What to watch on final day of Milan Cortina Games: US-Canada hockey final, Gu chases 1st gold

MILAN (AP) — The final day of the Milan Cortina Olympics ends with one of its most anticipated events, when the United States and Canada face off for the gold medal in men’s hockey.

Freeskier Eileen Gu is chasing her first gold of the 2026 Games, while there are also medals to be awarded in cross-country skiing, curling and bobsled before the closing ceremony Sunday night. That starts at 8:30 p.m. local time (1930 GMT, 2:30 p.m. ET).

Here is a guide of what to look out for Sunday:

How to watch the Milan Cortina Olympics

Viewers around the world can watch on official broadcasters, including NBC and streaming on Peacock and NBC Olympics platforms.

US, Canada meet for men’s hockey gold

It’s the final everyone expected.

The matchup of two powerful rivals caps the NHL’s return to the Games following a 12-year absence. The Americans and Canadians are undefeated and both teams are stacked with some of the best players in the world.

Canada will have a slight edge when the puck drops at 2:10 p.m. in Milan, 8:10 a.m. Eastern Time and 5:10 a.m. Pacific.

The last U.S. men’s squad to win it all at the Olympics was the “Miracle on Ice” team in Lake Placid. New York, in 1980. The only other gold was 1960.

The U.S. last reached the final in 2010 in Vancouver, losing to Canada on Crosby’s golden goal in overtime. Canada has won Olympic gold a record nine times, including three in the first five Games with NHL players.

The final is a repeat of the women’s gold medal match, during which the U.S. beat Canada in a thrilling overtime encounter Thursday.

Eileen Gu tries to defend her Olympic halfpipe title

Eileen Gu of China shook off a fall to advance to the final in freeski halfpipe. She won gold in the discipline four years ago in Beijing.

The 22-year-old Gu, who was born in the United States, took silver in slopestyle and big air earlier at the Milan Cortina Games.

The final had to be postponed a day because of heavy snow in the Italian Alps. It is now scheduled to begin at 10:40 a.m. local time (0940 GMT, 4:40 a.m. ET).

Diggins’ last Olympics race

American cross-country skiing star Jessie Diggins will be hoping for a medal in what will be her last race in the Olympics. But she will have a tough battle against a stellar Swedish team.

The first ever women’s 50-kilometer mass start classic is at 10 a.m. local time (0900 GMT, 4 a.m. ET).

Diggins, who’s racing in her final season, battled through injury to claim bronze Thursday in the women’s 10‑kilometer interval start.

The 34-year-old was behind a Swedish one-two, with Frida Karlsson, who picked up her second gold medal of the Games.

Sweden has claimed nine of the 15 medals awarded so far in women’s cross-country.

Diggins has had a disappointing Olympics experience. She came into the Games as the leader in the World Cup standings, but an early fall in a race set her back.

This will be the first time a women’s 50 kilometer, of any style, is contested at the Olympics. The distance replaces the women’s 30 kilometer, contested previously.

Sweden goes for curling gold

After beating top-ranked Canada in the semifinals, Sweden will face Switzerland in the final of the women’s curling.

Sweden has won the women’s competition three times since curling returned to the Olympic program in 1998 and claimed bronze in Beijing four years ago.

Switzerland will be aiming for its first women’s curling gold at the Olympics but took silver behind Canada at the last two world championships after four straight golds in the biggest curling competition outside of the Games.

Germany’s big advantage

Germany’s Johannes Lochner is the leader midway through the four-man bobsled race and he’s well on his way to ending his career with double Olympic gold.

After Saturday’s two runs, Lochner and his team were 0.43 seconds faster than the time posted by four-time Olympic champion and fellow German Francesco Friedrich.

Germany, which also swept the medals in two-man, holds all three medal spots at the midpoint.

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