International relationships generally bring to mind the United Nations, trade agreements or political discussions. But every four years, the Winter Olympics return, and 93 nations come together for around two weeks to participate in the biggest sporting event in the world. Through 116 events, almost 3,000 athletes from every stretch of the world have come to Milano Cortina to compete for the crown, all hoping to bring home gold.
The Winter Olympics so far have brought a multitude of stand-out moments, from famed American skier Lyndsay Vonn crashing only 13 seconds into her alpine skiing run, to Sturla Holm Laegreid confessing to cheating on his girlfriend on live television after winning bronze in 20km individual biathlon, to controversy over double-touching by the Canadian curling team. But past these moments is the medal earners themselves. Only four days from the end of the Olympics, Norway stands at number one with 33 medals in total. Italy (26 medals) and the United States (24 medals) fight a close battle at second and third.
Team USA has put together an impressive performance so far. The gold medalists include Breezy Johnson in women’s downhill, Mikaela Shiffrin in women’s slalom, Elana Meyers Taylor in women’s bobsled, USA’s figure skating team, Elizabeth Lemley in women’s moguls and Jordan Stolz in both 500 and 1000 meter speed skating. American athletes have also won an impressive 11 silver medals and six bronze medals for a total of 24.
In alpine skiing, Breezy Johnson took gold with her impressive performance in women’s downhill in a comeback win. She suffered a crash in 2022 on the Italian course in Cortina d’Ampezzo and couldn’t perform in the Olympics that year. Johnson returned this year, winning gold with a 1:36.10 time. While she also performed in the women’s team combined and super-g, she didn’t medal in either. After her super-g performance, her boyfriend proposed to her and sealed off her Olympic performance with a ring as well as her medal.
Also in alpine skiing was Mikaela Shiffrin, performing in the women’s slalom event and taking home the gold. With a time of 1:39.10 on her run, she placed first with a 0.82 second lead over second place. This win makes Shiffrin a three-time Olympic champion, with her first gold medal being at the age of 18. Shiffrin is widely regarded as one of the best alpine skiers of all time, and another Olympic win under her belt does nothing but cement this legacy.
Elana Meyers Taylor, who performed in women’s bobsleigh and two-woman bobsleigh, won gold in her solo event with a time of 3:57.93. At 41 years old, she performed exceptionally, finally taking home a gold medal in her fifth Olympics. In previous years, she won three silver and two bronze medals, but never gold. This year, she managed to pull off a victory with a 0.04-second gap over second place.
Team USA’s figure skating team brought home gold with a combined score of 69 total points, only one above Japan. The team was led by stellar performances by Evan Bates and Madison Chock in ice dance, Amber Glenn in women’s single skating, and the “quad god,” Ilia Malinin, in men’s single skating. While Ilia Malinin was a fan-favorite to win gold in singles, he unfortunately fell twice on his run, but is sure to come back stronger next Olympics.
In women’s moguls, Elizabeth Lemley emerged victorious and earned a bronze medal in dual moguls as well. For Lemley, she first stepped on a ski slope at only 9 months old, so she described the win as a 20-year effort. With a score of 82.30, she was just ahead of Jaelin Kauf, her American teammate who won silver in the dual mogul right ahead of her. For the American skiers, it was a highly successful Olympics.
Finally, Jordan Stolz won two gold medals for speed skating, winning both the 500 and 1000 meter skates. In the 500 meter race, he won with a time of 33.77 seconds, setting an Olympic record in the event. He then went on to win the 1000 meter race as well, setting another Olympic record with a time of 1:06.28. Going home with two gold medals and two Olympic records makes this a winter to remember for Stolz.
Close to the end of the 2026 Winter Olympics at Milano Cortina, Team USA has put on an impressive performance so far. With a grand total of 24 medals and more sure to come, this Winter Olympics has been a show of strength, determination and teamwork from athletes all across America.
