From Mikaela Shiffrin's gold medal-winning Winter Games debut to a heartbreaking loss for Team USA in a women's ice hockey preliminary match to pairs' figure skating, there has been no shortage of must-see action on Day 5 of the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics.
Without further ado, here are our four to Watch on Day 5:
1. Mikaela Shiffrin Wins Giant Slalom Gold in Pyeongchang Debut
[NBCO-GalleryFeed] Mikaela Shiffrin's Prom Pictures
Team USA’s Mikaela Shiffrin had a golden Pyeongchang debut. She used a hard-charging final run to win her second career Olympic gold medal. Noway’s Ragnhild Mowinckel earned silver and Italy’s Federica Brignone took bronze.
Shiffrin seeks gold in as many as five events at these Games. She was a favorite in the giant slalom and will be in the slalom, scheduled for Thursday night. But skiing two races in two days shouldn’t be a problem for Shiffrin — World Cup races are often held on consecutive days.
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Shiffrin was a breakout star at the Sochi Olympics, where the American became the youngest-ever Olympic slalom champion at age 18.
The 5-foot-6-inch Shiffrin, born and raised in Vail, Colorado, made her World Cup debut at age 15. Two years later, she became the youngest U.S. woman to win an Alpine world championship. A year after that, she won gold in Sochi.
Must-See: Mikaela Shiffrin claims Olympic giant slalom gold medal
MORE: Mikaela Shiffrin dishes on winning gold in Sochi; Shiffrin's first run in giant slalom
2. U.S. Women's Hockey Falls to Rival Canada
[NBCO-GalleryFeed] Model Olympians: U.S. Women's Hockey Team
Canada scored twice in the second period in a 2-1 win over United States in women’s hockey Thursday.
Of the five women’s hockey finals in Olympic history, four were played between the U.S. and Canada, building what may be the biggest international rivalry in the sport, women or men.
Both the U.S. and Canada have guaranteed they're through to the semifinals of the 2018 Games by beating Finland and the Olympic Athletes from Russia, so this match was mainly about pride. It was also very likely a preview of the gold medal game, since both teams will be heavily favored in the semifinals.
Must-See: Hilary Knight on Pyeongchang -- 'We Really Need a Gold Medal'
MORE: U.S. has a final frenzy of chances as time expires; Olympic twin sets record with two goals in 6 seconds
3. NY Skeleton Racer John Daly Completes First Two Skeleton Runs
10 Fast Facts About John Daly: NY's 'Skeleton Man' With 'Bulletproof Hair'
Skeleton racer John Daly finished his first two runs in the skeleton in 13th place, just a hare of 2 seconds behind Yun Sung-Bin of Korea.
That position makes it unlikely that Daly, 32 -- or fellow Team USA racer Matt Antoine, who sits in 11th place -- will make the podium in Pyeongchang.
Daly has been to two prior Olympics, but hasn't medaled in either one. To be fair, he was almost in the running in Sochi but his sled jerked out of the starting point and he skidded. He retired after finishing 15th at Sochi, but then came back and returned to skeleton racing in 2016.
Daly was born in Queens and currently lives in Washington, D.C., but Long Island (Smithtown) is his hometown. His claim to fame? He says his hair is "wind proof, helmet proof and bullet proof," even when sliding headfirst at a speed faster than most cars go on the highway.
Daly and 2014 bronze medalist Matt Antoine are the two sliders who qualified to represent the U.S. in men's skeleton, and while Daly says he's looking for closure more than anything else in Pyeongchang, a medal wouldn't hurt. He's just got to get past the first two skeleton runs first; the medal event is later.
Must-See: Flashback -- John Daly's heartbreak in Sochi
MORE: John Daly struggles to find line in Run 2
4. American Sweetheart Knierims Land Quad Twist But No Medal in Pairs Free Skate
[NATL] Funny Faces of Figure Skating
Married pairs figure skaters Alexa Scimeca Knierim and Chris Knierim finished 15th in the final. Germany won gold, China took silver and Canada earned bronze.
The Knierims became the first Americans to land a quad twist in an Olympic competition when they hit the four-revolution element in the pairs free skate. The rest of their program didn’t go nearly as well — they were out of sync on their combination spin and a bit shaky on their throw triple flip.
But the couple revealed they skated right after seeing the news of the deadly Florida high school shooting, and it made it hard for them to focus. Alexa said she was “emotionally drained” as she broke down in tears after the performance.
Read: Knierims skate with heavy hearts at Olympics pairs
Must-See: Love at first sight for Alexa Scimeca Knierim and Chris Knierim
MORE: PHOTOS: Knierims compete in pair free skate; Alexa and Chris Knierim seal their short program with a kiss
