The United States go one up!

Their final stone ricochets another into the house, consolidating the position of a third bang in the centre.

Absolute precision.

Logan Gray
Scottish former curler on BBC One

Looking at the results in the round robin, Sweden were sitting with two wins and three losses at one point.

It actually looked really doubtful that they were going to make the play-offs, but they have hit great form at the right time.

All of a sudden, I would say they are favourites for the gold medal.

Sweden, armed with the red stones, get us started in this best of eight ends encounter.

After six throws, all six stones are pretty much on the centre line in alternating red-yellow order.

One Swedish guard sits high, with the remainder in the house.

Sweden got here after beating Team GB 9-3 in yesterday's semi-final, while the United States beat Italy 9-8 in a tight match.

Neither finalist were in the top two of the group stage, finishing with 5-4 and 6-3 records.

The United States won their group stage encounter 8-7.

Here we go, get ready for some red hot curling action.

Well, maybe not red hot - that would be problematic, ice-wise, but you catch my drift.

Sweden's sibling pair of Isabella and Rasmus Wranaa go up against Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin of the United States in the final of the mixed doubles.

We'll get going at 17:05 GMT.

Image source, Getty Images

It's about to get very busy in Italy with all of this still to come on day four...

• 17:05 - Mixed doubles curling gold medal match (Sweden vs USA)
• 17:30 - Men's single skating short programme
• 17:34 - Luge women's single gold medal run
• 17:45 - Ski jumping mixed team (gold medal from 19:00)
• 19:10 - Women's ice hockey (Canada vs USA)
• 20:10 - Women's ice hockey (Finland vs Switzerland)

We're heading Cortina Curling Stadium for that title decider.

Who are you backing? Thumbs up for Sweden. Thumbs down for USA.

Image source, Getty Images

That's the end of the third run and as things stand, Germany will win their eighth consecutive gold in the women's singles.

Julia Taubitz is on top, with Elina Bota (Latvia) and Ashley Farquharson (USA) in possession of the silver and bronze medals heading into the final run, which will get under way from 17:34 GMT.

1. Julia Taubitz (Germany) - 2:37.918
2. Elina Bota (Latvia) - 2:38.622 (+0.704)
3. Ashley Farquharson (USA) - 2:38.673 (+0.755)
4. Verena Hofer (Italy) - 2:38.720 (+0.802)
5. Emily Fischnaller (USA) - 2:38.748 (+0.830)
6. Sandra Robatscher (Italy) - 2:38.827 (+0.909)
7. Lisa Schulte (Austria) - 2:38.936 (+1.018)
8. Anna Berreiter (Germany) - 2:39.064 (+1.146)
9. Natalie Maag (Switzerland) - 2:39.368 (+1.450)
10. Merle Fraebel (Germany) - 2:39.393 (+1.475)

Hear from Great Britain's Bruce Mouat and Jen Dodds following their defeat to Italy in the curling mixed doubles bronze medal match.

Seven lugers to come at the Cortina Sliding Centre. They're competing for top 20 placings and the opportunity to complete a fourth and final run.

A reminder that this is the penultimate run in the luge women's singles. The medals will be decided from 17:34 GMT.

Only the top 20 (of 25) will complete a fourth run and they will race in reverse order of the rankings.

As things stands, Germany's Julia Taubitz - leading the way with a time of 2:37.918 after three runs - will be the last luger down the track.

After 10 lugers (is that a word?), world champion Julia Taubitz is looking comfortable at the top.

USA's Ashley Farquharson has climbed from fifth to third and compatriot Emily Fischnaller is up to fifth from eighth overnight.

However, Germany's Merle Fraebel is sliding down the standings. She headed into her third run in second place but is currently 10th.

1. Julia Taubitz (Germany) - 2:37.918
2. Elina Bota (Latvia) - 2:38.622 (+0.704)
3. Ashley Farquharson (USA) - 2:38.673 (+0.755)
4. Verena Hofer (Italy) - 2:38.720 (+0.802)
5. Emily Fischnaller (USA) - 2:38.748 (+0.830)
6. Sandra Robatscher (Italy) - 2:38.827 (+0.909)
7. Lisa Schulte (Austria) - 2:38.936 (+1.018)
8. Anna Berreiter (Germany) - 2:39.064 (+1.146)
9. Natalie Maag (Switzerland) - 2:39.368 (+1.450)
10. Merle Fraebel (Germany) - 2:39.393 (+1.475)

Team GB's Chef de Mission Eve Muirhead speaking to BBC Sport: "We have to be super proud of Jen [Dodds] and Bruce [Mouat], they really have done Great Britain proud. We speak about jeopardy in winter sports, sometimes results come down to absolutely nothing. Unfortunately, it wasn't their day today.

"They both still have their respective team events to come, so they have new competitions to focus on now. It's going to be tough and it's going to hurt, but we have to be realistic here. We have another event to come and we are only on day four as well."

On the number of fourth-place finishes so far: "I saw Kirsty [Muir] and Mia [Brookes] perform and again they prove that winter sports come down to absolutely nothing. It's definitely margins out there, but we've had some great results.

"We have to keep super positive because we have a lot of great events to come and a lot of great medal opportunities as well. We also need to make sure we're enjoying things out here. We just have to put our performances in when it counts, that's what is key out here. There's no room for margins here and there, we have to perform on the day."

On Team GB's hopes at the Games: "I'm realistic. We are going to get the results and the performances, but we just need to get that momentum going. It isn't easy being spread out but, as athletes, we can use that to our advantage. A lot of our athletes know the venues they are performing at."

Last night's top five have all completed their third runs.

Julia Taubitz remains at the top of the charts but compatriot Merle Fraebel has slipped from second to fifth after a costly crash.

20 athletes are still to come in this penultimate round.

1. Julia Taubitz (Germany) - 2:37.918
2. Elina Bota (Latvia) - 2:38.622 (+0.704)
3. Ashley Farquharson (USA) - 2:38.673 (+0.755)
4. Verena Hofer (Italy) - 2:38.720 (+0.802)
5. Merle Fraebel (Germany) - 2:39.393 (+1.475)

Oh no! Disaster for Merle Fraebel! She crashes early in her third run and can only post a time of 54.144 to take her overall time to 2:39.393.

Has she just handed the gold medal to her German teammate Julia Taubitz? She might face a battle to earn a medal of any colour after that run.

World champion Julia Taubitz is first down the track and posts a time of 52.730 in her third run - it's her slowest effort of this women's singles event.

She set a track record of 52.550 with her second run yesterday.

Her overall time is 2:37.918.

A 1,410m long track. More than a dozen bends. Flying down feet-first at speeds in excess of 80mph.

It’s luge time!

Image source, Getty Images

Is today the day for Julia Taubitz?

The 29-year-old is a two-time singles world champion, most recently winning the title in Whistler in 2025, and has finished in the top two at each of the past six World Championships.

If that isn’t enough, she’s also won a further six world titles across sprint, mixed singles, and team relay disciplines.

But, she’s yet to stand on an Olympic podium, finishing a disappointing seventh in 2022 after crashing on her second run.

She will be first down the track in run three as the competition leader.

Image source, Getty Images

Luge sees one or two athletes ride a small sled, lying flat on their backs and moving feet-first down an ice track.

It begins when the athlete moves themselves forward in a seated position by pushing their hands against the ice before laying down in an aerodynamic position.

The route is navigated by athletes using their weight, arms and feet to turn their sled down the track as fast as possible.

Luge, which is the fastest sport in the Winter Olympics, features events in single formats, doubles and a mixed team relay, which debuted in 2014.

The relay involves four events: a women's single, men's single, women's double and men's double.

The women's single luger goes first and must hit an overhead touchpad to release the men's single luger.

Last to compete are the doubles teams - the women's doubles go first, then the men's doubles.

The singles events are over four runs and the doubles over two runs.

In all events, the fastest time accumulated wins gold.

Image source, Getty Images

Here's how the competition is shaping up heading into run three:

1. Julia Taubitz (Germany) - 1:45.188
2. Merle Fraebel (Germany) - 1:45.249
3. Elina Bota (Latvia) - 1:45.683
4. Verena Hofer (Italy) - 1:45.743
5. Ashley Farquharson (USA) - 1:45.796
6. Sandra Robatscher (Italy) - 1:45.801
7. Lisa Schulte (Austria) - 1:45.866
8. Emily Fischnaller (USA) - 1:45.872
9. Anna Berreiter (Germany) - 1:46.055
10. Natalie Maag (Switzerland) -1:46.199

Image source, Getty Images

The final match in Group B of the women's ice hockey has just started, with hosts Italy facing Germany, but we're turning our attention to the Cortina Sliding Centre and the race for gold in the luge women's singles.

The athletes completed their first two runs on Monday, with two more to come at 16:00 and 17:34.

Whoever has the fastest combined time will be crowned Olympic champion.

Germany are going for an eighth consecutive gold in the women's event and were well placed overnight with world champion Julia Taubitz and Merle Fraebel occupying the top two places.