The 2026 Winter Olympics came to a close Sunday at the historic Verona Olympic Arena, capping a Games defined by American success on the ice and a second-place finish in the overall medal standings.
The United States leaves the Milano Cortina Games with 33 total medals — 12 gold, 12 silver, and nine bronze — trailing only Norway’s 41-medal haul. Italy finished third with 30.
Team USA’s final flourish came in men’s ice hockey, where the Americans defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime to capture their first Olympic gold in the event since the famed “Miracle on Ice” in 1980. Jack Hughes scored the decisive goal in overtime, sealing a tournament that blended high drama with emotional tributes. The team honored late NHL star Johnny Gaudreau throughout the Games, carrying his jersey in the locker room and onto the ice during postgame celebrations.
The women’s hockey team also delivered gold, with captain Hilary Knight leading a resilient squad that reclaimed the top of the podium. Knight’s clutch third-period goal in the final helped force overtime, setting up a championship moment that underscored the program’s continued dominance on the Olympic stage.
Figure skating added to the American medal surge. Ice dancer Evan Bates, who carried the U.S. flag alongside Knight during the closing ceremony, earned gold in the team event and silver in ice dance with partner Madison Chock. The magnetic Alysa Liu completed her “comeback” by capturing two gold medals.
The closing ceremony, staged inside the ancient Roman amphitheater in Verona, blended Italian opera, modern music and Olympic tradition. The Olympic flag was formally handed off to representatives of the French Alps, host of the 2030 Winter Games. International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry declared the Games closed as athletes paraded into the arena one final time.
Competition concluded earlier Sunday with the women’s and men’s 50-kilometer classic mass start cross-country skiing events, where Norway’s Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo completed a record-breaking Games with six gold medals.
For the United States, however, the lasting images will be skates carving into fresh ice and red, white, and blue jerseys celebrating at the center rink. From the emotional hockey triumphs to consistent excellence in figure skating, Team USA delivered one of its strongest Winter Olympic performances in recent memory.
Source: USA Today, The Athletic