This year marked the first time the Winter Olympics were held across multiple locations – Milan, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Bormio, and Livigno – bringing the Olympic spirit to regions all across Northern Italy.
With the 2026 Games coming to a close, it’s time to highlight some incredible moments as I share a few of my own personal favorite performances from American athletes in this year’s games.
It goes without saying that Mikaela Shiffrin has redefined what it means to be an elite alpine skier. Shiffrin is the most decorated female American alpine skier in history, and her performance in Bormio was nothing short of it.
Shiffrin took home gold, finishing 1.50 seconds ahead of the next competitor, the third-largest margin of victory in women’s Olympic slalom history.
One of my favorite moments from Shiffrin was her emotional interview following her gold medal win where she spoke of sharing this moment with her father who passed away in 2020. You could even see her mouth “dad” as she skied across the finish line, a special moment that touched hearts all around the world.
Over on the ice, Evan Bates and Madison Chock skated and graced the rink with a stellar performance, falling just short of France’s Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron in a controversial decision for gold. The two claimed silver before taking home gold in the team event.
The 2026 Olympics marked the fourth for the married couple, and every time they skated, my eyes were glued to the screen. One of my favorite performances included a Lenny Kravitz medley in the rhythm dance.
Sharing the spotlight with them, Ilia Malinin took the crowd by surprise during the mixed figure skating finals, executing an incredible backflip and landing on just one skate. Participating in his first Olympics, expectations were high as Malinin had not lost a competition since November 2023.
Everyone is human, however, and in the men’s single skating, Ilia struggled throughout the routine and finished in 8th place. He nevertheless displayed a high level of class after a frustrating defeat. Just a few weeks later, Malinin was awarded the Milano Cortina 2026 Fair Play Award and, alongside Evan Bates, Madison Chock, and many others, took home gold in the team event.
Known for her striped hair and bubbly personality, Alyssa Liu graced the ice, taking home gold in both women’s single skating and the team event. Like Bates, Chock, and Malinin, Liu’s performances captured hearts, and her showstopping routines to PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson’s “Stateside” during the exhibition gala demonstrated her joyfulness and skill.
Liu redefined her career at this year’s Winter Olympics after retiring in 2022 at the age of 16 due to burnout. Before coming out of retirement, she established six strict rules her coaches would have to follow, and they seem to be working out quite well for Liu.
On the slopes, snowboarding also provided nail-biting moments with Jake Canter keeping every American on the edge of their seats as he took home bronze in the men’s snowboard slopestyle. With a clutch run, Canter sat in 3rd place with three competitors yet to go, any of which could easily push him off the podium. Canter’s final run was enough for him to secure the bronze, marking his second Olympic podium finish.
Among the younger competitors, 17-year-old Ollie Martin stunned the crowd in the men’s snowboard big air event, narrowly missing out on the podium in 4th place. A few days later, he competed in slopestyle, finishing 9th due to some skeptical scores from judges. Like Canter, Martin showed immense potential on the Olympic stage.
If you have ever watched snowboarding, you have most likely heard the name Chloe Kim. At only 17 years old in 2018, Kim won gold in the women’s snowboard halfpipe, becoming the youngest ever to do so. This year, she took home silver despite competing with a torn labrum in her left shoulder.
I wouldn’t be able to highlight this year’s performances from American athletes without mentioning the men’s and women’s ice hockey teams.
The women’s ice hockey team defeated Canada 2-1, thanks to Megan Keller’s clutch overtime winner. Keller, a three-time Olympian and captain for the PWHL’s Boston Fleet, joined the men’s team in showcasing clutch performances as Quinn Hughes scored an overtime goal to send the team to finals where his younger brother Jack Hughes scored the game winning goal in overtime that defeated Canada 2-1.
This win marks the first time the US has won gold in Men’s hockey since 1980.
The men’s team wouldn’t have been able to pull out a win without goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who had a stand out performance, which included 41 saves.
Over 200 countries were represented at the Games, and Georgia native Elana Meyers took home gold in the women’s monobob event in bobsledding.
The five-time Olympian had never won a gold medal. Standing on top of the podium in Milano was one of the most heartwarming moments of the Games as she celebrated with her two sons, telling them she was now an Olympic champion.
From all across Italy, Team USA’s performances in the 2026 Winter Olympics captured the excitement and spirit that the Olympics always brings. From resilient performances to heart warming moments, these moments connect and remind fans worldwide why the Olympics are so special and set the stage for what’s to come in France in 2030.
