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The Italian cities of Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, the sites of the events, felt perhaps a welcome calm, with time to assess the successes of the worldwide athletic showdown.
Final Medal Count
The top medal-winning countries:
Norway – Leading was Norway, which won 41 medals (18 gold, 12 silver, and 11 bronze) and dominated in cross-country skiing and ski jumping. Olympian Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo broke a record by winning his ninth gold medal.
United States – In second place was the United States, with a total of 33 medals (12 gold, 12 silver, and 9 bronze). Freestyle skiing was the top event, with three gold medal wins, followed by two in speed skating, alpine skiing, figure skating, and ice hockey. Both men’s and women’s ice hockey teams took home gold in 2026, earning high praise from the White House. President Donald J. Trump introduced the men’s team at the Feb. 24 State of the Union Address and announced that the team’s goalie, Connor Hellebuyck, would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. These Olympic Games were historic, since the US teams set a national record of gold medal wins.
Italy – The host country took third place for overall medals won with 30 (10 gold, 6 silver, and 14 bronze).
Germany – In fourth place, Germany won 26 (8 gold, 10 silver, and 8 bronze).
Japan, France, and Switzerland followed the leaders with impressive showings in this year’s Games.
The closing ceremony, with the theme of Beauty in Action, took place in Verona, Italy, at the historic Arena di Verona, a Roman amphitheater from 30 AD. As is tradition, the Olympic Torch was extinguished, the athletes paraded, and acclaimed artists from the host country provided compelling performances. The whole evening celebrated music, sports, culture, and humanity
The Beginning of the Winter Olympics
Twenty-eight years after the modern Olympic Games began, the Winter Olympic Games made their debut. The first were held in Chamonix, France, in 1924, and included more than 250 athletes from 16 nations. There were only six sporting events: bobsledding, cross-country skiing, curling, figure skating, ice hockey, and ski jumping. Representing the United States, Charles Jewtraw took home the first-ever Winter Olympics gold medal in the 500-meter speed skating event. The undeniable success of the competition led the International Olympic Committee to designate them as the first official Winter Olympic Games.
Since that time, many events have been added to the roster. This year’s included 16 sports with 116 medal events. Ice sports were ice hockey, figure skating, speed skating, short track speed skating, and curling. The alpine, skiing, and snowboarding categories included alpine skiing, freestyle skiing, snowboarding, and ski mountaineering. Nordic sports were the biathlon, cross-country skiing, ski jumping, Nordic combined (team event), luge, bobsleigh, and skeleton.
Since the beginning of the Olympics in Ancient Greece, the Games have become lifelong goals and immense honors for the competitors and their countries. The addition of the Winter Games in 1924 increased the opportunities for snow and ice athletes around the world.
Stay tuned for the 2030 Winter Olympic Games, which will be held in the French Alps, the fourth time hosted by France.
Kirsten Brooker
Culture Correspondent for Liberty Nation and Generation Liberty. Kirsten loves to write about culture from the point of view of an everyday American who lives deep in the heart of the Midwest. She is the mother of two adorable girls, likes classic rock, and humbly wears the crown of a former Homecoming Queen with grace and style.
