The Winter Olympics: The Highs and the Lows
- Apr 30
- 2 min read
In February, the greatest winter athletes around the world gathered at one place: Milan-Cortina, to face-off and find out who's the best at their sports. From zooming down 90 mph face-first in skeleton to landing backflips on blades in figure skating, these athletes gave it their all for one thing: the Olympic medals. Read to find out the highs and lows of the 2026 Winter Olympics and find out about monumental wins and losses!
One of the biggest highlights from the games was the outstanding performance of Norway. Norway proved to be unstoppable, as it accumulated 41 medals across all the sports, with 18 gold medals. Right behind was the Unites States with 30 medals, including 12 gold, followed by the host country, Italy, with 30 total medals and 10 gold medals.
This year, the athletes truly captured the audiences' attention. American figure skater Alysa Liu immediately went viral for her iconic halo-striped hair as she returned to the Olympic rink after stepping back from the sport in 2022, entering this time on her own terms. The 20-year-old won gold in women's singles figure skating and gold in the team event, inspiring millions across the globe with her story. Similarly, American freestyle skier Eileen Gu rose to fame due to not only being the most decorated female freeskier in history but also accomplishing that while studying Quantum Physics at Stanford. Adding to historical moments, American figure skater Ilia Malinin made history by performing the first legal backflip on one blade in Olympic history, and the first backflip on skates since 1976.
Although this year's Olympics were nothing but exciting, not every aspect of the games was anticipated. Fan-favorite Ilia Malinin, highly regarded by many and expected to receive the gold medal, endured a difficult performance after several slips and falls, finishing at the 8th spot overall, showing the unfortunate effects of Olympic pressure. There were also some surprising moments and controversies. Several athletes reported medals breaking after receiving them, and multiple breakings were caught on international news as a safety mechanism was breached during the production of the medals. Unexpectedly, alpine skier Lindsey Vonn suffered a tear in her left ACL during training before the games, but she shocked audiences across the world as she announced she would still compete, inspiring many while also facing scrutiny from others for jeopardizing her health. Another surprising turn of events was the USA Men's win over Canada at ice hockey, the game going overtime as the US ended their 16-year hockey medal drought.
From Norway's astonishing medal count to Brazil earning its first Winter Olympic gold, the unique performances from every athlete inspired many, not because of their athleticism, but because of the sheer determination and resilience every person showed to make their countries proud.
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