The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games marked a return to the Italian Alps seventy years after Cortina hosted the event in 1956. This year’s official mascots were Tina and Milo, a pair of stoats, whose story emphasizes sibling adaptability and reflects the relationship between the two cities. The combination of modern Milan and traditional Alpine heritage contributed to beautiful elements in fashion and scenery that only elevated the excitement around the showcase of athletic excellence.
The United States figure skating team won an exciting gold medal in the overall team event, which consists of combined scores from Ice Dance, Pairs, Men’s Singles, and Women’s Singles. Ilia Malinin’s free skate was critical for this victory, as he performed an incredible program under extreme pressure. Malinin was greatly anticipated to medal at Milano Cortina, despite this being his first Olympics, because he is currently the only skater in history to land the quadruple Axel in an international competition. However, the men’s individual competition resulted in an unexpected outcome for Malinin. He struggled with several jumps which resulted in him not reaching the podium, but he spoke about how his mistakes were a great learning experience. In the ice dance event, Team USA’s married couple Madison Chock and Evan Bates won a silver medal, and Alysa Liu won a historic gold medal in the women’s singles event. Her victory is the first time an American woman has medaled in this event at the Olympics in twenty-four years. Junior Elizabeth Strader, a figure skater, was very excited for Alysa Liu because “she has a lot of personality and musicality in her program, which is something really refreshing to watch and really makes her stand out from other figure skaters.”
The 2026 Milano Cortina Games concluded with an incredible double gold for United States hockey, as both the men’s and women’s teams defeated Canada in their finals. The women’s captain Hilary Knight led a comeback, scoring late in the third period to prompt overtime. Megan Keller then scored and thus secured the team’s third Olympic title. Similarly, the American men’s team scored a goal in overtime against Canada to win 2-1.
In regards to snowboarding, many thought two-time Olympic gold medalist Chloe Kim was set for a historic three-peat. Although she remains a two-time gold medalist for now, her impressive and complex run secured a silver medal in the women’s halfpipe. Team USA also celebrated several achievements in speedskating. Jordan Stolz lived up to immense expectations by claiming gold in multiple individual sprint distances, while the men’s pursuit team earned a silver medal. Additionally, Mia Manganello became the first American woman to medal in the mass start.
The 2026 Milano Cortina Games truly excited the country amidst the winter months. The entertainment and passionate athleticism of these Winter Games is sure to be back in the next Olympics, the 2028 Summer Games, which will be hosted in Los Angeles, California.
