The Milano Cortina Winter Olympics 2026 was a remarkable spectacle of competitive action where high-caliber athletes across the globe came together to battle on the prestigious stage of winter sports. Here is a look back at the moments, medals, and madness that made the Milano Cortina Olympics unforgettable.
Pinoy Pride in the Cold
The Philippines carved out its spots on the global winter stage, with two athletes to represent the country in alpine skiing: Filipino-Italian skier Francis Ceccarelli and US-based athlete Tallulah Proulx.
The two carried the Filipino spirit to the snowy mountain slopes of Italy. Their participation made history with Ceccarelli becoming the fifth name in the growing list of skiers, and Proulx as the first and youngest Filipina Winter Olympian at 17 years old.
Proulx placed 50th overall in the women’s slalom with a combined time of 2:08.48, and 52nd overall in the giant slalom after clocking 2:41.62. At the summit of the rankings, Mikaela Shiffrin of the USA secured the gold in slalom, while Federica Brignone won the women’s giant slalom.
For men’s giant slalom, Ceccarelli earned 54th place overall in 2:48.23, while he was labeled DNF (Did Not Finish) in the slalom after crashing on his run, failing to secure a place on the rankings. In the same event, Loïc Meillard of Switzerland topped the scoreboard on slalom and Lucas Pinheiro Braathen of Brazil on giant slalom.
Despite not reaching the podium, both athletes delivered their own solid competitive performance throughout the alpine skiing competition.
Redefining Winter Greatness
The Winter Olympics saw record-breaking moments and historic achievements as competing nations and strong contenders pushed their sports forward.
Norway led the medal table with 18 gold finishes and a total haul of 41 medals, surpassing their record in Winter Olympics. Nordic skier Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo also added another record for Norway with six gold medals in a single edition, becoming the most decorated male Olympian in history.
The United States now holds 12 gold medals, breaking the 10-gold haul set record in 2002. This victory counts Jordan Stolz, a speed skating phenom with two golds and one silver. Alysa Liu also capped a stunning comeback after claiming gold in women’s figure skating, which ended the 24-year gold drought.
Brazil also secured its first-ever gold as Lucas Pinheiro Braathen won the men’s giant slalom in alpine skiing. Eileen Gu of China captured gold and two silvers in freestyle skiing, establishing herself as the sport’s record-holding female Olympian. Italy’s Arianna Fontana extended her record with another silver on a 3000m relay in short track speed skating.
Alongside these winter sports icons, other top athletes left impressive marks in their respective disciplines at the Winter Games. After Milano Cortina 2026, the next Winter Olympics will be held in the French Alps region from February 1 to 17, 2030.