Winter Games live: Poland rise in luge as curling and speed skating heat up
Action is ramping up across the venues. Poland have climbed into the women’s doubles luge medals—for now. The men’s curling round robin is under way. Early speed-skating times are tumbling. In hockey, Slovakia have swung a tight game against Finland. Here is the state of play.
Poland push into the luge medal mix
Women’s doubles has reached run two. This run decides the medals on combined time across the four efforts. Canada’s Allan and Podulsky hacked two seconds off their opener. Romania then hit the top. Poland answered and moved ahead, with four of 11 sleds still to come. The fastest teams are on the way, so one mistake could flip the order. Earlier, in men’s doubles run one, the young Americans Mueller and Haugsjaa set a track mark of 52.482. Austria sat second, Italy third, and the two German crews fourth and fifth. Luge uses thin sleds and flat steel runners; every corner punishes a late line.
Men’s curling: round robin gets moving
Four ties have just begun: Sweden-Italy, Canada-Germany, Czechia-USA, and China-Great Britain. These are four-player teams with a fifth as alternate. Sweden’s Rasmus Wranå, fresh from mixed-doubles gold, is back on the sheet. GB are skipped by Bruce Mouat after missing bronze in mixed doubles. The USA’s Korey Dropkin, who took silver there, is not on this lineup. In curling, “the hammer” means last-stone advantage; smart teams will trade ones and keep it for late ends.
Speed skating 1000m: early markers set
Francesco Betti opened the men’s 1000m alone and set a track record, which the field then chased down. Korea’s Koo-Kyung Min blasted into the lead with 1:08.53. Italy’s Daniele Di Stefano edged Canada’s Laurent Dubreuil on the line soon after. Germany’s pair then split by four thousandths in a photo. Many contenders remain. Racing usually runs in pairs to allow drafting on the turns, so a solo start is a handicap.
Slovakia surge past Finland in men’s hockey
The game swung in the third period. Dalibor Dvorský and Juraj Slafkovský scored in quick time for a 3-1 Slovak lead. Tempers flared late in the second, but the checks and pushes have stayed below boiling point since. Special teams and tired legs will decide the closing stretch.
Quick hits and what’s next
- Luge course notes: the build looks rough in places, with bare pine above the ice. That raises stakes on wall brushes and late exits.
- Mixed-doubles curling flashback: Sweden’s win drew praise for composure and sportsmanship. The men now chase their own rhythm.
- Speed skating continues with seeded pairs. Expect the record to fall again as top starters roll in.
Stay tuned. More runs, more ends, and more laps are coming fast.