US bidding for world, Olympic team double Skeleton; Sweden eves beat Germany in Ice hockey opener

The US is the most successful skeleton nation in Winter Olympic history but with most of those medals now gathering dust, the arrival of the new mixed relay at Cortina is a timely opportunity to get back on the podium.

The two American men’s golds came in 1928 and 2002, with the solitary women’s gold also coming on home ice in Salt Lake City 24 years ago. Sochi 2014 brought a silver for Noelle Pikus-Pace and a bronze for Matthew Antoine, but they were the only medals secured in the last six Olympics.

So it was a boost for the country when Mystique Ro and Austin Florian unexpectedly won the mixed team world championship in Lake Placid last year, ending the grip of Germany who had won the previous four editions and raising hopes of a first American Olympic skeleton gold overseas for 98 years.

“I think the mixed relay is a really great opportunity to add another element to skeleton,” Ro told a news conference in Cortina on Thursday.

“We’re a very individualistic sport, but to now have a team component with another complexity that’s from my background in track and field, a reaction start, I think it’s really helpful and fun to bring the team together to try to experience something else, and it’s another medal opportunity for us.”

The pair also finished third in the World Cup this season.

“It’s obviously an event that we’ve been pretty successful at the last few years since its inception, and to go into the Olympics in the first year of it being the world champions is a pretty cool thing,” Florian said. “We’re going to try to take the momentum from that and this past season into that and try to put a good race down.”

Sweden rally to rout Germany

Sweden came from behind to beat Germany 4-1 and kick off the women’s Olympic ice hockey action in their Group B game on Thursday at Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena where Lina Ljungblom scored twice to get them off to a perfect start.

The 5,800-capacity venue had plenty of empty seats, but the Swedish and German fans brought the noise and colour. After all the ⁠concern over ice conditions and whether the arenas would be ready in time, the first puck drop of Milano Cortina arrived.

Germany, making their first appearance since 2014, more than held their own in an opening period where they were outshot 14 to six and took the lead after eight and a half minutes with a power play goal.

Katarina Jobst-Smith sent a powerful slaphot from just inside the blue line which sailed past the Swedish goaltender and ricocheted off the post into the roof of the net.

Sweden failed to take advantage of two power plays, coming either side of Germany’s goal, but equalised in the 12th minute after a scramble in the crease where Ljungblom forced the puck over the line and they never looked back.

Ljungblom netted again in the eighth minute of the second period on a power play and Sweden made another power play count late in the period, Mira Jungaker scoring in the final minute.

Sweden’s Thea Johansson wrapped up the victory in the 12th minute of the final period, getting on the end of an impressive assist from out wide by Hilda Svensson.

Vice President Vance greeted in Milan

US Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha flew into Milan on Thursday on the eve of the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics and Vance said he would be ‘rooting for’ Team USA.

Vance, wearing a blue zip-up jacket with a US flag on his arm, was greeted by Tilman Fertitta, the ambassador to Italy, on the tarmac at Malpensa Airport.

Usha Vance was also dressed casually in a white fleece with the Stars and Stripes on the back, as well as the five-ring Olympic logo.

TV footage showed the couple being welcomed at the airport with a round of applause from a few dozen athletes.

“The whole country - Democrat, Republican, Independent - we’re all rooting for you, we’re cheering for you, and we know you’re going to make us proud,” Vance said.

Making a joke, he added that although his wife, the Second Lady, is not usually a sports fan, she becomes completely absorbed in the Olympics every two years and insists they watch together.

Vance said she had been that way since they first started dating, noting that the Games’ ability to captivate even someone not usually interested in sports shows how uniquely unifying they are for the country.

The couple was then joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was wearing a blue suit and a red pullover. They posed for a family photo before departing.

The Vice President and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are expected to attend the opening ceremony in the San Siro soccer stadium on Friday evening. The International Olympic Committee is hoping the ceremony will not be marred by jeers against Americans, and will be a show of respect for athletes from around the world.

There are concerns spectators could boo the American team or politicians, with the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel a source of anger in Italy.

ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations division will back up the U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service at the February 6-22 Milano Cortina Olympics. ICE officials will not conduct any policing on Italian streets, Italy’s interior minister Matteo Piantedosi said on Wednesday, dismissing political outrage over their presence as baseless.

Agencies