The 2026 Winter Olympics concluded on Sunday, February 22, 2026. The closing ceremony took place in Verona, Italy. This year’s games were defined by emotional victories and historic performances.
Amidst stacking gold, silver, and bronze medals, the Olympics results revealed each country’s strong suits. Norway finished with 18 golds and 41 medals overall, placing 1st among countries in total medals. They received gold medals in Alpine Skiing, Biathlon, Cross-Country Skiing, Freestyle Skiing, Nordic Combined, Ski Jumping, and Speed Skating. In second place, with 12 golds and 33 medals in total, was the United States of America. The USA’s gold medals were awarded in Alpine Skiing, Bobsleigh, Cross-Country Skiing, Curling, Figure Skating, Freestyle Skiing, Ice Hockey, Luge, Short Track Speed Skating, Snowboarding, and Speed Skating. Figure Skating was dominated by the USA (taking home the Team Event and Women’s Singles and Japan taking home Pairs and Men’s Singles. Japan further saw enormous success in the Men’s Snowboarding Halfpipe, Men’s Snowboarding Big Air, Women’s Snowboarding Slopestyle, Women’s Snowboarding Big Air, and Women’s Snowboarding Halfpipe. However, on the rink, the USA boasted the title of the 2026 Ice Hockey champions, taking home gold in both the Women’s and Men’s competitions.
It would take pages to highlight all of the historic moments during this year’s Winter Olympic Games. Among them, several caught my eye. First, Norwegian cross-country skier Johannes Høsflot Klaebo broke the record for most Gold medals earned at a single winter Olympics by winning 6 gold medals in cross-country skiing. Xandra Velzeboer of the Netherlands set a new Olympic and World Record of 41.399 seconds in the Women’s 500m Speed Skating semifinal. Elana Meyers won her first Olympic medal at the age of 41, making her the oldest American woman to win an individual Winter Olympics Gold medal, as well as tying the USA’s record for most Winter Olympic medals won by a woman. This year was also particularly groundbreaking for the Great Britain team, who delivered the best performance in 102 years of the games, finishing 15th in the medals table. Finally, the USA vs. Canada Men’s Hockey game ignited a heated generational rivalry. The game spilled into overtime, but the USA defeated Canada 2-1. It marked the men’s first gold medal since the historic “Miracle on Ice” in 1980. In a parallel thrill, the USA women’s hockey team also took gold after a thrilling overtime match.
All games and performances transformed Berkshire’s common rooms and classrooms into buoyant stadiums. Students who had never met bonded over their favorite sport in the dining hall. And most importantly, each day of the Olympics reminded us Bears what discipline, teamwork, and perseverance can accomplish.
Overall, the 2026 Winter Olympics were filled with record-breaking performances and passionate matches. The games will go down as a memorable year for not just the athletes on ice and snow, but also for spectators who clapped and cheered for their countries, their neighbors, and the rest of the world.
Works Cited:
“Winter Olympics 2026 – News, Schedules, Results – Milano Cortina 2026.” Olympics.com, International Olympic Committee, 2026, www.olympics.com/en/milano-cortina-2026.
Ingle, Sean. “‘The Brits are coming again’: Team GB hail their greatest ever Winter Olympics.” The Guardian, 22 Feb. 2026, www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/feb/22/team-gb-greatest-performance-winter-olympics-2026-milano-cortina.
“USA’s Elana Meyers Taylor storms monobob to win first Olympic gold at age 41.” The Guardian, 16 Feb. 2026, www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/feb/16/elana-meyers-taylor-monobob-gold-winter-olympics.
