Ski superstar Gu Ailing has claimed her second and China's eighth gold of the Beijing games. /VCG
Ski superstar Gu Ailing has claimed her second and China's eighth gold of the Beijing games. /VCG
• International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach has hit out at the "chilling" and "disturbing" way the Russian team reacted to teenage skater Kamila Valieva after finishing fourth in the free skate, days after being cleared to compete after a positive drugs test.
"I was very, very disturbed when I watched the competition on television. First in her performance, how high the pressure must have been," Bach said. "But this was not all. When I afterwards saw how she was received by her closest entourage with what appeared to be a tremendous coldness, it was chilling to see."
• Gu Ailing claimed her second and China's eighth gold medal of the games with an impressive display in the freeski halfpipe event. Gu, who also won gold in the Big Air earlier in the competition, said she was "proud" to see China's improvement from Pyeongchang 2018, where it only managed to take home one gold.
• Ukrainian bobsledder Lidiia Hunko has tested positive for a prohibited substance during the games, the international Testing Agency has confirmed. Hunko has the right to request the analysis of the sample, the ITA added.
• Norway's Johannes Thingnes Boe won the men's biathlon 15km mass start, and in turn claimed a Winter Olympics record 15th gold of the games - eclipsing the previous record of 14 it shared with Germany and Canada.
• Finland booked its place in the men's ice hockey final with a 2-0 win over Slovakia thanks to goals by Sakari Manninen and Harri Sateri.
• Ireland's Maloney Westgaard shocked the field to finish in 14th place in the 15km classic race on Friday. Speaking after the race, Westgaard told reporters: "I haven't won an Olympic gold but the 14th place, it nearly feels like a medal for me. You feel we (Ireland) get more respect on the skiing circuit, so it was a fantastic moment, coming in representing a smaller nation."
• Speed skater Bart Swings is hoping to become the first Belgian to win a Winter Olympic gold medal in more than 70 years when he competes in the men's mass start on Saturday. Swings, who won silver in Pyeongchang in 2018, is said to be one of the favourites for the event but will have to beat current Olympic champion Lee Seung Hoon, as well as current world champion Joey Mantia if he wants to win.
• Norway's Espen Bjoernstad has called for women to be allowed to compete in Nordic combined events in the 2026 games. The discipline remains the only one in which women are not allowed to take part in, despite there being a female world championships and world cup in the same event. Speaking after winning gold in the large hill/4x5km relay, Bjoernstad said: "It would be really good (to have women's events), it would definitely increase the product of Nordic combined and I think it's a must-have to have the women's in the next Olympics.
• One new COVID-19 cases have been detected among games-related personnel. The solitary new infection was found among new airport arrivals, according to officials.
Friday's gold medal winners:
Biathlon: Women's 12.5km Mass Start - Justine Braisaz-Bouchet (France)
Biathlon: Men's 15km Mass Start - Johannes Thingnes Boe (Norway)
Freestyle Skiing: Women's Freeski Halfpipe Final Run 3 - Eileen Gu (China)
Freestyle Skiing: Men's Ski Cross Big Final - Ryan Regez (Switzerland)
Speed Skating: Men's 1000m - Thomas Krol (Netherlands)
Austria's Simon Eder felt the cold during the men's biathlon 15km mass star. /VCG
Austria's Simon Eder felt the cold during the men's biathlon 15km mass star. /VCG
Gold medal events this weekend (all times GMT):
Saturday February 19
0225 - Freestyle Skiing: Men's Freeski Halfpipe Final Run 3
0337 - Alpine Skiing: Mixed Team Parallel Big Final
0600 - Cross-Country Skiing: Men's 50km Mass Start Free
0605 - Curling: Men's Gold Medal Game
0830 - Speed Skating: Men's Mass Start Final
0900 - Speed Skating: Women's Mass Start Final
1100 - Figure Skating: Pair Skating - Free Skating
1330 - Bobsleigh: 2-Women Heat 4
Sunday February 20
0105 - Curling: Women's Gold Medal Game
0320 - Bobsleigh: 4-Man Heat 4
0410 - Ice Hockey: Men's Gold Medal Game
0630 - Cross-Country Skiing: Women's 30km Mass Start Free
[This story was updated on 21/02/2022 to correct Gu Ailing's sport.]