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Skating Star Malinin's Daring Quad Axel Lands Him in Olympic Spotlight
8 Feb
Summary
- Ilia Malinin is the first skater to land a quadruple axel.
- Lindsey Vonn is competing in the 2026 Games at age 41.
- Mike Tirico will host Primetime in Milan after calling the Super Bowl.
Following Super Bowl LX, NBC will broadcast "Primetime in Milan" on Sunday, February 8, 2026. Play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico, the first U.S. broadcaster to cover both the Super Bowl and the Olympics in the same year, will anchor the coverage starting at 10:45 p.m. ET. The broadcast will feature the women's downhill Alpine skiing medal event and the team figure skating men's free skate.
Veteran Alpine skier Lindsey Vonn, at 41 years old, is making a comeback to compete in the 2026 Games. Despite a recent ACL tear, she participated in training runs. Vonn, a two-time Olympic medalist, will be joined by teammate Breezy Johnson. Italian skier Sofia Goggia is also a notable competitor.
The U.S. figure skating team, reigning champions from Beijing, currently holds first place in the team event. Star skater Ilia Malinin, 21, known as the "Quad God" for being the first to land a quadruple axel, will close out the team portion. He aims to rebound after a second-place finish in the men's short program.
Later in the night, Ahmed Fareed will host "Olympic Late Night" starting at 12:35 a.m. ET, featuring snowboarding disciplines like the parallel giant slalom finals. Ester Ledecká of Czechia is aiming for her third consecutive Olympic gold in the women's event. Maria Taylor will take over hosting duties on February 9.
