the air. She’s such a solid technician. She skates from the heart. She has this genuine ability to connect with the audience and the judges. She is a fierce competitor. She’s been through so much to get to these Olympic Games. So many trials, so many obstacles. She is the definition of perseverance.”
Weir on Isabeau Levito’s presence on the ice: “She’s an actress on the ice. She’s the consummate perfectionist out there. She can count on one hand how many times she falls per week. She’s just so extraordinary and porcelain on the ice.”
Lipinski after Levito’s performance: “That was so special and sparkly. The jumps get you invited to the party, but the artistry is what makes people stay. And that’s exactly what Isabeau brought to this skate — the complete package. Her artistry, choreography and performance value. It’s like the most beautiful cursive in the world, while other skaters are just typing their way through the program.”
Weir on sportsmanship among Team USA and the field: “I don’t think we ever would have seen this before. The level of sportsmanship among the skaters is the best it’s ever been. It’s so heartwarming to see.”
Weir on Kaori Sakamoto’s Olympic legacy: “One of the most decorated skaters at the Olympics. She is a world champion. She’s one of the biggest stars in Japanese skating. A natural and organic quality performance, and this will be her final Olympic Games.”
Lipinski following Japan’s Ami Nakai’s short program: “This was pure sunshine. This was a golden short program from start to finish. There are two scores in figure skating, the technical and the artistic, and she combined them seamlessly. Such quality skating — not just her jumps, but her edge quality, her performance capability and the smile. It was just so happy. She reminds you why skating is so much fun.”
Lipinski on Nakai’s medal potential: “She was always in the conversation for the podium, but this really puts her in the conversation for a gold medal.”
Gannon on Nakai’s score of 78.71: “Ami Nakai takes the lead with a number only Kaori Sakamoto has scored higher this season. That is a statement.”
MIKE TIRICO’S INTERVIEW WITH ILIA MALININ
Tirico: “How has it been to get back on the ice after what happened in the singles program?”
Malinin: “It’s honestly just kind of a relief, and something that I always do, no matter what happens in the competition. The next day you have to get up and skate because that’s our job and that’s what we do. So, just looking forward to the gala and I have something pretty special planned. I hope I can bring lots of emotion, lots of energy to the rink.”
Tirico: “What have the last few days been like for you?”
Malinin: “It’s honestly been a lot of ups and downs and of course, following the free skate, it was a little hard at first and trying to realize what happened and how devastating it really was. But, looking back at it, I got so much love, so much support and everyone was there for me. [I] had so many different people reach out to me: Tom Brady, Steph Curry, Simone Biles, Snoop. I’m honestly just so honored for that. I feel like it just made my day.”
Tirico: “Has any of [Simone Biles]’s experiences been helpful to you as you’re dealing with the first part of this process?”
Malinin: “Definitely. We’ve had a similar path and especially, she told me that she can relate to that. For her, she just had to get through and understand what happened to not have that happen in the future.”
Tirico: “I thought what you said afterwards was the most intriguing thing, that things just started to speed up for you. Has that happened before and was it difficult to try to get it back to where things were in that normal feeling for you?”
Malinin: “Honestly, I was not expecting it to feel that way, but definitely getting on that ice… usually, I feel like I’m in control and everything lines up where it should be – but that time, it really just felt like it was speeding ahead of me and I didn’t have time to really catch up and get back together. But of course, it’s something that I need to learn from and for the next few years and for the future Olympics, that’s something I’m going to really consider to not happen again.”
Tirico: “Social media is a very interesting place. It can be a dark place. It can be an expressive place. Have you engaged? Have you looked at what people are saying, or have you just tried to put it all away and just stay within yourself?”
Malinin: “No, I’ve definitely looked at it after a day. I gave myself one day just to kind of be in my own zone, be in my own space, but after that, I kind of just went online to see what people say and a lot of positive messages, a lot of love, a lot of support and I was so felt to the heart, it just hit me and it’s a reason why I love this sport so much. Because no matter what happens, it doesn’t define who you are as a person, and I think everyone realized that that night. I’m super grateful to have all the support from my team, my fans, my parents who are also my coaches. It’s just wonderful.”
Tirico: “I know you want to have an impact where you can change skating, almost make skating cool. How do you think this will allow you to continue to do that over the next few years?”
Malinin: “I think this is definitely one of the steps that had to happen, and it’s just something of getting over that obstacle, getting over that steppingstone of getting yourself to appear at the Olympics. I think that was something that the main goal, no matter what the outcome would’ve been, is really just come out here and show your love and passion for skating in that way. That’s where the start of this would be. With all the other athletes there, we’re always there to elevate each other and motivate, to keep pushing the sport further and further with these boundaries. I think it’s why I love it so much as well.”
Tirico: “One of the U.S. goals is in that team event. It doesn’t happen without you, and you will have a gold medal forever from Milan. How helpful is that as you start to think about reflecting on what this experience has been like?”
Malinin: “It’s definitely something that will help me not feel the worst from my Olympic experience and really shows how grateful I should be for even stepping on the ice for that team event. It was something that I was not sure that I was going to do, but making the decision pretty close to the deadline, I’m so grateful that me and all the other teammates just fought and put so much energy, all of it into that skate. It’s what gave us this gold medal and I’m never going to forget that.”
FREESTYLE SKIING MEN’S BIG AIR FINAL
Tom Wallisch on the judges rewarding Tormod Frostad’s skiing: “To see the judges reward Tormod’s skiing, which has way less spinning than the other athletes and just proper butters, is very interesting. This may be a turning point in the direction of the sport.”
Wallisch on Mac Forehand’s final run: “This is unbelievable. Mac Forehand is changing the trajectory of the sport. Absolutely the best three jumps I’ve ever seen done in succession by a freeskier. Ever.”
Todd Harris on Forehand’s performance for Team USA: “With that silver medal, the USA now leads the silver medal count in freestyle skiing, as Mac Forehand gets his first Olympic medal.”
Wallisch on the 2026 men’s big air final: “This is by far the best big air competition I’ve ever watched. I’m just losing my mind.”
SPEED SKATING MEN’S TEAM PURSUIT SEMIFINALS AND FINALS
Matt Iseman on Team USA taking silver: “The U.S. technique won gold, but the U.S. team wins silver.”
Zach Miles to Jac Collinsworth on Gold Zone about Team USA’s technique in team speedskating: “This is the technique that was actually revolutionized and started by Team USA. This was their approach going into the 2022 Games. In 2018, they used to take turns — the front person would rotate to the back — and they would alternate who led out of the three. But now the U.S. has revolutionized it. All the other teams and countries have jumped on the bandwagon. Using this technique, the U.S. has lowered the world record three times.”
Bill Spaulding on Team USA chasing Italy: “The Americans have been the visionaries in this sport, and they’re on their way to being rewarded with their second Olympic medal. But it’s been the home cooking here in Italy all along.”
Joey Cheek on Team USA losing momentum: “When the momentum shifted, the U.S. team was just not able to match that same consistent race pacing that the Italians put out there on the ice.”
SPEED SKATING WOMEN’S TEAM PURSUIT FINALS
Spaulding on Canada winning gold: “The Canadians are golden in the women’s team pursuit. Canada is the first team to repeat since Germany in 2006 and 2010, and that high-powered engine Isabelle Weidemann just pulled her teammates to a second gold.”
Cheek on Japan’s technical mastery: “The U.S. team was in the fight for about three laps, but they were really outclassed by the technical mastery you see from the Japanese team.”
Spaulding on Miho Takagi’s milestone as Japan wins bronze: “Miho Takagi is on her way to becoming only the second woman ever in speed skating with double-digit medals. Japan takes bronze, Takagi wins her 10th medal, and her third in these Games.”
MEN’S HOCKEY PLAYOFF ROUND: CZECHIA VS. DENMARK
T.J. Oshie on the quarterfinal matchup with a well-rested Team Canada: “It’s a tough road for whoever wins this game, but when these teams start in the locker room, they talk about belief and believing they can get it done. This isn’t a seven-game NHL-style playoff series. It’s one game, and it’s one game at a time.”
Brendan Burke on Team Czechia advancing to face Canada in the quarterfinals: “Team Czechia gets the job done. They’ve got a tough opponent tomorrow and a quick turnaround for their medal hopes.”
MEN’S HOCKEY PLAYOFF ROUND SWEDEN VS. LATVIA
Sweden’s forward Gabriel Landeskog to Kathryn Tappen on the matchup against Team USA: “Team USA is deep, deep-skilled. They really don’t have many weaknesses. For us, it’s going to be an exciting game. It’s a great opportunity for us as a team to continue to grow into this tournament and see how good we can be. It’s an opportunity, and we’re really looking forward to it.”
Eddie Olczyk looking ahead to the quarterfinals: “The fun starts tomorrow, that is for sure. Looking forward to a great day of hockey in the quarterfinal.”
Jack Hughes on Team USA’s quarterfinal matchup with Sweden: “It’s going to be a hard game. Sweden has a world-class roster. That will be a good game.”
Olczyk on the USA-Sweden matchup: “The forwards for Team USA are going to have to find a way to navigate the defense for Team Sweden. You could argue they’re the best set of defensemen in this tournament.”
Brian Boucher on how Team USA can wear down Sweden: “The investment that is needed is to wear them down. Keep in mind, it will be the second half of a back-to-back for Sweden. You may not get the results you want in the first 20 or 30 minutes. But if you can wear them down and make it difficult for them, the payoff will come later in the game. That’s where the U.S. can find a way to expose Sweden.”
T.J. Oshie on the importance of physicality against Sweden: “It all comes down to physicality. This is a playoff-style mentality. No one does it better for the Americans than Brady Tkachuk. He leads with his physicality and builds his team, getting them into the game.”
BOBSLEIGH TWO-MAN FINAL RUN
Leigh Diffey on Team USA’s fourth-place finish: “For Frank Del Duca and Josh Williamson, they fought as hard as they could, and it’s an excellent fourth-place finish.”
Diffey on Team Germany’s sweep in two-man bobsled: “And for the second Games in a row, it’s gold, silver, and bronze for Team Germany in the two-man bobsled.”
Diffey on Johannes Lochner winning Olympic gold: “Gold for Team Germany, and that elusive gold for Lochner is elusive no more. He’s an Olympic champion in the same winter that he’s the World Cup champion.”
***
ABOUT NBCUNIVERSAL
NBCUniversal is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies. We create world-class content, which we distribute across our portfolio of film, television, and streaming, and bring to life through our global theme park destinations, consumer products, and experiences. We own and operate leading entertainment and news brands, including NBC, NBC News, NBC Sports, Telemundo, NBC Local Stations, Bravo, and Peacock, our premium ad-supported streaming service. We produce and distribute premier filmed entertainment and programming through our powerhouse film and television studios, including Universal Pictures, DreamWorks Animation, and Focus Features, and the four global television studios under the Universal Studio Group banner, and operate industry-leading theme parks and experiences around the world through Universal Destinations & Experiences, including Universal Orlando Resort, home to Universal Epic Universe, and Universal Studios Hollywood. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. Visit www.nbcuniversal.com for more information.
--MILAN CORTINA 2026 WINTER OLYMPICS—
