Return to Transcripts main page

One World with Zain Asher

Next Hour: U.K. PM To Address Labour Party Amid Epstein Fallout; Search For Nancy Guthrie Intensifies As Ransom Deadline Looms; Former Media Tycoon Jimmy Lai Sentenced To 20 Years; Trump Blasts Bad Bunny's Halftime Performance; Thousands Protest In Australia Over Israel President's Visit; Skier Lindsey Vonn Stable After Surgery On Broken Leg; CNN Learns How To Play Curling; Aired 12-1p ET

Aired February 09, 2026 - 12:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:00:36]

ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: Will he or won't he? Keir Starmer faces major calls to resign.

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: The second hour of "One World" starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right now, we have a government that's focusing purely on its own internal psychodrama. Enough of that. It is time for them to get

a grip and start governing the country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: From politics to the palace, the U.K. reckons with the fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

ASHER: And a life sentence. Jimmy Lai learns his fate in Hong Kong after years of fighting. His son's immediate reaction to the ruling.

Plus.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: This may look like house cleaning on ice.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Lots of folks would not even think this is a sport.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: It's actually one of the most strategic sports in the Olympics.

ALL: Welcome to curling.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Love that. It's harder than it looks. Later this hour, how to curl Olympic style.

ASHER: Look easy though.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHER: All right. Coming to you live from New York, I'm Zain Asher.

GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. You're watching the second hour of "One World."

And we are tracking several developments this hour, all related to prominent figures tied to the late sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.

In the next hour, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to address his Labour Party. The Epstein revelations have drawn heavy criticism over

Starmer's judgment.

Now, at the center of this scandal, the prime minister's decision to appoint Peter Mandelson, as U.K. ambassador to Washington, despite

Mandelson's links to Epstein.

On Sunday, Starmer's chief of staff resigned. And now the Scottish labor leader is calling on Starmer to step down after a series of missteps.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANAS SARWAR, SCOTTISH LABOUR LEADER: The distraction needs to end, and the leadership in Downing Street has to change. We cannot allow the failures at

the heart of Downing Street to mean the failures continue here in Scotland.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Charles, how long have you know about Andrew and Epstein?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: What you just heard is one person heckling King Charles in Northern England. The fallout continues for the Royal Family over former Prince

Andrew's ties to Epstein.

British police now say they're assessing reports that Andrew allegedly shared confidential reports with Epstein as well.

In the meantime, the Prince and Princess of Wales say that they are deeply concerned by the revelations. One spokesperson says, quote, their thoughts

remain focused on the victims.

In Washington, the lawyer for Epstein's jailed accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, now says she's promising to clear President Trump's name in the

Epstein probe, though this would be an exchange for clemency.

GOLODRYGA: Earlier, Maxwell appeared virtually before the House Oversight Committee. She declined to answer any questions citing her Fifth Amendment

rights, one democratic lawmaker expressing her frustrations with Maxwell's silence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JASMINE CROCKETT (D-TX): The fact that this woman is continuing to invoke the Fifth Amendment, tells us exactly what my colleagues have

already stated. She is a monster. She does not care. She has no remorse. She is not seeking to bring about some kind of closure for these women. She

doesn't care. And frankly, it seems like this administration overall does not care.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Let's discuss all of these developments with not Nada Bashir covering it live from London.

So we see the impact here in the United States, in Washington, we've been covering it for months. But, Nada, really to see how quickly this has

escalated since more of these files have been released to governments, countries around the world, and a real focus now on what happens to Keir

Starmer and his political future.

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. The fallout is really being felt here in the United Kingdom and Keir Starmer's premiership has been

plunged into crisis and greater scrutiny, many now questioning his political judgment. And, of course, whether he has fit to remain in the

position of prime minister.

There have been questions over his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson to the role of ambassador, despite his known links to Jeffrey Epstein.

And now in this latest release of the Epstein files by the DOJ, we have seen new revelations around this relationship and how it was linked and

impacted the British government itself.

There is some indications that Peter Mandelson potentially leaked sensitive U.K. government information while acting as business secretary under the

leadership of Gordon Brown. There are also indications of payment transfers being made from Jeffrey Epstein to accounts linked to Peter Mandelson

between 2003 and 2004.

[12:05:18]

So real questions there. And the scrutiny is building up. Pressure is mounting on the British Prime Minister to answer growing questions around

his decision making around Mandelson's appointment.

Of course, Mandelson has, since last year, stepped down from his role and, of course, there has been growing questions over Keir Starmer's role in

that decision. But we have seen continuing movement, of course, within the government itself including senior resignations.

Keir Starmer's chief of staff stepping down on Sunday Morgan McSweeney saying that the decision to appoint Peter Mandelson was wrong. He has

damaged the Labour Party, the country and trust in politics itself.

We've also seen the communications chief resigning and now we're hearing from the leader of the Scottish Labour Party saying, it is time for Starmer

to step down. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARWAR: That's why the distraction needs to end and the leadership in Downing Street has to change.

It is so obvious that we desperately need change in Scotland. And in three months time, the opportunity to get rid of a failing S&P government is one

that is too important to be missed.

We cannot allow the failures at the heart of Downing Street to mean the failures continue here in Scotland.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASHIR: Now, of course, amidst this crisis, there has been some show of support from members of Starmer's government referred from the Deputy Prime

Minister David Lammy who has referenced the prime minister's significant mandate saying that nothing should distract the Labour Party from its

efforts to change Britain.

Starmer has also, just in the last week, addressed Parliament himself saying that those revelations around Jeffrey Epstein and his links to Peter

Mandelson were deeply frustrating. He said that the former ambassador lied repeatedly about his relationship with Epstein, that he had betrayed the

country and Parliament, as well as the Labour Party.

But again there are growing calls for accountability. It seems that there is some momentum growing behind those calls, but whether it is enough to

push Keir Starmer towards stepping down remains to be seen.

GOLODRYGA: All right. Nada Bashir, thank you.

ASHER: All right. Meantime in Amazon, the desperate search for the mother of NBC anchor, Savannah Guthrie, has now entered its second week. And it

comes as a critical deadline loom.

CNN-affiliate KGUN says it received one of the purported ransom notes sent to media organizations reporting that the possible abductors are demanding

$6 million in Bitcoin by 5:00 P.M. today, it's local time, for her safe return.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. Her family says they are ready to pay, even though authorities haven't been able to authenticate the ransom notes or name a

suspect yet. Here's more from CNN's Ivan Rodriguez.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN RODRIGUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Nancy Guthrie was last seen by her family on January 31st when she joined relatives for dinner and game

night near her home outside Tucson, Arizona.

The search for the 84-year-old is now in its 9th day. Former SWAT team Captain, Josh Schirard, says he doesn't believe there's been direct

communication between the Guthrie family and any alleged abductors.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSH SCHIRARD, FORMER SWAT TEAM CAPTAIN: We still have no valid two-way communication with this possible hostage-taker and the -- and the author of

these ransom notes. It's been all one way. And I think that both sides are probably getting a little desperate as to start that communication before

that deadline comes up.

RODRIGUEZ (voice-over): The deadline in one of the initial purported ransom notes was for Monday at 5:00 P.M., demanding millions in Bitcoin.

In a video release Saturday, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings issued a clear message.

SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, AMERICAN BROADCASTER AND JOURNALIST: We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only

way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us and we will pay.

RODRIGUEZ (voice-over): Retired FBI supervisory agent Lance Lessing says investigators are closely working with the Guthrie family.

LANCE LESSING, RETIRED FBI SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT: They're following a pretty solid playbook, trying to humanize the victim initially in that

first, trying to open lines of communication, trying to get proof of life.

This second statement, very different, but still a playbook, still offering to pay, offering to get that open line of communication. How do we pay?

RODRIGUEZ (voice-over): I'm Ivan Rodriguez reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA: CNN's chief law enforcement and intelligence analyst John Miller joins us now.

And, John, this is just such a devastating and hard to comprehend story, not only because so many of us know Savannah. We feel like this hits close

to home, but just the -- the -- the details, the -- the kidnapping, the stealing, snatching of an 84-year-old woman and for now over a week without

much information at all as to whether or not she's alive. Her whereabouts. All we have are these videos that Savannah, the -- the -- these painful

videos at Savannah and her siblings are making public speaking directly to those that claim they are holding her mother ransom.

[12:10:21]

What stands out to you about this most recent video? It is shorter, it's a bit different in tone, and the language seems a bit cryptic as well.

JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: Well, it is, and that is likely intentional. This is not a strategic communication

as the first video was where they're talking directly to their mom. They're talking about we need a proof of life. We need to make sure it's not some I

-- you know, A.I. scam. They're talking to the kidnappers.

This is just about 19 seconds. And it starts off with the words, we understand. So, it means they -- they got the second message, the second

note from the people purporting to be the kidnappers, purporting to hold her mom.

There was some -- there was some message in there, so they start off with, we understand, and then, you know, they talk about, you know, return her.

They're not asking for a proof of life anymore. The only way we will have peace is to have her returned and we will pay.

So the question is now, and we don't know the answer to this question, have they received an answer from that? They're still not communicating

directly, they are communicating directly through the media, which is pretty much the opposite of direct.

ASHER: And just in terms of what really concerns you the most and all of this, I mean, obviously we're going into the ninth day now. We know that

she's already have her -- she might not have her medication with her as well, I should say.

And then on top of that, this idea that her -- Nancy Guthrie's blood was found on the porch. I mean, when you look at all of those sort of three

things, what worries you the most, John?

MILLER: Those three things, Zain, I mean what it tells us is, first, understand, given her age and her physical condition and her health issues,

time is not our friend here.

The idea that there was blood on the front steps when she was removed and the DNA says that's her blood, indicates to us there was a struggle and

that it was a rough extraction as they removed her from her home. That is also not good when you consider the age and health of the victim.

So there's a lot of concern here that this is -- that this has gone very badly in terms of the kidnapping itself by whoever took her from that

house. And -- and that the time is dragging.

And that the kidnappers, so far, it appears from the last message, refused to communicate directly with them unless that's changed.

ASHER: All right. John, well, I mean obviously all of us are praying, praying that -- that, you know, she's safely returned and to the family and

obviously these -- these messages that the Guthrie family can continue to release on social media, just absolutely devastating heartbreaking to

watch.

And as Bianna was saying, this really does -- it's so close to home. It's so close to all of us.

MILLER: We're all praying.

GOLODRYGA: Yes.

ASHER: Yes. We're all praying. All right. John, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

GOLODRYGA: That tip line also there on the bottom right of your screen, really important if you have seen, if you know any information please call

those numbers.

All right. Well, jury selection is underway for the father of an alleged school shooter in Georgia.

ASHER: Now back in 2020, four police say Colt Gray used an assault rifle to kill two students and two teachers at Appalachian High School outside of

Atlanta.

Now the boy's father, Colin Gray, is facing 30 charges including secondary murder and involuntary manslaughter.

Prosecutors say even though police questioned the teen and his father about online threats to commit a school shooting, the father still gave his son a

gun for Christmas.

GOLODRYGA: Well, China's foreign ministry is warning other countries not to get involved in Hong Kong's affairs. This after a media tycoon Jimmy Lai

was handed a 20-year prison sentence today.

ASHER: Yes. The 78-year-old Lai was convicted of violating the territory's strict national security law. Lai's newspapers were known to be critical of

Beijing, his son likened the prison term to essentially a death sentence, but said he took some comfort from his father's demeanor in court.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN LAI, JIMMY LAI'S SON: I heard people report from court that he was stoic and -- and he smiled. You know, obviously not a happy smile, but

the smile of a man who knows that he's done everything that he can.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[12:15:05]

GOLODRYGA: CNN's Kristie Lu Stout has more on what's next for Lai.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm standing outside the court where the former Hong Kong media mogul and longtime critic of China, Jimmy Lai,

has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.

In December, he was found guilty of sedition and two counts of colluding with foreign forces. Now, collusion here in Hong Kong under the Beijing

imposed national security law is a very serious crime, punishable by up to life in prison. Jimmy Lai earlier had pleaded not guilty to all the

charges.

Now, in December, the three judges presiding over the case and convicted Jimmy Lai. They called him a quote, mastermind of conspiracies. They

pointed out his lobbying of U.S. politicians during President Donald Trump's first term, as well as how he used his empire, namely his "Apple

Daily" newspaper to call for international sanctions against China and Hong Kong during the 2019 protests.

Now, this has been the most high-profile national security case since the law was imposed by Beijing on Hong Kong in 2020. It has been roundly

criticized by Western governments.

The U.S. and other countries have called for the release of Jimmy Lai. In fact, U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly pressed Chinese leader Xi

Jinping to free Jimmy Lai during their talks last year.

China has repeatedly warned against any interference and Hong Kong has insisted that Jimmy Lai has received a fair trial.

So, what happens next? Well, an appeal could be a long drawn-out process with a low success rate. As for Jimmy Lai, he is 78 years old and has

already spent more than five years in prison.

Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA: Well, turning back here to the states and lighter news, Super Bowl 60 is now one for the history books with the Seattle Seahawks

dominating and defeating the New England Patriots.

But that wasn't the only high-octane performance people were raving about.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: That's Bad Bunny, of course, dancing with a surprise, yes, or that was him with Lady Gaga, Super Bowl halftime show. For his block party,

essentially a love song to Puerto Rico. It was a historic moment for Latin music in America's biggest stage, but not everyone was celebrating.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. President Trump took to his social media to call the show, quote, one of the worst ever and that nobody understands a word this guy is

saying.

ASHER: Let's discuss all of this, the fallout, the performance with CNN Espanol anchor, Juan Carlos Arciniegas, who joins us live now from Los

Angeles.

I mean, obviously, you had President Donald Trump essentially calling this performance one of the worst ever. He called it a terrible performance, but

what sort of other reactions did we have?

Just across the -- I mean, obviously, we had the other halftime show, the TPM halftime show.

GOLODRYGA: Counter programming.

ASHER: The counter programming. But what -- but what was the -- what was the reaction more broadly, Juan Carlos?

JUAN CARLOS ARCINIEGAS, CNN ESPANOL ANCHOR: Well, we have politicians, we have artists, we have influencers, and we will have people from Latin

America expressing their opinion about this show that they didn't like it.

But I wanted to tell you how I described it at the beginning yesterday after I saw it. I said it was colorful, it was theatrical, it was festive,

very festive, as you can see, and well, this is the first time we have a Super Bowl halftime show entirely in Spanish except for Lady Gaga. We're

going to talk about her later.

But Rolling Stone Magazine, guys, said it was a historic event. And also, Billboard Magazine said that Bad Bunny has redefined what can be achieved

on the world's biggest stages.

Bad Bunny wanted the audience to dance and that celebration was very evident among the Hispanic Latino audience, not only in the stadium but

also at the watch parties in Puerto Rico or cities like New York, where there is a large population of Puerto Ricans.

According to the organizer of this show, which cost $50 million. The concept of bringing a piece of Puerto Rico to the field was entirely Bad

Bunny's idea. He wanted to pay tribute to his country, highlights his customs, and celebrate its people for sure.

In 13 minutes, he managed to include parts of about 13 of his greatest hits and even made sure not to use obscene words in songs like "Safaera." No one

wanted a moment that would set off alarms at the Federal Communications Commission.

The show was supposedly, as I said, entirely in Spanish, but we saw Lady Gaga participate contributing an English moment by performing her hit song

"Die with a Smile." However, the song was performed in a salsa version, making her dance this popular musical genre.

Lady Gaga, who has her own Super Bowl show nine years ago, commented last week that Bad Bunny is a brilliant musician and human being. Don't be

surprised if one day they release a song together.

[12:20:09]

The other surprise guests that we saw was Ricky Martin, who sang parts of the song "Lo Que Le Paso a Hawaii," for half a minute. It's ironic that

Ricky, being one of the most popular Latino artists in the United States in the last decade, has not -- last -- last century, in fact, has not

performed on this stage as the main artist.

With this invitation, Bad Bunny may be thanking him for paving the way for artists like himself. And you were saying that people that express have a

rejection to this, President Trump, of course, also the boxer and influencer, Jake Paul, who in a statement invited the public to turn off

the T.V. during the show.

Chris Brown, without mentioning Bad Bunny, also wrote on Instagram, I think it's safe to say, they need me. But it also being noted that within the

Latin American audience, not everyone is a fan of Bad Bunny.

Since the beginning of his career, many have criticized his songs for obscene content or for sometimes being difficult to understand what he's

singing. Those complaints resurface, last night, I would say on the social network, X from both verify and unverified users. But people really enjoy

this party, for sure.

GOLODRYGA: Yes.

ASHER: Your -- your favorite Bad Bunny song, Juan Carlos, quickly?

ARCINIEGAS: I like pop. I'm a pop lover. But I would say the (INAUDIBLE), which he had --

ASHER: OK.

ARCINIEGAS: I think it during the middle of it, I think is the best one.

And I really like his music when it's influenced with salsa music. Reggaeton, I'm not such a big fan, so.

ASHER: Oh, interesting.

GOLODRYGA: Most streamed artists in the world. So, this was --

ARCINIEGAS: Yes, he is.

GOLODRYGA: -- not only a decision from a business perspective from the NFL to expand the sport globally, but also one that brought many, many of his

fans.

And you say detractors also to viewing this halftime performance, including it appears the president himself, who wasn't tuning in to the counter

programming. He was watching. Isn't that funny?

Juan Carlos, thank you so much. We may not have been able to understand a lot of his words, but we did understand him say, God bless America.

ASHER: Yes, we did. My favorite Bad Bunny song is, "Si Veo a Tu Mama." Maldito ano Nuevo Y lo que me trajo.

ARCINIEGAS: Oh.

GOLODRYGA: She's been waiting for moment all day.

ARCINIEGAS: You could be a singer.

GOLODRYGA: Till we (INAUDIBLE) book you, actually.

ASHER: Me botaron del trabajo. Like I love that song.

ARCINIEGAS: Yes. They're -- they're saying that he's making people to learn Spanish, which is a good thing, right? It's a good thing.

ASHER: Yes.

GOLODRYGA: Beautiful language. Thank you.

ASHER: Thank you. He was impressed.

ARCINIEGAS: OK.

ASHER: He was impressed by my Spanish.

GOLODRYGA: A little bit. I was super impressed.

All right. Coming up for us, a presidential visit sparks protest. Israel's Isaac Herzog faces both solidarity and some demonstrations during his

Australia tour.

ASHER: And an Olympic dream shattered. We will bring you the latest on U.S. star skier Lindsey Vonn and her heartbreaking last run at the Winter Games

in Italy.

GOLODRYGA: OK. More singing. Come on. Sing us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:25:58]

ASHER: All right. Protests on the streets of Sydney and as Israel's president arrives in Australia, thousands turned out across the country

accusing Isaac Herzog of being complicit in the killings of tens of thousands of civilians in Gaza.

GOLODRYGA: Herzog was invited by Prime Minister Antony Albanese in the aftermath of the Bondi Beach massacre and he spoke at an event in Sydney

earlier, expressing his solidarity with members of the Australian Jewish community.

CNN's Angus Watson has more on the presidential visit that has divided parts of the country.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANGUS WATSON, CNN PRODUCER: Scenes here have gotten quite tense as police are blocking thousands of protesters here from marching from town hall in

the center of Sydney down towards a convention center where Isaac Herzog is meeting members of the Jewish community here in Sydney tonight.

I've seen at least one person pulled out of the crowd and arrested as protesters chat, let us march, let us march.

Now, the scenes have been peaceful up to this point where the tension is starting to bubble over. People here demanding that the Australian

government arrests the president of Israel, Isaac Herzog, who does not have an international arrest warrant against him.

But people here believe that he is complicit in the killing of tens of thousands of civilians in Gaza as Israel has prosecuted its war against

Hamas since October 2023.

Now, Isaac Herzog is here in Australia at the invitation of the Australian government, and members of the Jewish community have welcomed him, saying

that he's of great solace to them in their time of grief.

So a -- a split here between Australians who condemn Isaac Herzog, the head of state of Israel, and those who welcome him, saying that after that

horrific terror attack in December of last year, that he's needed here to show support to them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ASHER: All right. Coming up, it looks way harder or rather, it is way harder than it looks, as the Winter Olympics wrap up their third day. CNN

learned learns how to play one of the sports bringing athletes together in Milan, curling.

GOLODRYGA: That is Victor right there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:30:21]

GOLODRYGA: All right. Welcome back to "One World." I'm Bianna Golodryga.

ASHER: And I'm Zain Asher.

A shattered Olympic dream for star, U.S. skier, Lindsey Vonn, who fractured her leg in her downhill final on Sunday. She was promptly airlifted to

hospital and later underwent double surgery. According to the U.S. key team, she's now in stable condition.

GOLODRYGA: The 41-year-old crashed just 13 seconds into her final ski while grappling with a completely ruptured ACL.

As the athlete works towards a speedy recovery, questions are swirling about whether she should have participated at all.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PIERRE DUCREY, IOC SPORTING DIRECTOR: First of all, obviously, we -- our thoughts are with the athlete and with this tough injury, but I think it's

clear in the downhill we give athletes opportunities to train to make sure that they are able to go down the slope in -- in the way that it should be

for all the athletes.

So that happened. She was able to train and made the choice with the excellent team that she has to take part.

So from that point of view, I don't think we can, you know, say that she should or shouldn't have participated. This decision was really hers and

her team to take.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: All right. Time now for "The Exchange" joining us live now CNN sports analyst and "USA Today" sports columnist, Christine Brennan, who has

been following all highs and lows of the Winter Olympics.

Christine, thank you so much for being with us. I mean, obviously, it breaks my heart here what happened with Lindsey Vonn?

I mean, just a week ago, she ruptured her ACL, then now she fractured her leg. And, you know, just the fact that she had come out of retirement, you

know, for this goal and to see her dreams completely shattered in this really heartbreaking way, just 13 seconds into this race.

Your -- your reaction, Christine.

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: Yes. Lindsey Vonn knew this -- this -- there was a chance this could happen. I mean, she's had nine knee

surgeries prior to the surgeries you referred to from after the crash yesterday.

She has, you know, been skiing forever. She won her gold medal in the downhill. I was there covering it on the mountain 16 years ago. She's been

airlifted off the mountain with injuries or falls, and, you know, crashes, dozens of times.

So the -- the risks are inherent when you are hurtling down the mountain. She knows that. There's no one better than Lindsey Vonn over the years.

And even this year, as she came back, she in the World Cup, there were five races, all five of them, she appeared on the medal podium, two of them she

won.

So she was already on top of her game again coming back after retirement. And so for me, this is the most Lindsey Vonn thing Lindsey Vonn has ever

done. She is brave and fearless and intrepid and adventurous. She's an incredible success. A multi-millionaire, a great sports woman and a great

business woman.

And I think she had every right to give it a go. She did. Obviously, now the surgeries, you know, there's going to be a long recovery. But Lindsey

Vonn knew that and she was willing to take that risk to give it a shot. And I think that's a wonderful thing for an athlete to make that decision on

her own and to -- to give that a -- a try. Obviously, the results were devastating.

But for her, and I think for many watching, I think people are very glad that she did give it that attempt.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. The most Lindsey Vonn thing that Lindsey Vonn could have done. Perfectly said.

Christine Brennan, you've covered her for so long. And it speaks to her tenacity. And I would imagine you'd also agree that if she hadn't competed,

that question of what if would have been lingering on her mind for the rest of her career and professional life. So this was a decision she made. She's

tough. And I think she will go down in history as one of the best U.S. Olympians that this country has produced.

[12:35:14]

Speaking of what this country has produced, Team USA figure skating has arrived, Christine, after a couple of consecutive dull Winter Olympic

games.

And you look at somebody like Ilia Malinin, and the fact that he wasn't even scheduled to skate performed twice, that was probably the best

decision he could have made. You spoke with him about his performance, the Quad God.

Just tell us about this incredible performer and talent and what this means for Team USA skating.

BRENNAN: Exactly, Bianna. You know, Ilia Malinin is only 21 years old. It's his first Olympics. And he acknowledged that in the short program of the

team competition, where he wasn't great, he wasn't his old self, that -- that this -- it took some getting used to, that Olympic ice is the

different feeling.

And it's a team competition, like the Ryder Cup in golf, pressure is extraordinary on these athletes, not just on themselves, for the team and

the country.

And so Ilia Malinin, the score was tied, Japan and the U.S. last event, the men's long program, and Malinin won that. And I watched him come flying. He

was backstage because he had just skated. And he comes flying into the -- the team, you know, gathering, literally leaves his feet, dives into the

group.

Amber Glenn, the women's skater, who had just gone before him in that part of the competition, is literally picking him up, his -- his feet aren't

even on the ground, his arms are there in -- there in triumph. And he hasn't even done his biggest event yet. The men's competition starts

tomorrow.

And, you know, can he just use that right that momentum to fly in. He is, as you said, the Quad God. He is favored to win two gold medals. He's got

one. And the U.S. team, as they -- as you said, after this -- this competition was kind of a nothing.

Well, it arrived big time because that was must-see T.V. and terrific in the venue as well.

ASHER: All right. Christine Brennan, thank you.

GOLODRYGA: Thanks, Christine.

BRENNAN: Thank you.

GOLODRYGA: And do stay with the Olympics -- or staying with the Olympics, rather, CNN headed to the ice. How could I skip over this part? Ice rink to

learn how to play one of the Winter Games' most puzzling sports, that is curling.

So Coy Wire, Allison Chinchar, and Victor Blackwell, they went out to report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHINCHAR: This may look like house cleaning on ice.

BLACKWELL: Lots of folks would not even think this is a sport.

WIRE: It's actually one of the most strategic sports in the Olympics.

ALL: Welcome to curling.

CHINCHAR: No skates, no sticks, just stones, brooms, and extreme thinking.

BLACKWELL: Yes, it looks chill, until it isn't.

WIRE: Curling is weird, wonderful, and extremely intense.

CHINCHAR: Sweep. Keep sweeping.

WIRE: We got to spend some time with the curlers at the Peachtree Curling Association in Marietta, Georgia, the only dedicated curling facility in

the entire state.

And our very own Allison Chinchar showed us the ropes.

BLACKWELL: So, what is curling?

CHINCHAR: So, it's kind of like shuffleboard on ice. Essentially, you have two teams of four different people. And the object is to get the stones all

the way from one end down to what looks like a bulls-eye. It's called the house. The closer to the center, that's the point that wins the game.

Essentially, each team throws eight stones per end. The players will take turns sliding the stone down the ice toward the house, with the goal of

getting it as close to the button as possible.

Now, the stones can also be used to knock other stones out of the way, or even block shots. Those are called guards. Once the stone is released and

crosses the hogline, your teammates can begin sweeping.

Now, it must cross the far hogline in order to actually stay in play. If not, it's removed. You score one point for each stone closer to the button,

then the opponent's closest stone. But stones must be at least partly inside the house to count.

WIRE: That's a long way away. I didn't realize it was that far.

CHINCHAR: That's why you have sweepers, because your sweepers can help assist the rock, making it all the way down just in case you don't quite

give it that bump that's needed to make it all the way to the end.

WIRE: Once we got the rules down, it was time to slide into the game.

CHINCHAR: As I push, you are going to sweep, almost like you're pushing down on the ice. You're trying to almost make a divot as you sweep.

Sweep. Sweep. Hard.

BLACKWELL: Sweeping melts the ice slightly.

WIRE: Makes the stone travel farther.

BLACKWELL: And sweeping isn't cleaning, it's science.

WIRE: The harder we sweep, the farther it goes.

BLACKWELL: The farther it goes.

WIRE: Just like bocce ball.

[12:40:00]

CHINCHAR: It is. It's like bocce meet shuffleboard meets ice. Get in your position, then put your foot on this.

WIRE: I can do it. Believe.

CHINCHAR: There you go.

BLACKWELL: Wait. I don't know what to do with that.

WIRE: Ugh.

CHINCHAR: One, two, three.

BLACKWELL: Is there a do-over in the Olympics?

WIRE: Thankfully, we had plenty of seasoned curlers on the ice to learn from.

MEAGHAN THOMSON, PEACHTREE CURLING ASSOCIATION: I lived in Atlanta. And I started curling here when we built this place 10 years ago.

It's harder than it looks. It's got a little bit of flexibility. It's got a little bit of cardio with the sweeping. And I say it's harder than it

looks, but we've never had any way not be able to do it.

STACEY RICE, PEACHTREE CURLING ASSOCIATION: I've been curling for seven years now and I -- I love it.

And that's the beauty of curling is the whole family can get involved, just like tennis. But it's -- it's a sport that you can do at a beginner's

level, intermediate, advanced, all the way up to the Paralympics.

WIRE: The fascinating winter sport originated on frozen Scottish locks and ponds, dating back to the 1500s. It's been a regular inclusion in the

Winter Olympics since 1998.

THOMSON: Of course, it's very popular in Canada and Scotland, but it's starting to spread in popularity across lots of different countries.

So, as long as they can have access to a sheet of ice, they can start curling. And so you're seeing a lot more non-traditional, as how I'll say

it, countries that are starting to get into curling. You've got -- we've got Puerto Rico now, Kenya, Nigeria, Australia, New Zealand.

So it's really cool to see those countries get represented now in our sport.

WIRE: The best part though might be when the games are over.

It looks kind of calm, but it is a lot of fun and it's kind of fierce.

CHINCHAR: Yes. And so now when you watch the 2026 Olympics, you'll know what's going on.

CHINCHAR: And now that it's all over, and you finally know what you're supposed to do, now is the best part. This is where we all hang out

afterwards. It's called Broom Stacking, have a drink, chat with some good friends, and enjoy the time.

But you're missing the very last step. That is what really separates you from a true fan. And that is the hat.

BLACKWELL: Oh, Lord.

WIRE: Hey. Cheers.

CHINCHAR: Perfect. Cheers.

BLACKWELL: Cheers.

GOLODRYGA: What good sports they are. I hope you'll be able to look at them the same though after that. They will feel.

ASHER: Good sports though, yes.

GOLODRYGA: All right. I'm going to have to ask Victor about that one, especially.

All right. That does it for "One World" today. I'm Bianna Golodryga.

ASHER: I'm Zain Asher. "African Voices" is up next. And Bianna's going to be back in about 15 minutes with "Amanpour." You're watching CNN.

GOLODRYGA: Maybe even more curling.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(AFRICAN VOICES)

END

END