Marijke Groenewoud of the Netherlands has just raced and she cannot beat Femke Kok's time.

She is 0.37 seconds slower and is in silver as things stand!

No goals in the first 10 minutes but Finland, the defending champions, have had more shots than Canada (7-3) and now have a two-minute power play as Canada had too many players on the ice.

The power play means Finland will be up against one fewer player for those two minutes.

Image source, Getty Images

Femke Kok of the Netherlands still has the fastest time on the board and is the woman to beat.

There are still 10 pairs to go though, so it could still change.

Image source, Getty Images

Switzerland and Sweden will face each other in the women's curling final!

Both teams are ecstatic - and rightly so. They cruise through to the gold-medal match with convincing victories.

Switzerland ended up claiming a stunning 7-4 victory over the United States, while Sweden pulled away from Canada to take a 6-3 win.

I hope nobody had a bet on the United States v Switzerland semi-final going to an extra end!

NHL players have been available for Olympic selection for the first time since 2014, which was also the most recent occasion that Canada won men's ice hockey gold.

They narrowly defeated the Czech Republic in their quarter-final thanks to Mitch Marner's overtime winner.

Star man Sidney Crosby went off injured during that match and has been ruled out of today's semi-final, which has just got under way.

Emma Smith
BBC Sport at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena

You don't appreciate just how important hockey is to Canadians until you see Canadians going to the hockey.

There were thousands heading to Santagiulia as I made my way over earlier this afternoon; I was being swept away in a sea of red.

Plenty of hockey jerseys, plus some guys dressed as lumberjacks and a few in moose-antler novelty hats. No fear of national stereotypes here.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, BBC Sport

The USA beat Canada 2-1 in a dramatic women's ice hockey gold medal match on Thursday evening.

They had been the dominant force in the competition but looked on course for defeat until a late leveller took the final into overtime, before Megan Keller scored the sudden-death winner.

Today, it's the men's semi-finals and there's the prospect of another USA-Canada final on Sunday.

Canada take on Finland right now, while at 20:10 GMT the United States are up against Slovakia.

Wilf O’Reilly
Former British short track speed skater on BBC iPlayer

We are expecting something special from Ellia Smeding, but it is not her best distance.

She is technically staying deep and moving from the outer to the inner lane.

It is important that you maintain a good posture. A satisfying time for Smeding.

Image source, Getty Images

GB's Ellia Smeding is into second with a time of one minute and 58.40 seconds.

That 3.61 seconds slower than Femke Kok.

The highest-ranked skaters go last so it will be a few pairs yet before we start to look at podium positions.

Sweden captain Anna Hasselborg comes in clutch!

She knocks two of Canada's stones out of the house with the last stone of the end, completely turning it on its head.

Canada now trail 6-3 going into the tenth end. Surely three points to draw level is a touch too ambitious?

Image source, Getty Images

Femke Kok crosses the line in one minute and 54.79 seconds.

She started off strong, which is to be expected a s a sprint skater, but she started to slow in the last lap.

It's a fast time nevertheless. GB's Smeding is up next.

Femke Kok of the Netherlands is the first to skate.

She doesn't actually have anyone to race with so she's doing it alone.

The crowd are encouraging her - not that she needs it when she's already won gold and silver at these Games.

United States take one point from the ninth end to close in on Switzerland's 5-3 lead.

Tabitha Peterson's team did try to play an ambitious final shot to get even more points on the board, but they completely failed to execute it.

Now they head into the tenth end 5-4 down, needing at least one point to force an extra end and keep their gold medal hopes alive.

Not sure how the 1500m works? Don't worry, I've got your back.

Each skater will only race once and it's a time trial format - so the fastest wins gold!

One skater begins in the inner lane, the other in the outer, and they switch lanes each lap at the crossing straight.

This ensures they both cover identical distances!

Great Britain's Ellia Smeding is in the women's 1500m, but this is not her favourite distance and not one she competes in regularly.

She finished 27th in 2022 so will be hoping to equal or better that final position.

She is in the first pair to race ...

Image source, Getty Images

So with the reigning champion absent from the starting line-up, you're thinking who you should be looking out for, right?

Well it won't come as a surprise that skaters from the Netherlands have monopolised the women's 1500m, winning the event at each of the past four Games.

The trio they have selected for Milan were separated by just three-hundredths of a second at the Dutch time trials and are all deemed to be medal contenders.

Antoinette Rijpma-de Jong won the time trial and claimed bronze in this event in 2022, while Marijke Groenewoud recorded a lifetime best in the trials.

Femke Kok will also be in contention, and although this is not her strongest distance, she comes into the race in good form after winning 500m gold and 1000m silver.

Image source, Getty Images

The women's 1500m, which is a flagship event at the Olympics and often known as the 'Queen's' Race,' is coming up.

And there will be a new queen of the event as the reigning champion will not compete to defend her crown.

That is because Joy Beune, who had planned to compete, came fourth in the Dutch trials in December and therefore did not make their contingent for this race.

• GB's Gus Kenworthy competes in the final of the men's freeski halfpipe (18:30).
• Three speed skating gold medals - one long-track and two short-track - will be decided.
• Canada (15:40) and the United States (20:10) bid to secure places in the men's ice hockey final.
• The two-woman bobsleigh gets under way (17:00), with Adele Nicoll and Ashleigh Nelson competing for Great Britain.

Watch the best of the action from the Winter Olympics via the links at the top of this page.

Image source, Reuters

Switzerland have just executed a perfect final stone to prevent the United States scoring two and take a point for themselves to pull even further ahead. They are now 5-3 in the lead after eight ends.

Trust me, it was an absolute chef's kiss!

Sweden have taken back-to-back ends over Canada in the other semi-final. There were stones all over the ice in the seventh end, but Anna Hasselborg's team took one point to extend their lead to 5-2.

• Team GB's Gus Kenworthy qualifies for the men's freeski halfpipe final, which takes place at 18:30 GMT.
• Wang Xindi of China wins men's aerials gold, two days after wife Xu Mengtao became Olympic champion.
• Norway finish first and second in the men's biathlon 15km mass start, with Johannes Dale-Skjevdal claiming gold.
• Germany's Daniela Maier won women's ski cross gold.