By Sophie Tuan
This year Team USA took home a national record of 12 gold medals at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics with an overall total of 33 podium finishes. Highlight golds included figure skating, free skiing, and ice hockey with star athletes such as Alysa Liu, Elieen Gu, and Hilary Knight fighting for first.
On the figure skating rink, the US Olympic team were the heavy favorites with generational talent Illia Malanin, US champion pair Madison Chock and Evan Bates, and the Blade Angels—consisting of powerhouses Amber Glen, Alysa Liu, and first-time Olympian Isabeau Levito. During the team event, Team USA defended gold with stunning performances led by veteran pair Chock and Bates and Malanin, nicknamed the “quad god” for his incredible jumping skill. Unfortunately, Illia struggled during the individual event—missing multiple jumps in both his short and long program. Amber Glenn, another favorite, also struggled on the first day of individual competition but rebounded with an incredible second day to finish in fifth place. Chock and Bates led individual pairs ice dance competition up until a controversial score pushed the French skating pair just ahead of the Americans, leaving them with silver in second. The most exciting finish in the figure skating rink happened to none other than the now viral Alysa Liu. Ending off her comeback season after two years of not skating, Liu took the world by storm with her cool charm and confidence as she skated a near perfect free skate routine to take gold in the individual event.
Over in the free ski and half pipe arena, Elien Gu became the most decorated freeskier of all time with six total olympic medals—three medals from Milano Cortina and three from Beijing (2022). From this year’s Olympics, Gu defended her gold in halfpipe and also won two silvers in the big air and slopestyle categories.
Finally, back at the ice rink, but this time at the hockey arena, both the US men and women’s hockey teams won gold. Both teams had a thrilling final game against Canada where they defeated the Canadians in matching overtimes scores of 2-1. The gold medal finish marked the men’s team’s first gold since 1980 and the women’s third gold medal (previous wins in 2018 and 1998).
Aside from the most popular sports, the US also won golds in speed skating, alpine skiing, and bobsleigh which helped propel Team USA to the best Winter Olympics in the nation’s history.