United States' Jaelin Kauf, left, hugs United States' Elizabeth Lemley during the women's freestyle skiing moguls finals at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

LIVIGNO, Italy — When the powder settled on the Olympic moguls course, Elizabeth Lemley was basking, true to her nickname, in the glow of a gold medal.

The 20-year-old American freestyle skier, called “Lizard” by her teammates, had slid and leapt over the slope’s icy bumps to land an unbeatable run, leading a red, white and blue 1-2 medal grab at the Milan Cortina Games on Wednesday.

Lemley topped the eight-skier final with a score of 82.30 points, right in front of fellow countrywoman Jaelin Kauf, who successfully defended her silver medal from Beijing 2022 with a score of 80.77. Perrine Laffont of France, the 2018 champion, took bronze.

After her gold-medal run, Lemley had to wait it out at the bottom of the slope as defending champion Jakara Anthony of Australia launched herself on the final’s last run. But Lemley knew she was champion when halfway through her run Anthony wobbled off course, ruining her chances at taking another gold.

Normally cool and collected, Lemley said that emotion flowed when she saw Anthony commit the mistake that clinched her the title.

“When she pulled out I just had a huge gasp,” the Vail, Colorado, native said. “I started tearing up in my eyes. I was like, I can’t believe this. I just became Olympic champion.”

A friend then hoisted her on his shoulders to celebrate amid the dozens of family members and loved ones of the American skiers gathered at the foot of the slope.

Vonn has 3rd surgery

Lindsey Vonn had a “successful” third surgery on her broken left leg following her downhill crash at the Olympics, the American skier said Wednesday

Vonn posted an update on Instagram that included photos of her giving a thumbs up sign in her hospital bed with a metal frame attached to her leg.

“I had my 3rd surgery today and it was successful. Success today has a completely different meaning than it did a few days ago,” Vonn said. “I’m making progress and while it is slow, I know I’ll be ok.”

Kim shows no rust

Sure, Chloe Kim was a touch nervous. But who were we kidding?

“I might be better at snowboarding than I am at walking,” she said.

That was apparent Wednesday when Kim, four weeks removed from a schedule-scrambling shoulder injury, soared through a no-fuss, no-drama qualifying round, finishing first to easily earn a spot in the final where she’ll attempt to become the first snowboarder to win three straight Olympic gold medals.

Two dozen riders got two turns down the Olympic halfpipe on a partly cloudy day in Livigno, with their best score counting and only 12 advancing to tonight’s final.

Kim dropped in the middle of the pack and immediately separated herself from everyone.

The run included a massive big air leap, some 13 feet over the edge of the halfpipe, punctuated with a showy grab of the board, and also a 1080-degree spin while riding backward — a trick she can make even harder by adding an extra flip.

When she was done, she smiled huge for the camera and stuck out her tongue.

“I’ve been doing this for 22 years,” said Kim, who is 25. “Muscle memory is a thing.”

Elsewhere:

n Ryan Cochran-Siegle of the U.S. captured his second straight Olympic super-G silver medal Wednesday when he finished 0.13 seconds behind winner Franjo von Allmen of Switzerland. In the stands to cheer him on was his mother, Barbara, who captured Olympic gold in the slalom at the 1972 Sapporo Games.

n Andrea Voetter and Marion Oberhofer hadn’t won a race this season on the World Cup circuit. Now the Italians are the first-ever Olympic champions in women’s doubles luge. Voetter and Oberhofer won the gold medal in 1 minute, 46.204 seconds, holding off the two sleds considered to be the best in the world. Germany’s Dajana Eitberger and Magdalena Matschina were second, and the Austrian sled of Selina Egle and Lara Kipp was third.

n Italy won Olympic men’s doubles luge gold at the Milan Cortina Games, and the U.S. still has no Olympic title. Emanuel Rieder and Simon Kainzwaldner rallied in the second run and took gold on Wednesday. The U.S. briefly made history at the halfway mark. Marcus Mueller and Ansel Haugsjaa led after the first run. A second-run mistake dropped them to sixth.

n Jens Luraas Oftebro of Norway won the gold medal in the Nordic combined normal hill competition. He overcame a 28-second time deficit after the ski jump and held off a chase in a thrilling 10-kilometer cross-country ski race finish.