Carnival Monday delivered heartbreak and history in equal measure. Lucas Pinheiro Braathen — two days removed from Brazil’s first-ever Winter Olympic gold — crashed out of the men’s slalom in Bormio while leading on time, his ski sliding out in blizzard conditions. In his absence, Switzerland’s Loïc Meillard claimed gold to complete a stunning three-medal haul. In Rio, Fluminense hammered Bangu 3–1 at the Maracanã to set up a blockbuster Carioca semifinal against Vasco. And across the hemisphere, the World Baseball Classic countdown hit 17 days with spring training ramping up and all 20 rosters now finalised. The final week of the Milano Cortina Olympics has begun — and so has the biggest month on Latin America’s sporting calendar.
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Monday Scoreboard — 16 February 2026
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All results verified against official sources
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Competition
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Result
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Note
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Olympics — Men’s Slalom
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Meillard (SUI) gold, 1:53.61
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Braathen (BRA) DNF Run 1; see Card 1
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Olympics — Women’s Monobob
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Meyers Taylor (USA) gold, 3:57.93
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Nolte (GER) silver by 0.04s; Humphries (USA) bronze
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Olympics — Pairs Figure Skating
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Miura/Kihara (JPN) gold
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Comeback from 5th; Metelkina/Berulava (GEO) silver
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Olympics — Freeski Big Air W
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Oldham (CAN) gold, 180.75
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Gu (CHN) silver; Tabanelli (ITA) bronze
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Olympics — Ski Jumping Super Team
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Austria gold (Hoerl/Embacher)
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3rd round cancelled; Poland silver, Norway bronze
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Olympics — Short Track W 1000m
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Velzeboer (NED) gold, 1:28.437
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Sarault (CAN) silver; Kim Gilli (KOR) bronze
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Olympics — Women’s Hockey SF
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USA 5–0 Sweden; CAN 2–1 Switzerland
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Gold-medal game set for Thu Feb 19
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Carioca — Quarterfinal
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Fluminense 3–1 Bangu
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Maracanã; Flu faces Vasco in semis
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Paulistão — QF Draw
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Quarterfinals confirmed for Sun Feb 22
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Single-elimination; see Card 4
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01Braathen’s Slalom Dream Ends in Heartbreak — Meillard Takes Gold
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Olympics
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\nTwo days after winning Brazil’s historic first Winter Olympic gold in the giant slalom, Lucas Pinheiro Braathen crashed out of the men’s slalom on Monday, ending his bid for a double. The 25-year-old was fastest through the first two sectors of Run 1 in blizzard conditions at the Stelvio before his ski slid out in the third sector, sending him tumbling down the course. His Olympics ended with a DNF. “It brings you up to the sky and it just slams you back into reality equally as fast,” Braathen said afterward. In his absence, Switzerland’s Loïc Meillard — the reigning world champion — kept his nerve to win gold in 1:53.61, completing a remarkable three-medal campaign (gold in slalom, silver in team combined, bronze in giant slalom). Austria’s Fabio Gstrein took silver (+0.35s) and Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen claimed bronze. Run 1 leader Atle Lie McGrath of Norway, Braathen’s childhood friend, also DNF’d in the second run after straddling a gate with the title within reach. Fifty of the 96 starters failed to finish Run 1 in the treacherous conditions.
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LATAM ANGLE Brazil’s lone Winter Olympic medal remains Braathen’s giant slalom gold from Saturday — the first for any South American nation across 102 years and 25 editions of the Winter Games. Despite the slalom heartbreak, his campaign has been transformational for Latin American winter sport.
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\nLatin America Sports Daily for Tuesday, February 17, 2026. (Photo Internet reproduction)
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02Meyers Taylor Wins Monobob Gold at 41 — Pairs Skating Delivers Stunner
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Olympics
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\nDay 10 at Milano Cortina delivered seven medal events and some of the Games’ most dramatic moments. In bobsleigh, American Elana Meyers Taylor — competing at her fifth Olympics at age 41 — overcame a deficit after three heats to win monobob gold with a blistering fourth run, finishing in 3:57.93, just 0.04 seconds ahead of Germany‘s Laura Nolte. Fellow American Kaillie Humphries took bronze (3:58.05), putting two U.S. mothers in their 40s on the podium. Meyers Taylor’s six career Olympic medals tie Bonnie Blair’s record as the most by an American woman at the Winter Games. In figure skating, Japan’s Miura Riku and Kihara Ryuichi staged a spectacular comeback from fifth place in the short programme to win pairs gold with a personal-best free skate score of 231.24. Georgia’s Metelkina and Berulava won silver — their country’s first-ever Winter Olympic medal — while short-programme leaders Hase and Volodin of Germany settled for bronze. Canada’s Megan Oldham won women’s freeski big air gold (180.75), holding off defending champion Eileen Gu of China (179.00) and Italy’s 18-year-old Flora Tabanelli (178.25) on home snow.
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KEY STAT After Day 10, 74 of 116 medal events are complete. Norway leads the table with 28 medals (12 gold), followed by Italy with 23 (8 gold) and the USA with 19 (6 gold). Brazil’s lone gold keeps them 17th.
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03USA and Canada Set for Hockey Gold — Americans Outscoring Opponents 31–1
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Olympics
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\nThe women’s ice hockey gold-medal game is set: the United States will face Canada on Thursday at the Santagiulia Arena in Milan, the seventh time the two rivals have met for Olympic gold since women’s hockey debuted in 1998. The Americans crushed Sweden 5–0 in Monday’s first semifinal, extending their extraordinary shutout streak to five consecutive games and over 300 minutes without conceding. Five different scorers found the net, with three goals in under three minutes blowing the game open in the second period. Canada followed with a tighter 2–1 win over Switzerland, with captain Marie-Philip Poulin scoring twice to set the all-time Olympic women’s hockey goals record at 20, surpassing Hayley Wickenheiser. Switzerland’s Rahel Enzler pulled one back in the third period to end Canada’s shutout run. The U.S. has outscored opponents 31–1 across the tournament — the sole goal conceded coming against Czechia in their opener.
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LATAM ANGLE No Latin American nation fields a women’s hockey team at the Olympics, but the tournament’s growing visibility has sparked grassroots interest — Mexico and Brazil both have developing women’s hockey programmes with eyes on future qualifications.
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04Paulistão Quarterfinals Set for Feb 21–22 — No Clássicos
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Football
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\nThe Paulistão quarterfinals are locked in for Sunday, February 22, with kick-off times confirmed by the FPF. The confirmed matchups: league leaders Novorizontino host Santos (who enter on the back of Sunday’s 6–0 demolition of Velo Clube and Neymar’s return); vice-leaders Palmeiras face surprise qualifiers Capivariano at Arena Barueri; third-placed RB Bragantino (the only unbeaten team) take on São Paulo; and Portuguesa face Corinthians. The bracket’s structure means none of São Paulo’s big four will face each other until the semifinals at the earliest. All quarterfinals are single-elimination, with penalties deciding drawn matches. Relegated: Ponte Preta and Velo Clube drop to the Série A2 for 2027. Notable absence: Mirassol, a Série A club, failed to qualify.
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CONTEXT From the quarterfinals onward, the Paulistão introduces semi-automated offside technology — the same VAR tool set to debut in the Brasileirão Série A. Each quarterfinal is a single match at the higher-seeded team’s ground; ties go straight to penalties.
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05Fluminense Cruise Past Bangu 3–1 to Set Up Vasco Semifinal
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Football
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\nFluminense dispatched Bangu 3–1 at the Maracanã on Monday evening to complete the Carioca semifinal bracket. Jefferson Savarino opened the scoring in the 35th minute with a lovely finish — receiving on the left, cutting inside and lifting the ball over goalkeeper Bruno — to give Luis Zubeldía’s side the lead. Just three minutes later, Agustín Canobbio doubled the advantage with a strike from the edge of the area that deflected in off the Bangu defence. In the second half, Ganso converted a penalty in the 79th minute after substitute Santi Moreno was brought down. Ricardo Sena pulled one back for Bangu in the 82nd minute, but the result was never in doubt. The victory extended Zubeldía’s perfect Maracanã record to 16 wins from 16 matches as Fluminense manager. Flu now face Vasco in a two-legged semifinal — a repeat of last year’s Copa do Brasil semifinal and a Carnival-week Rio derby for the ages.
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CONTEXT The Carioca semifinal pairings: Flamengo vs Madureira and Vasco vs Fluminense. Both semis are two-legged, with dates to be confirmed by FERJ. Bangu drop to the Taça Rio consolation bracket.
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06Madureira Beat Boavista to Reach Carioca Semis
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Football
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\nIn the first Carioca quarterfinal played last Friday, Madureira beat Boavista 2–1 at the Conselheiro Galvão to become the first semifinalist of the 2026 edition. Madureira came from behind after Boavista opened the scoring, with Rodrigo Lindoso netting the winning goal in the 63rd minute. Madureira now face Flamengo in the semifinals — a daunting prospect given Filipe Luís’s side dispatched Botafogo 2–1 on Sunday in a dramatic clash at the Nilton Santos, with Lucas Paquetá scoring his first goal since returning to the club. Boavista and Botafogo both drop to the Taça Rio consolation bracket alongside the other quarterfinal losers.
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KEY STAT Madureira have now qualified for the Carioca semifinals in consecutive seasons despite being one of the tournament’s smallest clubs. Their reward: a two-leg semifinal against Carnival Sunday heroes Flamengo.
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07Neymar Watch — What’s Next After Santos’ 6–0 Carnival Blitz
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Football
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\nThe afterglow of Santos’ 6–0 demolition of Velo Clube on Carnival Sunday continued to dominate Brazilian football conversation on Monday. Neymar’s half-time introduction for his 2026 debut generated standing ovations at Vila Belmiro, and while his 45-minute cameo didn’t produce a goal, his incisive passing and movement showed he is nearing match fitness after knee surgery. Gabigol’s two-goal, one-assist masterclass was the real headline, with Gabriel Menino’s stunning long-range strike also going viral. Santos finished eighth in the first phase with 12 points and now face a daunting quarterfinal trip to league leaders Novorizontino on Sunday, February 22. Manager expectations are rising: can Santos ride the Neymar-Gabigol momentum deep into the knockout rounds?
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KEY STAT Santos scored six goals for the first time in 2026 and had a seventh disallowed. Neymar’s return — his first competitive appearance since returning to Santos — makes them arguably the most dangerous eighth seed in recent Paulistão history.
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08WBC Countdown — 17 Days, Rosters Stacked, Stage Set
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Baseball
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\nWith 17 days until first pitch at the 2026 World Baseball Classic, the spotlight has shifted from roster reveals to preparation. All 20 rosters were officially unveiled last week on MLB Network, featuring an unprecedented 78 MLB All-Stars across the field. The Latin American contingent is stacked. Venezuela’s squad competes in Pool D in Miami alongside the Dominican Republic, the Netherlands, Israel, and Nicaragua. The Dominican Republic, managed by Albert Pujols, fields what many consider the deepest lineup in tournament history. Cuba joins Puerto Rico, Canada, Colombia, and Panama in Pool A in San Juan. Brazil returns to the WBC for the first time since 2013, competing in Pool B in Houston alongside the USA, Mexico, Italy, and Great Britain — the toughest draw imaginable. Team USA is the consensus favourite, but the talent across Latin American rosters means every pool is loaded. Spring training exhibitions are ramping up, with Japan playing send-off games in Miyazaki and Nicaragua hosting exhibition games against Cuba.
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KEY STAT The top two finishers from the Americas qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics baseball tournament. With six Latin American nations in the field, the stakes extend far beyond the WBC trophy.
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09Braathen’s GS Gold — The Numbers Behind the Miracle
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Olympics
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\nEven as Monday’s slalom heartbreak stung, the remarkable statistics behind Braathen’s giant slalom triumph on Saturday continued to resonate. It was Brazil’s first medal in the 25th edition of the Winter Games — and the first for any South American nation. Born in Oslo to a Norwegian father and Brazilian mother, he competed for Norway before a shock retirement in 2023, then returned five months later representing Brazil. During Carnival week, Casa Brasil in Milan erupted as samba music played over the PA system. The nation’s president and football legend Ronaldinho were among those sending congratulations. His Monday slalom crash underscored the all-or-nothing approach that made the gold possible in the first place. “Daring to be who I am is my source of happiness,” he said, “and happiness for me is my definition of success.”
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LATAM ANGLE Brazil’s Olympic Committee called the giant slalom gold a watershed moment for winter sport in the southern hemisphere. Only Australia and New Zealand had previously won Winter Olympic medals from south of the equator.
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10Looking Ahead — Tuesday 17 February
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Preview
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OLYMPICS
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Day 11 in Milano Cortina: men’s ice hockey qualification round begins with NHL stars on the ice. Seven medal events scheduled including biathlon, cross-country, and speed skating. Women’s curling round-robin continues with Sweden unbeaten at 6–0.
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CARIOCA
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Semifinal dates and schedule to be confirmed by FERJ. Flamengo vs Madureira and Vasco vs Fluminense are the two-legged semis. Taça Rio bracket also takes shape for eliminated teams.
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WBC
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Spring training exhibitions continue across MLB camps. Latin American squads finalising preparation schedules. Japan to play send-off games in Miyazaki. Countdown: 17 days.
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COPA DO BRASIL
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First-round ties beginning this week. Madureira travel to Boa Vista to face Baré on Tuesday in their Copa do Brasil opener.
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All times are local. Check local listings.
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End of briefing
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\nCompiled by Oliver Mason — all results verified against official sources and wire reporting.
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This is part of The Rio Times’ comprehensive coverage of sports news across Brazil and Latin America.
