All Of It (WNYC) – Review/Previewing The Rest Of The Winter Olympics

Host: David Fuerst (in for Alison Stewart)
Guest: Justin Peters (Slate correspondent)
Date: February 18, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of All Of It dives into the drama, excitement, and surprises of the 2026 Winter Olympics as the games head towards their concluding days. Slate correspondent Justin Peters joins host David Fuerst for an in-depth review of key storylines, standout performances, athletic controversies, and the emotional spectrum of the Games. Listeners text in their thoughts, and the hosts reflect on what’s ahead to watch, what has shocked fans and experts alike, and how culture and competition collide on the world stage.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Mikayla Shifrin's Gold Medal Comeback

• [03:06] Shifrin wins gold in slalom after a disappointing Beijing 2022 and a tough start at these Olympics.
  • Justin Peters details her “redemption tour”:
    • "She's the best ski racer of all time, and her best discipline is the slalom, but at the Olympics, she's fallen apart.”
    • Recalls viral 2022 image: “She’s just sitting by the side of the course like a forlorn kid, just sort of looking at the other skiers zip past her.”
    • This year: finally overcomes pressure—"There was this look on her face, like, thank god."
  • Notable Moment: The tension as Shifrin watched another skier stumble just before her own run.

Curling Controversy: The Hot-Button Sport

• [05:59] Peters discusses his recent coverage of Olympic curling’s unexpected drama:

  • Sweden accuses Canada of “double touching the stone” (touching it twice after release).
  • [07:13] On-air excerpt of the argument:
    • Player: “I’ll show you a video after the game.”
    • Coach: “How about you walking around on my peel on the last day and dancing…”
    • Host: “Pretty spicy for the Olympics for curling.”
  • Peters: “It’s the white noise of Olympic sports. And so to have this blow up on ice is sort of torn the curling events asunder.”
  • Likely outcome: rule clarifications post-Games.

• [10:31] US Curling Updates:

  • Men’s team (with NY native Danny Casper) loses 9–2 to Great Britain, eliminated.
  • Women’s team still in contention.

Olympic Jerk Watch—Human Flaws on Display

• [11:39] Justin Peters describes his signature Slate column:
  • “We subjectively assess whether various people at the Olympics are or are not jerks... to provide a counterweight to the feel-good human interest stories that are basically the only thing you'll see on NBC.”
• [12:42] Notable “jerk” this year: Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Lægreid
  • [13:44] On winning bronze, confessed to cheating on his girlfriend—a "confession heard around the world":
    • “He was so sad this week because he had found the love of his life...and then three months ago he had cheated on her...hoping by making a jerk of himself, he might win her heart back...”
    • Result: “It didn’t work...that was incredibly embarrassing and I want no part of you.”

Athletic Upsets & Human Drama

Figure Skating: The Rise and Fall of the “Quad God”

• [14:54] Ilya Malinin, famed for the quadruple Axel, is expected to cruise to gold.
  • “He’s landed 12 of them in competition...remade the sport of male figure skating in his image.”
  • But at the Olympics: opens free skate with an audio clip of himself, falters on the quad Axel, makes more mistakes, falls to 8th place, breaks down in tears.
  • The gold goes unexpectedly to a Kazakh skater.
  • Justin Peters: “You have that one moment to take your shot. Even the best in the world can buckle under the pressure.”

Bobsled: Longevity and Sacrifice

• [18:47] Story of 41-year-old Elana Meyers Taylor:
  • “Has been bobsledding at an extremely high level for parts of the last three decades...has medaled in all of them, but has never won a gold.”
  • Faces obstacles—raising two children (one with Down Syndrome, both deaf), fundraising issues for the men’s team.
  • Wins gold in the monobob: “By .04 seconds, she beat her next closest competitor and finally won gold at 41...at an age where most other people, it’s all they can do to stand up straight without their back cracking.”

The “Old Guy Olympics”

• [20:30] Peters jokes about the unusually high number of older medalists:
  • “Simple word: science...It’s a lot easier these days for athletes to maintain peak performance into their 40s.”
  • Highlights: Nick Baumgartner (44, snowboard), Diana Stellato Dudek (42, figure skating, after a 16-year layoff).

Accessibility of the Olympics

• [21:50] Listener text highlights issue of Olympic broadcast paywalls.
  • Peters: “The Olympics should belong to everybody...It’s just a function of the way that the media works these days that you have to pay money to be able to see it.”

Judging Controversy in Ice Dance

• [22:56] The French team beats US favorites Chalk and Bates.
  • Accusations of nationalistic judging bias; French judge scores French team higher and US team lower.
  • Peters: “They were so closely matched...it’s hard to impute malice or conspiracy.”
  • US Skating won’t appeal: “The French team won on their own merits.”

South America’s Breakthrough—A Gold in Giant Slalom

• [24:03] Brazil’s skier wins men’s giant slalom, South America’s first-ever Winter Olympic medal.
  • “The longest shutout streak in the history of the Winter Olympics...Since 1928, no athlete from South America had ever medaled.”
  • The Brazilian winner had transferred from the Norwegian ski team.

Other National Surprises

• [25:24] Italy and France perform unusually well; Italy may see further success with debut of ski mountaineering (“skimo”)—a sport that “Italy is very good at.”

Paralympics Reminder

• [26:07] Listener texts in not to forget the Paralympics starting March 6.

Olympic Fans: The Energy of the Crowd

• [26:37] Huge, passionate crowds even for long outdoor events:
  • "They packed 19,000 people into the biathlon stadium the other day. Outside. This is not indoors and these races last for two hours. But I think this sort of joie de vivre...has really elevated it."

Final Events to Watch & Legacy Moments

• [27:36] Highlight: Jessie Diggins (US cross-country skier), “the greatest American cross country skier of all time,” looks to cap her career with the 50km mass start.
  • Listener: “Watching Jessie Diggins continue to compete after suffering seriously bruised ribs in a crash at her first event...managed a bronze medal...was amazing.”
  • Peters: “She’s got the guts of a lion. If the Olympic spirit is encapsulated in any one athlete, she’s got a case…”
• Women’s Hockey final is also upcoming.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Shifrin's slalom redemption:

  • “There was this look on her face, like, thank God.” – Justin Peters [04:58]

• On curling’s sudden drama:

  • “It’s the white noise of Olympic sports. Right. And so to have this blow up on ice is sort of torn the curling events asunder.” – Justin Peters [08:22]

• On Ilya Malinin’s Olympic collapse:

  • “And I sort of, David, like the end of his story was written when he began his free skate routine with an audio clip of himself speaking.” – Justin Peters [15:46]

• On the Old Guy Olympics:

  • “It’s a lot easier these days for athletes to maintain peak performance into their 40s than it was in generations past.” – Justin Peters [20:34]

• On Jessie Diggins:

  • “She’s got the guts of a lion. Honestly, if the Olympic spirit is encapsulated in any one athlete, she’s got a case for to say that she is the Olympic spirit.” – Justin Peters [28:23]

• On the fate of biathlete Sturla Holm Lægreid’s public confession:

  • “It didn’t work. It didn’t work. Turns out there’s a reason why you only do this sort of stuff in the movies and not in real life.” – Justin Peters [14:25]

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |------------|------------------------------------------------------| | 03:06 | Shifrin’s gold: redemption and backstory | | 05:59 | Curling controversy explained | | 07:13 | On-air curling argument (audio excerpt) | | 10:31 | Update on US Curling teams | | 11:39 | Introduction to “Olympics Jerk Watch” | | 12:42 | The Norwegian biathlete confessional | | 14:54 | “Quad God” Malinin’s expectations and defeat | | 18:47 | Elana Meyers Taylor’s bobsled gold at age 41 | | 20:30 | “Old Guy Olympics”—older athletes excelling | | 21:50 | Olympic TV access and paywall issue | | 22:56 | Ice dance judging controversy | | 24:03 | Brazil’s historic gold in giant slalom | | 25:24 | Italy, France, and ski mountaineering “skimo” | | 26:07 | Paralympic Games reminder | | 26:37 | Olympic fans and crowd energy | | 27:36 | Jessie Diggins and events to watch | | 28:49 | Women’s hockey upcoming |

Tone and Style

David Fuerst and Justin Peters blend high-energy sports analysis, culture-savvy commentary, and tongue-in-cheek humor. The conversation is colloquial, reflective, and full of relatable asides and banter, inviting listeners not just to follow the news, but to revel in Olympic quirks, upsets, and oddball drama.

For Further Watching/Reading

• Jessie Diggins's final cross-country race (“50 kilometer mass start”)
• Women's hockey gold medal match
• Paralympic Games (beginning March 6)
• Slate's "Olympics Jerk Watch" column by Justin Peters

Wrap-Up

This episode of All Of It offers an entertaining and insightful survey of the triumphs, controversies, and memorable personalities defining the 2026 Winter Olympics. From underdog victories and aging stars to curling quarrels and impossible upsets, listeners get a lively, context-rich preview of the final days and a sense of the Games’ legacy in sport and culture.