U.S. Wins Double Hockey Gold, Vonn Crashes, Norway Sets Cross‑Country Record at Milan‑Cortina
Updated (4 articles)
U.S. hockey teams clinch men’s and women’s gold in overtime The United States men’s squad defeated Canada 2‑1 in overtime on February 23 to capture its first men’s hockey gold since 1960, while the women’s team had already secured an overtime victory over Canada on February 21, delivering a historic double‑gold haul for the nation [1][2]. Both wins sparked jubilant celebrations, with veteran forward Kendall Coyne Schofield leading the women’s post‑game chant “We did it!” [2]. The victories pushed the U.S. medal count to 21, placing the country third overall behind Norway and Italy [4].
Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo shatters Olympic gold record Norway’s Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo earned his fifth gold of the Games in the men’s cross‑country team sprint on February 19, bringing his career total to ten and surpassing Eric Heiden’s five‑gold record from 1980 [3][1]. His sweep of all six men’s cross‑country events secured Norway’s top spot on the medal table with 41 medals [1]. The achievement cemented Klaebo as the most decorated Winter Olympian in history.
Lindsey Vonn’s comeback ends in a crash The 41‑year‑old former champion attempted a downhill return on February 23, hitting a gate 13 seconds into her run and fracturing her tibia after her skis failed to release [1]. The accident required at least four surgeries and reignited safety debates about equipment release mechanisms [1]. Vonn’s crash marked a dramatic conclusion to her brief comeback effort.
Mikaela Shiffrin ends eight‑year U.S. slalom drought Shiffrin captured the women’s slalom gold on February 19, posting the largest margin of victory in an alpine event since 1998 and delivering the United States its first slalom medal in eight years [3][1]. The win gave her a third Olympic gold and underscored her dominance across multiple alpine disciplines [1]. Her performance contributed to the U.S. tally of six gold medals in alpine skiing.
U.S. women set unprecedented Winter Games medal record American women earned six golds and a total of 21 medals—including mixed‑team events—by February 21, the highest medal haul ever for U.S. women at a Winter Olympics [2]. Over 40 female athletes stood on the podium, a surge attributed to the expansion to 41 women’s events and the long‑term impact of Title IX and collegiate competition [2]. The record highlighted the depth of U.S. women’s talent across hockey, alpine, freestyle, bobsled, and aerial disciplines.
Sources
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1.
AP: Highlights from the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics: summarizes key moments such as Vonn’s crash, Norway’s cross‑country sweep, U.S. double hockey gold, and Brazil’s first winter medal .
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2.
AP: U.S. Women Set Record Medal Haul at 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games: details the women’s six‑gold, 21‑medal achievement and links success to Title IX and event expansion .
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3.
CNN: USA clinches hockey OT win, Shiffrin ends drought, and records shift at Milan Winter Olympics: reports the men’s overtime win over Sweden, Shiffrin’s slalom gold, Klaebo’s fifth gold, and a Ukrainian Paralympic boycott .
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4.
King5: United States Medal Tally and Highlights at the 2026 Winter Olympics: provides a mid‑Games medal count (21 medals), highlights Jordan Stolz’s speed‑skating record, Elana Meyers Taylor’s monobob victory, and Ben Ogden’s cross‑country silver .
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Timeline
1972 – The U.S. Congress passes Title IX, mandating gender equity in federally funded education programs, later credited with expanding women’s participation in elite winter sports [3].
1976 – The United States last medals in men’s Olympic cross‑country skiing, a 50‑year drought that ends in Milan [4].
1980 – Eric Heiden sets a five‑gold record in speed skating, a benchmark later surpassed by Norway’s Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo [2].
1980 – The Winter Games feature only 12 women’s events, highlighting the dramatic growth to 41 events by 2026 [3].
1992 – U.S. women win their first Olympic gold in alpine skiing in 24 years, a milestone repeated in 2002 and 2018 [3].
1998 – Mikaela Shiffrin’s 2026 slalom margin becomes the largest in an alpine event since this year [1].
2002 – U.S. women capture another gold in alpine skiing, matching the 1992 achievement [3].
2006 – Women’s Olympic events increase to 37, underscoring the expanding competitive field [3].
2014 – U.S. women earn 13 medals, a record later broken in Milan [3].
2018 – U.S. women repeat a gold‑medal performance in alpine skiing, reinforcing their elite status [3].
2022 – U.S. women match their 2014 medal total of 13, setting the stage for a new record in 2026 [3].
Feb 10, 2026 – Team USA defeats Sweden 2‑1 in overtime to reach the men’s hockey semifinals, the third quarterfinal to go to OT in Milan [1].
Feb 12, 2026 – Lindsey Vonn’s comeback ends in a crash 13 seconds into her downhill run, resulting in a tibia fracture and sparking safety concerns over ski‑release failures [2].
Feb 14, 2026 – U.S. figure‑skating favorite Ilia Malinin falls twice in his free‑skate, dropping from first to off the podium [2].
Feb 15, 2026 – Alysa Liu wins the United States’ first women’s figure‑skating gold in 24 years with a near‑flawless free skate [2].
Feb 16, 2026 – Brazil’s Lucas Pinheiro Braathen captures the nation’s inaugural Winter Olympic gold in men’s giant slalom [2].
Feb 17, 2026 – Norway’s Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo sweeps all six men’s cross‑country events, setting a new six‑gold record and surpassing Heiden’s 1980 mark [2].
Feb 18, 2026 – The U.S. women’s hockey team wins gold in overtime over Canada; captain Kendall Coyne Schofield shouts “We did it!” in celebration [3].
Feb 19, 2026 – The U.S. men’s hockey team defeats Canada in overtime to claim gold, completing a double‑gold sweep for the United States [2].
Feb 20, 2026 – Mikaela Shiffrin captures slalom gold, ending an eight‑year U.S. drought and posting the largest victory margin since 1998 [1].
Feb 21, 2026 – U.S. women set a Winter Games record with six golds and 17 medals, the most ever for an American women’s team [3].
Feb 21, 2026 – Including mixed events, the U.S. women’s total climbs to 21 medals with over 40 women medaling, reflecting the impact of Title IX and expanded event slate [3].
Feb 22, 2026 – Speed skater Jordan Stolz wins his second gold in the men’s 500 m, establishing a new Olympic record of 33.77 seconds [4].
Feb 23, 2026 – Ben Ogden earns silver in the men’s sprint classic, ending the United States’ 50‑year cross‑country medal drought since 1976 [4].
Feb 24, 2026 – Elana Meyers Taylor wins monobob gold by 0.04 seconds, becoming the most decorated Black Winter Olympian and the oldest American woman to claim gold [4].
Feb 24, 2026 – Kaillie Humphries adds a bronze in both monobob and two‑woman bobsled, while Kaila Kuhn helps secure mixed‑team aerial gold [3].
Feb 24, 2026 – Elizabeth Lemley dominates the debut women’s dual moguls, taking gold in individual moguls, bronze in dual moguls, and contributing to a U.S. sweep with Jaelin Kauf’s silver [4].
Feb 25, 2026 – The United States finishes the Games with 21 medals (6 gold, 10 silver, 5 bronze), trailing Norway (31) and host Italy (24) in the overall tally [4].
Feb 26, 2026 – A two‑year‑old Czechoslovakian wolfdog named Nazgul finishes the women’s team sprint free final, becoming a viral Olympic anecdote [1].
Mar 2026 – Ukraine announces a boycott of the upcoming Winter Paralympics after the IPC permits Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their national flags [1].
External resources (5 links)
- https://www.olympics.com/en/milano-cortina-2026/news/winter-olympics-2026-freestyle-skiing-jakara-anthony-first-dual-moguls-olympic-champion (cited 1 times)
- https://www.olympics.com/en/milano-cortina-2026/results/athlete-details/24147 (cited 1 times)
- https://www.olympics.com/en/milano-cortina-2026/results/athlete-details/24155 (cited 1 times)
- https://www.wnep.com/article/sports/olympics/team-usa-women-freestyle-ski-moguls-gold-silver-medal/507-e4e319e9-f8cd-4e6d-b77f-ae872d5125d2 (cited 1 times)