French champion Surya Bonaly backflipped on Olympic ice years before Ilia Malinin was even born, and it brought her penalization, not plaudits.

Women’s ice hockey joined the Olympic program in Nagano 1998 and immediately delivered a rivalry that would come to define the tournament. From that first final onward, the gold medal game has been dominated by the United States and Canada,

Today’s athletes aren’t just chasing medals. They’re prioritizing mental health, training with AI, challenging gender norms, and broadcasting it all from inside the Village.

NewsdayTV's Macy Egeland takes a look back at Newsday's coverage of the 1998 and 2002 Winter Olympics. Credit: Newsday

Ilia Malinin became the first person in 50 years to legally land a backflip at the Winter Olympics, doing it in the figure skating team event.

Olympian Jenny Potter to Newsmax: 1998 Hockey Gold Remains Special

Tara Lipinski broke a long-standing record in 1998.

The Americans trailed for most of the game but survived in overtime to be crowned Olympic champions. Bruce Bennett / The Athletic has live coverage of Canada vs. Finland and USA vs. Slovakia in the 2026 Winter Olympics men’s hockey semifinals.