The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, concluded on February 22, delivering an exciting mixture of breathtaking athleticism, cultural type and surprising twists. From the snow-covered slopes of Livigno and Bormio to the ice rinks of Milan, the Video games featured conventional winter sports activities, in addition to celeb appearances and historic firsts that captured the world’s consideration. As the ultimate medals had been awarded, Norway dominated the leaderboard, however tales of underdogs, upsets and scandals stole the present.
Seemingly winners of the 2026 Winter Olympics
Norway has emerged as an undisputed powerhouse, successful 41 medals, together with 18 golds, because of star athletes corresponding to cross-country skier Johannes Hessfrod Klaebo (who gained a file 9 gold medals). The ladies’s ice hockey group defeated Canada for the gold medal, and america adopted with 32 medals (11 gold) as determine skater Alisa Liu carried out properly within the single quick program.
Host nation Italy gained 30 medals (10 gold), with velocity skater Ariana Fontana shining on the house ice. China’s Irene Gu took the freestyle snowboarding world by storm by successful three medals within the girls’s halfpipe. The Netherlands gained 20 medals (10 gold) in velocity skating, led by Jutta Lierdam, who was cheered on by her fiancé and influencer Jake Paul.
Nice Britain made a breakthrough, successful 5 medals (three gold, one silver and one bronze). These embody a historic double gold in skeleton for Matt Weston (the primary Briton to realize that feat in a single Winter Olympics), and gold medals for Charlotte Banks and Hugh Nightingale in blended snowboard cross. Brazil’s Lucas Pinheiro Braaten made historical past by successful his nation’s first Winter Olympic gold medal by performing a samba dance on the snow within the Stelvio.
A dance by Brazilian Lucas Pinheiro Braaten, who gained a gold medal on the 2026 Winter Olympics. pic.twitter.com/ZEXF3pEYrz
— Luigi Benesilvi (@Spacelad43) February 16, 2026
Different notable names embody bobsledder Francesco Friedrich of Germany and alpine skier Marco Odermatt of Switzerland.
Notable losers and disappointments
Not all tales led to glory. Britain’s Bruce Mouat and his curling group fell quick in a heartbreaking loss to Canada. Fellow British freestyle skier Zoe Atkin led in qualifying however settled for bronze with a robust however incomplete last run. Kirsty Muir twice completed fourth within the freestyle snowboarding occasion, whereas Mia Brooks crashed in slopestyle.
Canada, sometimes a winter sports activities powerhouse, gained 20 medals however solely 5 golds, overshadowed by losses together with the ladies’s ice hockey last towards america. Many international locations, together with powerhouses like Finland (six medals, no gold), ended up with fewer honors than anticipated.
Superb moments from the 2026 Olympics
The Olympics induced many shocks. Braaten’s samba extravaganza propelled Brazil to the gold medal, symbolizing the worldwide attain of the competitors, which mixes a tropical ambiance with alpine snow. Two gold medals had been gained in a matter of hours on Nice Britain’s ‘Tremendous Sunday’, marking its emergence as a number one contender in snow sports activities and attaining its medal goal of 4 wins and eight losses.
The return of NHL stars for the primary time in 12 years elevated ice hockey to a fair increased stage, with 146 gamers from 16 international locations participating. Celebrities stunned everybody, together with Snoop Dogg as an NBC correspondent, Taste Fluff cheering on American Bobsled, and Jake Paul supporting ringside. Lindsey Vonn’s defiant post-run message to the “haters” and Amber Glenn’s Workforce USA shout-out had been nice surprises.
You by no means know who can be watching Workforce USA right here in Cortina. Taste Fluff, USA Bobsled/Skeleton Ambassador, gave us a bit shout-out after watching the boys’s skeleton occasion. pic.twitter.com/7ngSfYNCHJ
— Justin Surrency (@JustinSurrency) February 12, 2026
The controversy that rocked the Olympics
Whereas there have been many victories, scandals additionally shocked the nation. Suspicions swirl that ski jumpers had been utilizing “penile injections” to extend the peak of their jumps, rising to the highest of the listing of weird tales. Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Läggried added private drama as she tearfully admitted to dishonest on her girlfriend after successful a medal. And, after all, Mariah Carey’s efficiency on the opening ceremony was nearly universally criticized, with accusations of imitation. Whereas main doping and geopolitical points did not dominate the headlines (although that has modified), these outlandish controversies stored the Olympics within the international dialog.
2026 Winter Olympics Medal Checklist Overview
Here’s a snapshot of the highest 10 international locations within the last medal standings as of February 22, 2026.
rank | nation | gold | silver | bronze | complete |
1 | Norway | 18 | 11 | 12 | 41 |
2 | US | 11 | 12 | 9 | 32 |
3 | Italy | 10 | 6 | 14 | 30 |
4 | Germany | 8 | 10 | 8 | 26 |
5 | Japan | 5 | 7 | 12 | twenty 4 |
6 | France | 8 | 9 | 6 | twenty three |
7 | Switzerland | 6 | 8 | 8 | twenty two |
8 | Netherlands | 10 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
9 | Canada | 5 | 6 | 9 | 20 |
10 | Sweden | 7 | 6 | 4 | 17 |
The 2026 Video games set a blueprint for future Video games, incorporating gamesmanship, pleasant competitors, and numerous areas whereas offering unforgettable moments that transcend sports activities.