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As organizers award the medals for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, fans and spectators alike may have pondered a singular question at some point: how much is an Olympic gold medal actually worth?

The short answer is far less—and far more—than most people assume.

How is an Olympic gold medal made, and what is it worth?

Despite the name, Olympic gold medals are not made of solid gold. Under International Olympic Committee rules, they are primarily composed of silver and plated with a thin layer of gold.

Still, with gold prices now hovering at historic highs, even the thin coating carries more value than it once did.

Using the official size and weight specifications for the Milan Cortina 2026 medals, precious metals firm Dillon Gage calculated what a gold medal would be worth if it were cast entirely in solid gold.

Each Milan Cortina medal measures 80 millimeters in diameter and 10 millimeters thick. Based on those dimensions, Dillon Gage estimates a medal of that size would have a volume of approximately 47.6 cubic centimeters and would contain about 919 grams of gold if produced entirely from the metal.

At the current spot gold price of US$5,061.45 per troy ounce, that equates to roughly US$149,600 in intrinsic metal value alone, all before factoring in craftsmanship or symbolism.

But this is a hypothetical scenario. The actual gold medal that will hang around an athlete’s neck in Italy will contain 500 grams of .999 fine silver and just 6 grams of .9999 gold plating.

Using current spot prices of gold at US$5,061.45 per troy ounce and silver at US$87.00 per troy ounce, the combined intrinsic metal value of a 2026 Olympic gold medal comes to approximately US$2,375.

A silver medal, made of 500 grams of .999 silver, carries a metal value of about US$1,402 at today’s prices.

A bronze medal, composed of 420 grams of copper priced at roughly US$5.90 per pound, has a melt value of about US$5.46.

“The value of gold medals is a curious inquiry we receive, especially around the time of the Olympics,” said Terry Hanlon, president of Dillon Gage Metals. “It’s one of the most recognizable medals in the world, so it’s natural for people to wonder what it’s made of and what it’s actually worth. While Olympic gold medals are not solid gold, the silver content alone carries far more value today than it did just a few years ago, reflecting how much precious-metal markets have changed.”

The medals themselves were designed by a multidisciplinary team led by Raffaella Paniè and produced by the Italian State Mint and Polygraphic Institute (IPZS). Their split-surface design symbolizes the union of Milan and Cortina, as well as the shared effort behind every Olympic achievement.

Precious metals on the rise

Still, as eye-catching as the design may be, the math behind the medals offers a telling snapshot of today’s precious metals market.

When the Paris 2024 Olympic medals were unveiled two years ago, gold was trading around US$2,400 per troy ounce. At that time, the intrinsic metal value of a gold medal was under US$1,000.

Today, gold prices have more than doubled. The theoretical value of a solid-gold Milan Cortina medal now approaches US$150,000, and even the thin six-gram plating layer carries over US$975 in gold value alone.

The surge reflects broader trends in global markets where gold has rallied amid inflation concerns, geopolitical tensions, and rising investor demand for safe-haven assets.

Silver has also strengthened, contributing significantly to the base value of Olympic medals that are largely silver by weight.

But what is it really worth?

Yet despite the fun computation experiment, their actual worth undeniably lies elsewhere: the years of training, the sacrifices, the split-second finishes, and the history attached to standing atop a podium as the world watches.

By the time the flame is lit in Milan and Cortina, more than 5,000 athletes will compete for a place in Olympic history.

While its actual value will technically be worth a few thousand dollars in weight, for the world-class athletes showcasing their prowess, each medal is priceless in their own right.

No matter how high gold prices climb, the opportunity to win on the Olympic stage remains beyond calculation.

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

7 Mins Read

Copper Quest Announces Securities for Debt Settlement

Copper Quest Exploration Inc. (CSE: CQX,OTC:IMIMF; OTCQB: IMIMF; FRA: 3MX) (‘Copper Quest’ or the ‘Company’) announces that it has entered into a securities for debt settlement agreement dated February 11, 2026 (the ‘Agreement’) with a professional advisor of the Company.

Pursuant to the Agreement, the Company has agreed to settle debt in the amount of $113,405.28 through the issuance of 872,348 units (each, a ‘Unit‘) at a deemed price of $0.13 per Unit, whereby each Unit shall be comprised of one (1) common share in the capital of the Company (each a ‘Share‘) and one (1) Share purchase warrant (each whole, being a ‘Warrant‘). Each Warrant will be convertible into an additional Share (a ‘Warrant Share‘) at an exercise price of $0.165 per Warrant Share and will expire on the date that is two (2) years following the date of issuance (the ‘Expiry Date‘). The Expiry Date shall be subject to acceleration should the closing price of the Shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange (or any such other stock exchange in Canada as the Shares may trade at the applicable time) equal or exceed $0.50 for ten (10) consecutive trading days at any time from the date which is 4 months following their date of issue, the Company may accelerate the expiry date of the Warrants such that the Warrants shall expire on the date which is 30 calendar days following the date a news release is issued by the Company announcing the accelerated expiry date of the Warrants.

The Agreement and the issuance of the securities thereunder are subject to the approval of the CSE. The securities will be subject to a hold period of four months and one day pursuant to CSE policies and applicable securities laws.

About Copper Quest

The company’s land holdings comprise 7 projects that span over 45,000 hectares in great mining jurisdictions of Canada and the USA. Copper Quest is committed to building shareholder value through acquisitions, discovery-driven exploration, and responsible development of its North American critical mineral portfolio of assets. The Company’s common shares are principally listed on the Canadian Stock Exchange under the symbol ‘CQX’. For more information on Copper Quest, please visit the Company’s website at www.copper.quest.

Copper Quest has a 100% interest in the past-producing Alpine Gold Mine located approximately 20 kilometers northeast of the City of Nelson British Columbia, spanning 4,611.49 hectares with a 2018 National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects historical inferred resource of 268,000 tonnes, estimated using a cut-off grade of 5.0 g/t Au and an average grade of 16.52 g/t Au, that represents an inferred resource of 142,000 oz of gold (McCuaig & Giroux, 2018)*. Apart from the Alpine Mine itself the property hosts 4 other less explored significant vein systems including the past-producing King Solomon vein workings, the Black Prince and the Cold Blow veins system, and the Gold Crown vein system. *The Company has not yet completed sufficient work to verify the 2018 historic inferred resource results.

Copper Quest has a 100% interest in the road accessible Stars Porphyry Copper-Molybdenum Property, spanning 9,693 hectares in central British Columbia’s Bulkley Porphyry Belt with Tana Zone discovery drill intersection highlights of 0.466% Cu over 195.07m* in drill hole DD18SS004 from 23.47m, 0.200% Cu over 396.67m* in drill hole DD18SS010 from 29.37m, and 0.205% Cu over 207.27m* in drill hole DD18SS015 from 163.98m. This highly prospective, approximately 5 X 2.5 kilometer annular magnetic anomaly is interpreted to represent an altered monzonite intrusion and surrounding hornfels.

Copper Quest has a 100% interest in the road accessible Kitimat Copper-Gold Property, spanning 2,954 hectares within the Skeena Mining Division of northwestern British Columbia located northwest of the deep-water port community of Kitimat, British Columbia. The property benefits from exceptional infrastructure, being within 10 km of tidewater, 1.5 km of rail, and 6 km of high-voltage hydroelectric transmission lines. Exploration on the Kitimat property dates to the late 1960s, with the most significant historical work conducted by Decade Resources Ltd. (2010), which completed 16 diamond drill holes totaling 4,437.5 meters in the Jeannette Cu-Au Zone, and drill intersection highlights of 1.03 g/t Au, 0.54% Cu over 117.07 m in Hole J-7 from 1.52 m, 1.00 g/t Au, 0.55% Cu over 103.65m in Hole J-1 from 9.15 m, 0.80 g/t Au, 0.45% Cu over 107.01m in Hole J-2 from 6.10 m, and 0.41 g/t Au, 0.33% Cu over 112.20m in Hole J-8 from 11.89 m.

Copper Quest has a 100% interest in the Nekash Copper-Gold Project, a porphyry exploration opportunity located in Lemhi County, Idaho, USA, along the prolific Idaho-Montana porphyry copper belt that hosts world-class systems such as Butte and CUMO. The project is fully road-accessible via maintained U.S. highways and forest service roads and consists of 70 unpatented federal lode claims covering 585 hectares.

Copper Quest has a 100% interest in the road accessible Stellar Property, spanning 5,389-hectares in British Columbia’s Bulkley Porphyry Belt contiguous to the Stars Property.

Copper Quest has a 100% interest in the Thane Project located in the Quesnel Terrane of Northern British Columbia spanning over 20,658 hectares with 10 priority targets identified demonstrating significant copper and precious metal mineralization potential.

Copper Quest has an earn-in option of up to 80% and joint-venture agreement on the road accessible Rip Porphyry Copper-Molybdenum Project, spanning 4,700-hectares located in the Bulkley Porphyry Belt in central British Columbia.

On behalf of the Board of Copper Quest Exploration Inc.

Brian Thurston, P.Geo.
Chief Executive Officer and Director
Tel: 778-949-1829

For further information contact:
Investor Relations
info@copper.quest

https://x.com/CSECQX
https://ca.linkedin.com/company/copper-quest

Forward Looking Information

This news release contains certain ‘forward-looking information’ and ‘forward-looking statements’ (collectively, ‘forward-looking statements‘) within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included herein, including without limitation, future operations and activities of Copper Quest, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as ‘expects’, ‘anticipates’, ‘believes’, ‘intends’, ‘estimates’, ‘potential’, ‘possible’, and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results ‘will’, ‘may’, ‘could’, or ‘should’ occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation, risks associated with possible accidents and other risks associated with mineral exploration operations, the risk that the Company will encounter unanticipated geological factors, risks associated with the interpretation of exploration results, the possibility that the Company may not be able to secure permitting and other governmental clearances necessary to carry out the Company’s exploration plans, the risk that the Company will not be able to raise sufficient funds to carry out its business plans, and the risk of political uncertainties and regulatory or legal changes that might interfere with the Company’s business and prospects. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these items. The Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by applicable securities laws.

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the contents of this press release, and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

News Provided by GlobeNewswire via QuoteMedia

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

3 Mins Read

Deep Space Energy Secures US$1.1 Million to Advance Lunar Power and Satellite Resilience Goals

Latvian startup Deep Space Energy announced it has raised approximately US$1.1 million in a combination of private investment and public funding to advance a radioisotope-based power generator designed to operate on the Moon.

The company closed a US$416,500 pre-seed round led by Outlast Fund and angel investor Linas Sargautis, a former co-founder of NanoAvionics. It also secured an additional US$690,200 in public contracts and grants from the European Space Agency (ESA), NATO’s Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA), and the Latvian government.

Deep Space Energy is building a compact power system that uses radioisotopes, which are materials derived from nuclear waste that generate heat through natural decay, to produce electricity.

Founder and CEO Mihails Ščepanskis said the system converts that heat into electrical power while using significantly less fuel than conventional radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) currently deployed in space.

“Our technology, which has already been validated in the laboratory, has several applications across the defense and space sectors.

“First, we’re developing an auxiliary energy source to enhance the resilience of strategic satellites. It provides the redundancy of satellite power systems by supplying backup power that does not depend on solar energy, making it crucial for high-value military reconnaissance assets,” Ščepanskis said.

The company emphasized that the generator is not designed for weapons applications. Instead, it is targeting dual-use satellites operating in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), Geostationary Orbit (GEO) and Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO), all of which focus on communications, early warning systems, and reconnaissance capabilities.

These satellites support defense functions including synthetic aperture radar for detecting troop movements, signal intelligence systems, and missile-launch detection platforms.

According to Ščepanskis, recent geopolitical events have underscored their importance.

The war in Ukraine demonstrated the decisive role of satellite-based reconnaissance data. In 2025, Ukraine lost its beachhead in Russia’s Kursk Oblast during a period when the US temporarily halted the sharing of satellite intelligence.

“As Europe is trying to become more independent, it is imperative to produce satellites with advanced capabilities on our own. Our technology provides an auxiliary energy source for satellites, which makes them more resilient to non-kinetic attacks and malfunctions,” he added.

Beyond defense, Deep Space Energy is positioning its technology for lunar exploration. The company says its generator could support upcoming programmes such as NASA and ESA’s Artemis and Argonaut initiatives, as well as future lunar rover missions and the Moon Village framework.

On the Moon, temperatures can fall below minus 150 degrees Celsius during night cycles that last roughly 354 hours, making solar power unreliable.

Deep Space Energy estimates that about two kilograms of Americium-241 could generate 50 watts of power for a rover, compared with around 10 kilograms required by legacy RTG systems for similar output.

By reducing fuel requirements, the company argues it could extend rover lifetimes across multiple lunar day-night cycles, potentially lasting years.

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

5 Mins Read

RUA GOLD Announces Uplisting to Toronto Stock Exchange

Rua Gold INC. (TSXV: RUA,OTC:NZAUF) (OTCQB: NZAUF) (‘Rua Gold’ or the ‘Company’) is pleased to announce that the Company will be uplisting to the Toronto Stock Exchange (the ‘TSX’). The common shares of the Company (the ‘Common Shares’) will be voluntarily delisted from the TSX Venture Exchange effective as of close of market on Friday, February 13, 2026, and will commence trading on the TSX effective at the opening of the market on Tuesday, February 17, 2026 under its current ticker symbol, ‘RUA’.

Robert Eckford, CEO of Rua Gold, commented: ‘Graduating to the TSX is a significant milestone for Rua Gold. The uplisting will enhance our visibility in the capital markets and enable us to continue to attract key institutional and retail investors as we continue to develop the Reefton Project and Glamorgan Project in New Zealand.’

Rua Gold will continue to remain a ‘reporting issuer’ under applicable Canadian securities laws, and the Common Shares will also remain listed on the OTCQB under the symbol ‘NZAUF’. Shareholders are not required to take any action in connection with the TSX uplisting.

About Rua Gold

Rua Gold is an exploration company, strategically focused on New Zealand. With decades of expertise, their team has successfully taken major discoveries into producing world-class mines across multiple continents. The team is focused on maximizing the asset potential of Rua Gold’s two highly prospective high-grade gold projects.

The Company controls the Reefton Gold District as the dominant landholder in the Reefton Goldfield on New Zealand’s South Island with over 120,000 hectares of tenements, in a district that historically produced over 2Moz of gold grading between 9 and 50g/t.

The Company’s Glamorgan Project solidifies Rua Gold’s position as a leading high-grade gold explorer on New Zealand’s North Island. This highly prospective project is located within the North Islands’ Hauraki district, a region that has produced an impressive 15Moz of gold and 60Moz of silver. Glamorgan is adjacent to OceanaGold Corporation’s biggest gold mining project, Wharekirauponga.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Robert Eckford
Phone: (604) 655-7354
Email: reckford@ruagold.com

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Information

This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed ‘forward-looking statements’. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words ‘expects’, ‘plans’, ‘anticipates’, ‘believes’, ‘intends’, ‘estimates’, ‘projects’, ‘potential’ and similar expressions, or that events or conditions ‘will’, ‘would’, ‘may’, ‘could’ or ‘should’ occur and specifically include statements regarding: the Company’s strategies, expectations, planned operations or future actions including but not limited to exploration programs at its New Zealand properties; the intended listing date on the TSX and the delisting date on the TSX Venture Exchange. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements.

Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. A variety of inherent risks, uncertainties and factors, many of which are beyond the Company’s control, affect the operations, performance and results of the Company and its business, and could cause actual events or results to differ materially from estimated or anticipated events or results expressed or implied by forward looking statements. Some of these risks, uncertainties and factors include: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; risks related to the effects of the Russia-Ukraine war; risks related to climate change; operational risks in exploration, delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration projects or capital expenditures; the actual results of current exploration activities; conclusions of economic evaluations; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; changes in labour costs and other costs and expenses or equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, including but not limited to environmental hazards, flooding or unfavorable operating conditions and losses, insurrection or war, delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing, and commodity prices. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company’s forward-looking statements and reference should also be made to the Company’s documents filed under its SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca for a description of additional risk factors.

Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company’s management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management’s beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/283786

News Provided by TMX Newsfile via QuoteMedia

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

3 Mins Read

Cardi B’s cameo in Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show leads to dispute on prediction markets

CHICAGO — Cardi B was part of Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show. What she did exactly, well, that turned into a perplexing question for two major prediction markets.

At least one Kalshi trader filed a complaint with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission over how the prediction market handled Sunday’s appearance by the Grammy-winning rapper. The result of a similar event contract on Polymarket also drew the ire of some users on that platform.

Prediction markets provide an opportunity to trade — or wager — on the result of future events. The markets are comprised of typically yes-or-no questions called event contracts, with the prices connected to what traders are willing to pay, which theoretically indicates the perceived probability of an event occurring.

The buy-in for each contract ranges from $0 to $1 each, reflecting a 0% to 100% chance of what traders think could happen.

More than $47.3 million was wagered on Kalshi’s market for “ Who will perform at the Big Game? ” A Polymarket contract had more than $10 million in volume.

Celebrities including Pedro Pascal, Karol G and Cardi B during the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday.Kevin Mazur / Getty Images for Roc Nation

Cardi B joined singers Karol G and Young Miko and actors Jessica Alba and Pedro Pascal on a starry front porch during the halftime spectacle. She danced to the music, but it was unclear whether she was singing along during the show, which included performances by Ricky Martin and Lady Gaga.

Due to “ambiguity over whether or not Cardi B’s attendance at the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show constituted a qualifying ‘performance,’” Kalshi cited one of its rules in settling the market at the last price before trading was paused: $0.74 for No holders and $0.26 for Yes holders. The platform returned all the money to its users.

Polymarket’s contract was resolved as Cardi B had performed, but the yes was disputed. A final decision on the contract is expected to be announced on Wednesday.

In the CFTC complaint — first reported by the Event Horizon newsletter and posted by Front Office Sports — the trader alleges that Kalshi violated the Commodity Exchange Act with how it resolved the Cardi B contract. The trader — a Yes holder — is seeking $3,700.

A CFTC spokesman declined comment on Wednesday.

The Super Bowl capped a big NFL season for prediction markets.

Kalshi reported a daily record high of more than $1 billion in total trading volume on the day of the game, an increase of more than 2,700% compared to last year’s Super Bowl. The season-long total for all Super Bowl winner futures was $828.6 million, up more than 2,000% from last year.

The increased activity on Sunday caused some deposit issues. Kalshi co-founder Luana Lopes Lara posted on X on Monday that the “traffic spike was way bigger than our most optimistic forecasts.” She said the platform had reimbursed processing fees on the effected deposits and added credits to users who experienced delays.

Robinhood Markets highlighted the strength of its prediction markets when it announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and full 2025 on Tuesday.

“I think we are just at the beginning of a prediction market super cycle that could drive trillions in annual volume over time,” CEO Vlad Tenev said during an earnings call. “This year is going to be a big year. Olympics are going on right now. World Cup coming in the summer.”

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

5 Mins Read

American Jordan Stolz wins gold, sets Olympic record in speed skating

MILAN, Italy — For Jordan Stolz, it’s one down and three to go.

The American speed skating phenom won the gold medal in the men’s 1,000 meters Wednesday, Feb. 11, officially starting his quest for four golds at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

In his first race at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium, Stolz set a new Olympic record with a time of 1:06.28 to go along with the world record he already owned (1:05.37), while racing in front of Snoop Dogg and speed skating legend Eric Heiden.

“Yeah, it’s really cool that I was able to win in front of both of them, I guess,’’ Stolz said. “I’m sure they were enjoying it. I definitely didn’t disappoint them.’’

Jenning de Boo of the Netherlands took silver with a time 1:06.78, and Zhongyan Ning earned bronze in 1:07.34.

To collect four golds, Stolze, the 21-year-old from Wisconsin, will need to win each of his remaining races: the 500 meters on Saturday, Feb. 14, 1,500 meters on Feb. 19 and the mass start on Feb. 21.

“There’s a little less pressure now that I’ve got one gold medal,’’ he said, later adding, “The pressure was kind of rising towards this one. I could definitely feel it.’’

The achievement would elevate him to legendary status possessed by Heiden, the U.S. speed skater who in 1980 became the only athlete to win five gold medals in a single Winter Olympics.

“That would be a little bit crazy, super historical,’’ Stolz said. “I don’t know if it’s going to happen, right? It’s hard enough to get one gold medal.

“But one is huge.’’

The sound of Stolz on ice

Stolz raced against Jenning de Boo of the Netherlands, and 600 meters into race Stolz trained de Boo by 0.4 seconds.

“I had high hopes but his last lap it just incredible and I heard him coming at 800 meters,’’ De Boo said. “And then I just knew it was too late.’’

“You hear his skates coming and it’s pretty creepy. It’s as creepy and of course I’m getting used to it now. …That feeling when you know he’s coming, it’s not a nice feeling, of course.’’

De Boo had to settle for the silver medal.

Stil, Stolz acknowledged being nervous with 400 meters left to go in the race and de Boo leading.

“I knew I’d have to have a really good last lap,’’ he said. “I thought about it before the race …that I’d have to try to catch him over the last lap. I threw two arms down just because I really didn’t want to lose.’’

Waiting, and waiting some more

The crowd seemed gripped by the clock as it counted down 15 minutes. That’s how much time waited until a reskate by Dutch skater Joep Wennemars, who nearly fell when he was obstructed by his paired opponent in his first run.

The officials granted Wennemars a solo reskate, and he came back on the ice roughly 15 minutes after all the scheduled pairs had race.

Wennemars won the world championship in the 1,000 last year. But Stolz indicated he was far less nervous about the reskate than he was anxious to take a celebratory lap around the rink while holding the flag.

Stolz said he knew it would be hard to reskate 30 minutes after skating 1,000 meters. Sure enough, Wennemars failed to improve on his initial time, and then it was official. The gold belonged to Stolz.

“It’s pretty unlucky what happened to him,’’ Stolz said of Wennemars. “I wouldn’t want to have that to anybody…’’

What seems to have been more agonizing was the four years Stolz had to wait since his Olympic debut to get another shot at medaling, starting in the 1,000.

“It’s one thing to win all of them in the World Cup,’’ he said. “To finally have it right to do it in the Olympics, that’s something that takes a lot of planning and I think I did it well.’’

Watch Winter Olympics on Peacock

When does Jordan Stolz compete at Olympics?

Stolz will do four individual races at the Olympics: the 500 meters, the 1,000 meters, the 1,500 meters and the mass start. All begin at night in Italy, meaning he’ll be racing live when it’s daytime in the United States.

The 1,000 meters begins at 12:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Feb. 11.
The 500 meters begins at 11 a.m. ET on Saturday, Feb. 14.
The 1,500 meters begins at 10:30 a.m. ET on Thursday, Feb. 19.
The mass start is on Saturday, Feb. 21, with the semifinals at 9 a.m. ET and the finals at 10:40 a.m. ET.

Will Jordan Stolz be a medal favorite?

Stolz has dominated speed skating over the last three seasons. He won the 500-, 1,000- and 1,500-meter titles at the world championships in 2023 and 2024, and claimed the season titles in all three distances last year.

This year he’s unbeaten in the 1,000 and 1,500 meters in the World Cups, and has won five of the seven 500-meter races. He’s also made the podium twice in the mass start, including a win at the World Cup in Hamar, Norway, after not racing it in international competition the past two seasons.

Should Stolz win those four races in Milano Cortina, he would be second only to Eric Heiden for most medals at a single Winter Olympics. Heiden won a record five when he famously swept the speed skating events at the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid.

Norwegian biathlon great Ole Einar Bjørndalen (2002) and Soviet speed skater Lidiya Skoblikova (1964) are the only athletes to win four golds at a single Winter Olympics.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

1 Min Read

Who plays in men’s Olympic hockey today? Feb. 12 schedule

After the men’s Olympic hockey tournament kicked off at the 2026 Winter Olympics with a doubleheader on Wednesday with National Hockey League players participating for the first time in 12 years, eight nations will take the ice on Thursday.

Canada won the last two Olympics to feature NHL players, in 2010 and 2014, and looks to add their 10th gold overall, but Finland is the defending Olympic champion after its triumph at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

The United States last won a gold medal in the event in 1980, part of the ‘Miracle on Ice’ run, and last medaled in 2010, taking home the silver after an overtime loss to Canada at the Vancouver games.

Here is the full men’s hockey Olympic schedule for Thursday, Feb. 12:

6:10 a.m. – Switzerland vs. France | Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena | Peacock, NBCOlympics.com
10:40 a.m. – Canada vs. Czechia | Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena | USA Network, Peacock, NBCOlympics.com
3:10 p.m. – USA vs. Latvia | Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena | USA Network, Peacock, NBCOlympics.com
3:10 p.m. – Germany vs. Denmark | Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena | Peacock, NBCOlympics.com

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

4 Mins Read

Ex-Colorado star rips Deion Sanders: ‘A lot of flash… no substance’

Former Colorado tight end Christian Fauria criticized coach Deion Sanders on a recent podcast.
Fauria said Sanders isn’t ‘very bright’ and said he has ‘brainwashed’ supporters.
Fauria’s son, Caleb, transferred from Colorado after Sanders was hired.

Two-time Super Bowl champion and former Colorado tight end Christian Fauria lambasted coach Deion Sanders for how he’s run the football program at Colorado, saying he’s not “very bright” and that “brainwashed” people support him “regardless of how stupid he is sometimes.”

Fauria, 54, made these comments this week when asked about Sanders on “The Zach Gelb Show.” Fauria played at Colorado from 1990 to 1994 under coach Bill McCartney before moving on to the NFL, where he won two Super Bowls as a member of the New England Patriots. Fauria’s son Caleb also was on theColoradoteam when Sanders was hired in December 2022 but then transferred to Delaware for the 2024 season.

“I’m just not a fan of the coach,” Fauria said on the podcast. “I’m not. I’ll never be a fan of the coach. I love the school. And this isn’t me picking on Deion Sanders, because I pick on (former NFL coach) Joe Gibbs. The worst coach I’ve ever had was Joe Gibbs (with the Washington NFL team), so me picking on Deion Sanders is nothing. I just don’t like the way he coaches football. I don’t think he’s very bright. I don’t think he can manage a game. I think there’s a lot of flash, but I think there’s no substance, you know. And he’s got a lot of people, like, brainwashed.”

Christian Fauria explains his issues with Deion Sanders

Fauria alluded to some issues other former Colorado players have had with Sanders, whose three-year record in Boulder is 16-21, including 3-9 in 2025. Some have been skeptical about how he flips the roster over every year with transfer players from other colleges, questioning how that builds a winning team culture, especially when they don’t learn the Colorado fight song. Sanders’ clock management also has been a sore subject among Colorado fans and alumni.

“Not a fan of his coaching style, not a fan of his messaging,” Fauria said. “There’s a lot of things internally that I know about that I’m not a fan of. And it’s just not worth my energy to sit there and follow it and then go back and forth with the emperor-has-no-clothes crowd that support him regardless of how stupid he is sometimes. So, yeah, that’s the way I feel about it, and it bugs me that a lot of alumni don’t just speak up about it.”

Gelb then asked Fauria about the notion Sanders at least has made Colorado “relevant” again after many years of futility before his arrival, including a 1-11 season in 2022. Colorado went 9-4 under Sanders in 2024 while winning a Heisman Trophy with two-way star Travis Hunter.

Fauria said he understands it’s “hard to win at Colorado” and that it takes a “special person” to do so, such as McCartney, who won a national championship there in 1990. Fauria said he backed Sanders initially and was “all for it.”

“But as time went on, I was just like, wait, none of this makes any sense,” Fauria said. “I’m like, ‘How long are they gonna to put up with this?’ And what else are we going to do? So if relevancy and having a sold-out crowd, having people talk about you on Twitter, if that’s what you want, well then congratulations. You’ve achieved it.”

‘Learn the fight song,’ former Colorado tight end says

Fauria outlined some things he’d like to see in Sanders’ program.

“Win games,” he said. “The way you win games. The way you recruit. Know everybody’s name. Give everybody the same attention. Sing the fight song. Learn the fight song. I would say then you’ve got business.”

Fauria closed the interview by making himself perfectly clear. He didn’t immediately return a message from USA TODAY Sports on whether he’d like to clarify any of these remarks.

“I’m not a fan,” he said on the podcast. “And I can really care less if anybody likes it or not. My give-a-(expletive) level is zero right now with people caring about my opinion of Deion Sanders.”

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

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4 Mins Read

Daytona 500 pole qualifying results: Kyle Busch earns top spot

Kyle Busch will start on the pole for the 68th annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, Feb. 15.

It’s Busch’s first time on the pole for the big race during a career that’s spanned over two decades.

‘It sounds really good right now,’ Busch said on the FS1 broadcast. ‘This feels really good. It would be really nice to be doing an interview like this on Sunday night after finishing No. 1.’

Busch will be one of just seven NASCAR Cup champs in the field this weekend. Chase Briscoe will start from the second position.

The rest of the Daytona 500 lineup will be set Thursday following two Daytona Duel races.

The Daytona Duel races use Wednesday’s qualifying results to determine the starting order. Whichever driver qualifies on the pole will start first in Duel 1 and the second-fastest driver will lead the way in Duel 2.

This year’s Daytona 500 marks the Cup Series debut of Connor Zilisch with Trackhouse Racing. Nine drivers are attempting to race without a charter and will have to qualify via the Duel races. There are 41 spots in the race and 45 drivers vying to compete.

Here’s the results from Wednesday night’s qualifying:

Kyle Busch on pole for Daytona 500

Kyle Busch will be on the pole for the Daytona 500 this weekend. Busch claimed the top spot with a time of 49.006 in the final round of qualifying on Wednesday. Chase Briscoe will start in the second position.

Dayton 500 final qualifying round results

Kyle Busch (49.006)
Chase Briscoe (49.023)
Ryan Preece (49.061)
Denny Hamlin (49.100)
Corey Heim (49.148)
Alex Bowman (49.152)
Kyle Larson (49.158)
Chris Buescher (49.184)
Chase Elliott (49.220)
Joey Logano (49.275)

Justin Allgaier qualifies for Daytona 500 as open driver

Justin Allgaier locked in a spot for the 2026 Daytona 500 after finishing the first round of qualifying with a time of 49.201. He also bumped Corey LaJoie out of the top 10.

Allgaier was also bumped out of the top 10 moments later after Joey Logano (49.138) jumped into the top 10. Regardless of his placement at the end of the round, Allgaier secured a spot in the Daytona 500 as one of the two fastest non-chartered drivers along with Corey Heim.

Corey Heim qualifies for Daytona 500

Corey Haim of 23XI Racing qualified for the Dayton 500 on time on Wednesday evening. Heim was ranked third with a time of 49.14 seconds (183.16 MPH) in the first round when he officially qualified.

Kyle Busch (48.932) and Ryan Preece (49.081) remain in first and second, respectively.

Noah Gragson’s time disallowed

Noah Gragson had his initial first-round time disallowed after he broke a new window rule.

NASCAR set a new rule that penalizes drivers who put their hand in the side window. Gragson was seen sticking his hand out of the netting of his car. The rule was set in place by NASCAR to prevent drivers from taking their hands off the wheel, according to the FS1 broadcast.

‘I forgot about that rule, … ‘ Gragson said on the FS1 broadcast. ‘I feel like an idiot.’

Gragson will return on Thursday to compete in the Duels. The duels will be two 150-mile qualifying races that help determine the third to 40th positions for the Daytona 500.

Kyle Busch, Ryan Preece lead pack early

Kyle Busch has jumped ahead of the field early, with the fastest qualifying time in round one so far, at 48.932 seconds through the first 17 drivers. Ryan Preece is currently second with a time of 49.081.

How to watch Daytona 500 pole qualifying

Date: Wednesday, Feb. 11
Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Location: Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida
TV: FS1
Stream:Fubo, foxsports.com, Fox Sports app

How to watch and stream 2026 Daytona 500

Date: Sunday, Feb. 15
Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
Location: Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida
TV: Fox
Stream: Fubo, foxsports.com, Fox Sports app

Watch the 2026 Daytona 500 with a Fubo subscription

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3 Mins Read

Bobsled at Winter Olympics: How it works, US stars to watch

Bobsled, one of the oldest sports at the Winter Olympics, returns to the 2026 Milano Cortina Games and will showcase athletes with nerves of steel as they steer a high-tech sled down a fast, icy track with multiple turns.

Veteran U.S. bobsledders Kaillie Humphries and Elana Meyers Taylor are set to make their fifth appearance at the Winter Games and are heavy favorites to podium. Humphries and Meyers Taylor finished first and second respectively in the inaugural women’s monobob event at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Bobsled includes a total of four events, which will be contested at the Cortina Sliding Centre in Cortina d’Ampezzo.

When did bobsled become a Winter Olympic sport?

Bobsled has been part of the Winter Olympics since the inaugural 1924 Chamonix Winter Games, although it wasn’t contested in Squaw Valley in 1960 to cut down expenses by not building a bobsled track. The two-man event was added to the program at the 1932 Lake Placid Winter Games and the two-woman race made its Olympic debut in Salt Lake in 2002. The Olympic women’s monobob was first held at the 2022 Games in Beijing.

How does Olympic bobsled work?

Each sled has one driver, while others push the sled from the starting gate before jumping into the back of the sled for the rest of the ride. Bobsled events each last two days, with two runs each day. The fastest combined time determines the winner. Men and women each compete in their own events:

Men

4-man bobsled: One driver and three pushers in each sled
2-man bobsled: One driver and one pusher in each sled

Women

2-women bobsled: One driver and one pusher in each sled
Monobob: One driver, no pushers

Top Team USA athletes

Kaillie Humphries: The 40-year-old pilot won gold for the U.S. in monobob at the 2022 Beijing Games and also won gold in two-man in 2014 and 2010 while representing Canada. She joined short-track speedskater Viktor Ahn as the only Winter Olympians to win gold for different countries. Milano Cortina marks her fifth Games and first as a mother after giving birth to son Aulden in June 2024.
Elana Meyers Taylor: The 41-year-old pilot/brakeman enters Milano Cortina, her fifth Winter Games, with five Olympic medals, including three silvers and two bronzes. She earned a silver medal in the inaugural women’s monobob at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and a bronze in the two-woman bobsled race with Sylvia Hoffman to become the most decorated Black athlete in Winter Olympics history.
Kaysha Love: The up-and-coming bobsledder won gold in women’s monobob at the 2025 IBSF World Championships. Love, 28, made her Olympic debut at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, less than two years after beginning bobsled following a track and field career at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

International landscape

German bobsledder Francesco Friedrich is in pursuit of a record fifth gold medal. His four gold medals are tied for the most in the sport after winning the two-man and four-man event in Pyeongchang in 2018 and Beijing in 2022. Milano Cortina will mark his fourth Winter Games. Germany’s Laura Nolte is also a top contender after winning gold in the two-woman bobsleigh in 2022 in Beijing.

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