Hosted in the beautiful cities of Milan and Cortina, Italy, the 2026 Winter Olympics have exemplified the highs and lows of sports and the universal goal of peace. On February 6th, the opening ceremony set a standard of amazement and world peace. As tradition dictates, over 2,900 athletes from the 93 countries participating in the games took part in the Parade of Nations, bearing their countries’ flags as they were met with applause. For the first time in Olympic history, two cauldrons were lit simultaneously, deviating from the traditional single cauldron. One of the cauldrons was in Milan, whereas the other was in Cortina. The cauldrons’ design was inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s knot patterns, exemplifying the glory of the Italian Renaissance. Many performances added energy to the night. Mariah Carey performed two songs, including her hit song “Nothing is Impossible,” and Cecilia Bortoli performed the Olympic anthem, accompanied by pianist Lang Lang. Italian rapper Ghali gave a speech promoting peace and unity while interpretive dancers formed a dove shape around him. To follow, Charlize Theron, UN Peace Ambassador and actress, reinforced this message, quoting Nelson Mandela.
As for the games, Norway led in total medals, earning 18 gold, 12 silver, and 11 bronze, largely due to Johannes Klaebo, a cross-country skier who won six gold medals in all six events, setting a Winter Olympics record for most gold medals in a single Olympics. The USA follows in second, with 12 gold, 12 silver, and 9 bronze, the most amount of gold medals ever won in a single Olympics for the Americans. Some top storylines include Alysa Liu, a figure skater, who won gold in women’s singles after retiring from the sport for three years, 2022-2025. The US figure skating team also won the team skating event. Mikaela Shiffrin further established her historic Olympic career, winning gold in slalom. Young talent Jordan Stolz won two gold medals in the 500-meter and 1000-meter speedskating events at only 21 years old. In freestyle and snow sports, the US remained dominant, capturing gold in Mixed Team Aerials and posting strong performances across other events. They also had success in sliding sports; the US won gold in monobob and podiumed in bobsled and luge. The US women’s hockey team went undefeated to win gold, capped by an overtime thriller, and broke the record for the most consecutive shutout games in Olympic history. The men’s hockey team won the gold medal game after also going undefeated.