The Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics concluded last Sunday with the United States securing second place in the medal standings, tallying 33 medals including a record 12 golds, trailing only Norway's 41 total medals and 18 golds. Team USA's gold medal haul marked its strongest performance in a winter games, highlighted by standout triumphs in figure skating and hockey that ended long national droughts.
Alysa Liu emerged as the breakout star, claiming gold in the women's singles, America's first individual Olympic figure skating title for a woman since Sarah Hughes in 2002. The 20-year-old Californian, who retired at 16 after Beijing 2022 only to return after rediscovering her passion through skiing, delivered flawless routines capped by a Donna Summer-themed free skate that propelled her from third to first. Liu's poise under pressure allowed her to claim victor over the gold medal favorite, Japanese skater Kaori Sakamoto, who is retiring from the sport.
US figure skaters also won the team gold medal, narrowly defeating Japan after strong performances from Ilia Malinin (who fell short of the podium in the men’s single’s event) and ice dance pair Evan Bates and Madison Chock, who took silver in the ice dance event.
In hockey, the U.S. men's team evoked the memory of Miracle on Ice, defeating Canada 2-1 in overtime for its first Olympic gold since 1980. Jack Hughes scored the decisive goal (even after losing teeth earlier in the game) while his brother Quinn anchored a defense that neutralized Canadian star Connor McDavid. Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck defended successfully against 41 of the 42 shots the Canadian team took against him.
The women’s hockey team also won a 2-1 victory over Canada, with Megan Keller scoring the game-winner in overtime during the gold medal final. Goaltender Aerin Frankel stopped all but one of the shots launched by the relentless Canadian team.
The victories completed a U.S. hockey sweep, the first in US Olympic history, fueling celebrations with political edges as President Trump hailed the squad and recognized the men’s team during his State of the Union address on Tuesday.
Elsewhere, Breezy Johnson took downhill gold; Mikaela Shiffrin added another gold medal in slalom. Speed skater Jordan Stolz won two golds and one silver in his second appearance at the Olympics.
Norwegian cross-country skier Johannes Klæbo became the Winter Olympian with the most gold medals ever, reaching 11 gold medals across his career.
The next winter games will be held relatively close by in the French Alps region of France in 2030. It will return to the US for the first time since 2002 for the 2034 games, which like 2002 will also be held in Utah.
The next summer games will be held in Los Angeles, the first US summer games since the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
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