A day of highs and lows for Team USA
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U.S. figure skaters celebrate winning the gold in the team event. Photo: Ina Fried/Axios
A Sunday that began with Lindsey Vonn's screams of pain after crashing in the downhill ended with cheers of jubilation as Team USA edged out Japan for gold in team figure skating.
The big picture: It truly was the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.
Driving the news: Vonn, 41, was trying to continue her comeback despite a ruptured ACL but crashed shortly into her run and had to be airlifted to a hospital, where she was later diagnosed with a broken leg.
- While Vonn failed to finish, fellow American Breezy Johnson took the gold medal, becoming the first American to medal at this year's Winter Games.
Meanwhile, back in Milan, Team USA needed a victory by Ilia Malinin in the men's free skate to win — and the "Quad God" delivered, landing a backflip on one foot, along with several other jumps.
Between the lines: Team USA skater Amber Glenn, who identifies as pansexual, said the win was especially gratifying after receiving so much online hate that she left social media.
- "I'm gonna keep representing what I believe in, and what I think all Americans believe in, which is freedom and being able to love and do what you want," Glenn told Axios after Team USA's victory.
Go deeper: Trump calls Olympic skier with mixed feelings "a real loser"
