Waking up in the morning, thinking about so many things Team USA’s Alex Carpenter hitting the post on what would’ve been the game-tying goal in the third period of last night’s women’s hockey gold medal loss. Pain.

• Read on for what comes next for the squad, plus some more icy news.

The GIST: Team USA women’s hockey came up just short in their quest for repeat gold, losing 3–2 to our Northern neighbors early this morning. This one stings.

The game: Thanks to a pair of record-breaking goals from Canada’s captain Marie-Philip Poulin, Canada gained an early 3–0 lead. Hilary Knight — who’s played in the most Winter Olympics in U.S. hockey history — quieted any shutout rumblings, notching Team USA’s first goal of the night. She’s not too shabby on her knife shoes.

• The intensity leveled up in the dying minutes of the third, where a power play and pulled goalie led to an Amanda Kessel beauty, closing the gap to one goal with 12.5 seconds remaining.
  

• Despite the late pressure, you know how this one ends — Canada held on, handing the U.S. the silver. Heartbreaker.

How Team USA got here: The tough loss (and their closer-than-anticipated games throughout the tournament) underscores bigger issues this team needs to tackle, chief among them being depth. Coach Joel Johnson relied heavily on just a handful of players, rarely calling on his bench.

• And with the Women’s Ice Hockey World Championships set for August, the clock is ticking to figure it out.

What’s next: There is a silver lining in the silver medal: the incredible enthusiasm for women’s hockey throughout the Games. The excitement for this team was palpable, and it’s time to keep that same energy 365 days a year. The next stateside PWHPA showcase, set for March in Arlington, is the perfect place to start.

⛸ Figure skating: In a shocking turn of events, 15-year-old ROC figure skater Kamila Valieva placed fourth in this morning’s women’s singles free skate, meaning medals were awarded while the ongoing doping investigation surrounding Valieva continues.

• As for our Americans, Alysa Liu, Mariah Bell and Karen Chen turned in admirable performances to finish seventh, 10th and 16th, respectively. Proud.

🎿 Skiing: Mikaela Shiffrin’s unexpectedly challenging Olympics continued overnight, as the two-time gold medalist posted her third did not finish (DNF) of the Games, this time in the alpine combined.

• Even still, she’s focusing on the positives and looking ahead to her final race in Beijing: tomorrow’s mixed team parallel. Rooting for you, Mikaela.

💨 Speed skating: Brittany Bowe — who gave up her 1,500m spot to teammate and eventual gold medalist Erin Jackson — won bronze in this morning’s 1,000m final. Good karma, great vibes.

🥌 Curling: They brought the drip, but Team Shuster came up just short in this morning’s semis, falling 8–4 to Great Britain and ending their hopes of repeat gold. That said, a podium finish is still within throwing distance. They’ll take on Canada in tomorrow’s 1:05 a.m. ET bronze medal match.

🎿Alpine skiing: Switzerland’s Michelle Gisin defended her 2018 gold in the combined event, finishing first this morning to secure her second medal of the Games. The secret to her success? “Drink wine, ski fast.” Simple as that.

💨 Speed skating: Speed skaters in Beijing are proving that records are truly meant to be broken. Japan’s Miho Takagi won her fourth medal of the Games (and first-ever individual gold!) with an Olympic record finish in this morning’s 1,000m final. Good as gold.

With the Olympics winding down, we’re reflecting on all of the incredible moments from Beijing. We’d love you to reply to this email and let us know your favorite part of the Games so far — we might even include it in a future newsletter!

The latest episode of The GIST of It podcast. Co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz mainly discuss why three Chinese-American Olympians — Eileen Gu, Nathan Chen and Zhu Yi — have come to represent geopolitical tensions and cross-cultural questions. Tune in.

This article on Canadian Rachel Homan’s struggles post curling mixed doubles elimination, and the mental health struggles athletes face when they don’t medal. Olympians are humans too.

Serena and Venus telling their story “on their own terms.” The Williams sisters share their true emotions and experiences, with some stunning poses along the way.