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MILAN — Eileen Gu is readying to defend her big air ski freestyle title and a Norwegian contender's emotional reaction overshadowed the last men's Alpine ski event of the Milan Cortina Olympics.
Also on Day 10 of the Winter Games, the United States won its women's hockey semifinal game. Canada plays next, which could set up yet another gold-medal decider between the old rivals.
The men's slalom race had a finish like no other.
Norway's Atle Lie McGrath was leading the race and skiing last on the second run but straddled a gate and was out. He stopped, threw his ski poles over a fence and then started walking through deep snow to the forest for some time alone.
The dramatic finish overshadowed Loic Meillard of Switzerland winning gold, and an earlier fall for giant slalom winner and South American history maker Lucas Pinheiro Braathen.
It's been an especially tough Olympics for McGrath, whose grandfather died on the day of the opening ceremony. McGrath was racing with an armband as a tribute.
The freestyle star who skis for China is going for her second medal of these Olympics as she aims to win the big air event for the second Games in a row.
Gu was second in qualifying and will be up against Mathilde Gremaud, who beat her to the gold medal in slopestyle. Gu is also competing in the halfpipe later in the Milan Cortina Games.
The United States is into the women's gold medal game after routing Sweden 5-0 as goaltender Aerin Frankel preserved a shutout streak which now stands at 331 minutes.
The U.S. team is unbeaten and has allowed just one goal all tournament as it seeks a first gold medal since 2018.
The defending Olympic champion Canadians play Switzerland in the day's other semifinal game.
Xandra Velzeboer won her second gold medal of the Olympics in the women's 1,000-meter short track speedskating to match her Dutch teammate Jens van 't Wout with two gold medals for the games.
Italy's Arianna Fontana was chasing what would have been her 14th career Olympic medal but placed fourth.
The figure skating pairs event heads for its decider in the free skate, with Germany's Minerva Hase and Nikita Volodin leading after the short program. Medals are also on offer in women's monobob and the men's super team ski jumping.
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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
