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16 Feb 2026 21:36
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  •   Home > News > Sports

    Winter Olympics 2026: Matt Graham on dual moguls 'dad podium' as weather forces reschedule — quick hits from day nine

    A trio of dads fill the dual moguls podium as an "unfavourable" forecast leaves things up in the air. Here are the quick hits from day nine of the Milano Cortina Games.


    A trio of dads fill the dual moguls podium as an "unfavourable" forecast leaves things up in the air at the Winter Olympics.

     Here are the quick hits from day nine of the Milano Cortina Games.

    1. Aussie Graham fills out 'dad podium'

    Australian two-time Winter Olympic medallist Matt Graham said before these Games that daughter Ada "makes the bad days easier to get over and makes the good days even sweeter".

    Day nine at Milano Cortina was certainly one of the latter, as Graham added dual moguls bronze to his moguls silver from the 2018 Pyeongchang Games.

    And, as an extra special motivation, he shared the podium with two men who know the difficulties of being a parent while travelling the world for their job.

    "Mikael [Klingsbury, gold medallist] and Ikuma [Horishima, silver medallist] had already locked in their podium spots and me, being the third dad, I needed to execute to make sure we could fulfil that dream of having a 'dad podium'," Graham said.

    "I was really happy with the way I skied and I knew when I crossed the line I was happy with the run and knew it would be hard to beat. When I saw the score come up, I was very relieved, a little bit shocked and also very satisfied.

    "It was just great to bounce back from the other day. It was a little bittersweet finishing fifth and knowing that I could have done more, but today, the sun is shining, the course is skiing really well, and I was just really happy to be able to just repeat run after run."

    2. No-one has more than this Norwegian

    Norway is comfortably the most decorated nation in Winter Olympic history, sits at the top of the 2026 medal tally after nine days and is trying to be number one for the fourth straight Winter Games.

    And it's thanks to folks like Johannes Høsflot Klæbo.

    The cross-country skiing star is still only 29 but already has more gold medals than any other Winter Olympian in history.

    Coming into the Games with three golds in 2018 and two in 2022, he won the 10km interval start, the 10km+10km skiathlon and the sprint classic to draw level with Marit Bjørgen, Ole Einar Bjørndalen and Bjørn Dæhlie with eight golds.

    Then, in the 4 x 7.5km men's relay, Einer Hedegart handed over to him with Team Norway leading by 12.2 seconds, and Høsflot Klæbo took them home to a historic gold medal.

    "I’ve just tried to enjoy the moments today. Being able to do that and take the ninth one with the team is special and it couldn’t be a better way to do that," he said.

    3. Weather causes uncertainty for Aussie

    The forecast for Monday in Milan is "unfavourable", prompting some rescheduling.

    Expectations of a massive snowfall, rather than delivering some sick pow, forced the women's snowboard slopestyle qualifying to be rescheduled.

    It was moved ahead by a day, with Australians Tess Coady and Mela Stalker missing out on a spot in the final, while compatriot Ally Hickman qualified sixth for the final, currently scheduled for Tuesday night (AEDT).

    "There's been a lot of schedule changes but now we are competing, I still don't know when," Hickman told Channel Nine after qualifying.

    She added there was a lot of uncertainty about when or whether they'd be able to train ahead of the final.

    4. Bowing down to the comeback queen

    Simply getting to these Olympics would have been Federica Brignone's return from a devastating leg injury at the Italian championships just 10 months ago, but she went one better with super-G gold and backed it up with victory in the giant slalom on day nine.

    So it was fitting when she finished her run, joint silver medallists Sara Hector and Thea Louise Stjernesund bowed down to the Italian superstar.

    "If there is one person I would want to give a gold to at the Olympics, it is Feda, so it makes me very happy to see her win," Hector said.

    Stjermesund said it was "a beautiful podium" to be a part of, with Brignone clearly appreciated the love, laughing and smiling as the silver medallist genuflected on the snow.

    "There is a special respect amongst us. They are great girls. Yes, there is competition, but not too much. I'm trying always to be kind and just myself. Maybe that's why they kneeled, I don't know," Brignone said.

    5. Chinese superstar has a crack at organisers

    Chinese star Eileen Gu took a big swipe at organisers for a schedule that means she will miss a training session ahead of the start of her ski halfpipe campaign.

    Gu won gold in the halfpipe and big air, as well as silver in slopestyle in Beijing four years ago. She is attempting the same packed schedule in Italy, having already won another silver in the slopestyle a week ago.

    The 22-year-old is in the big air final on Tuesday at 5:30am AEDT but it has been scheduled at the same time as a training run in the halfpipe, which "disappointed" and "saddened" Gu because she will miss that session ahead of the pipe qualifying at 5:30am on Friday.

    "I have asked for fair options like joining one training with the snowboarders, or getting even one hour alone to train, but to no avail," she wrote on Instagram.

    "No other woman in the halfpipe field is competing in another event, and for good reason — Halfpipe is different from slope and big air, and demands its own training time accordingly.

    "Daring to be the only woman to compete in three events should not be penalised — making finals in one event should not disadvantage me in another.

    "What kind of message does this send to future athletes who love skiing for its essence and want to compete in every event? This was a totally avoidable issue and I am saddened by the hardline stance FIS has chosen to take."

    FIS communications director Bruno Sassi, in a statement to Chinese state media agency Xinhua, said Gu was one of five female athletes who were invited to a halfpipe testing event today.

    "Gu has been handpicked as one of the athletes — five men and five women — invited to a one-hour halfpipe testing session," he said.

    "They have been chosen based on their ability to give constructive feedback about the construction, shape, and rideability of the pipe."

    Sassi also said organisers have scheduled three training runs in the pipe as opposed to the two that are normally available at World Cup events.


    ABC




    © 2026 ABC Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved

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