The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, Italy had many exciting events and big moments.
The biggest highlights came from the women of Team USA, who helped the country succeed in many sports. According to Nick Zaccardi of NBC Sports, it is the “sixth consecutive Olympics, both winter and summer, in which Team USA has achieved a grander total of both overall medals and gold medals in women’s events than in men’s events. The streak extends all the way back to the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro.”
The women’s events had many strong performances and inspiring stories. American figure skater Alysa Liu won the gold medal in women’s singles, becoming the first American woman to win the Olympic title since 2002. After she saw her final score, Liu said, “I can’t process this;” her victory was inspiring because she had stepped away from skating earlier in her career before returning and eventually winning Olympic gold this year.
Many fans and experts said the women’s events created some of the most exciting and emotional moments of the Olympics. Along with Liu’s victory, American female athletes also did well in skiing and hockey. According to wdef.com, The Women’s Hockey Team founght all the way to the final seconds; “Although the final couldn’t have been closer, the Americans were dominant in Milan, going 7-0 and outscoring their opponents by a combined 33-2” to win gold.
Another memorable moment of the Olympics happened in Men’s Hockey, when Team USA played Canada in the gold-medal game. According to NBC Olympics, Jack Hughes scored the winning goal just 1 minute and 41 seconds into overtime, helping the United States defeat Canada 2–1 and win its first Olympic men’s hockey gold medal since 1980 “Miracle on Ice.” Goalie Connor Hellebuyck also helped the team win by making 41 saves during the game.
Overall, the United States had a strong Olympics. American athletes won medals in many sports, including figure skating, hockey, skiing, and speed skating. Here is the final medal count from olympics.com. The Olympics showed the hard work and determination of athletes from around the world.