U.S. Men's hockey overtime win and the Olympic sport that produces the best athletes

What It Covers

NPR's Up First Winter Games covers the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics across four storylines: Team USA's overtime men's hockey win over Sweden, Jordan Stolz's silver in the 1,500m speed skating, Mikaela Shiffrin's emotional gold medal, breaking Olympic medals, and the science behind which sport produces the best athletes.

Key Questions Answered

• •Olympic Hockey Format: Three-on-three sudden death overtime creates a fundamentally different game than regulation play — removing two skaters per side opens the ice dramatically, producing faster transitions and higher-stakes scoring chances. Three of four quarterfinal games went to overtime at these games, validating hockey fans' long-standing claim that their playoff format is the most compelling in sport.
• •VO2 Max and Athletic Performance: Cross-country skiers consistently record the highest VO2 max scores — a measure of how efficiently the body delivers and uses oxygen — because they engage all four limbs while working against gravity upright. Swimmers use all limbs but benefit from horizontal positioning; runners work arms minimally; cyclists keep arms stationary, making skiing uniquely demanding.
• •VO2 Max for Everyday Athletes: Exercise physiologist Steven Seiler at the University of Agder cautions against hyperfocusing on your VO2 max number. Studies linking VO2 max to longevity used general fitness metrics, not lab treadmill tests, suggesting that running a familiar route faster than last year produces better long-term health outcomes than obsessing over a specific numerical target.
• •Olympic Medal Construction: Current gold medals contain only six grams of actual gold — roughly 0.2 ounces — with the remainder made of silver. At today's record precious metals prices, partly driven by Trump tariff-related economic uncertainty, a gold medal's raw materials value sits around $2,300. Pure gold medals, last issued over a century ago, would be worth approximately $79,000–$80,000 today.
• •Jordan Stolz's Technical Edge: Speed skating legend Eric Heiden identifies Stolz's competitive advantage as exceptional turn efficiency and power-per-stroke rather than raw leg speed. Stolz may trail by 20 meters with one lap remaining in 1,500m races, then consistently closes the gap through superior strength endurance — a pattern Heiden predicts will keep Stolz competitive through at least the 2034 Salt Lake City Olympics.