From Shiffrin’s golden redemption to Brazil’s historic first medal, the 2026 Winter Games have captivated the world
February 19, 2026
The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics are entering their final days with a medal table led by Norway, dramatic overtime hockey battles, and unforgettable performances that will be remembered for generations.
NORWAY DOMINATES, ITALY SHINES ON HOME SOIL
At the end of Day 12, Norway leads the medal count with 33 total medals. The nation remains on track to become the first in 20 years to lead the medal count at three consecutive Winter Olympic Games.
Italy ranks second in total medals with 26, marking its most successful Winter Olympics to date. The U.S. rounds out the top three with 24 total medals after gaining ground on Italy Wednesday.
The current standings show Norway with 15 gold, 8 silver, and 10 bronze medals. Italy has collected 9 gold, 5 silver, and 12 bronze, while the United States has won 7 gold, 11 silver, and 6 bronze.
SHIFFRIN’S EMOTIONAL GOLD ENDS EIGHT-YEAR DROUGHT
Carrying the weight of the world’s expectations on her shoulders, Mikaela Shiffrin won gold in the women’s slalom on Wednesday in Cortina. The Olympic champion posted a combined time of 1:39.10.
It was the 30-year-old’s first Olympic medal since 2018 and the fourth of her career. She now stands alone as the only American in Alpine skiing history to hold three Olympic gold medals, breaking a record she previously held with Ted Ligety and Andrea Mead Lawrence.
The American superstar skier won by 1.5 seconds in her signature event and is now both the youngest and the oldest U.S. woman to win an Olympic gold medal in Alpine skiing.
“This is a feels like a really big moment,” an emotional Shiffrin told NBC’s Cara Banks after the race. “Honestly, the skiing is what I cared about. Of course a medal and gold, that’s a dream come true. But at some point this week, I just said, like, stop dreaming. Just ski.”
For all of her dominance across Alpine skiing, including a record 108 World Cup victories, Shiffrin had missed out on medals in 2022 and had begun the Milan Cortina Olympics by finishing fourth in team combined and 11th in giant slalom.
BRAZIL MAKES WINTER OLYMPICS HISTORY
In one of the most stunning moments of the Games, Brazil secured its first-ever Winter Olympics medal — and it was gold.
Lucas Pinheiro Braathen won Alpine skiing giant slalom gold in a thrilling competition on Saturday (14 February) at Milano Cortina 2026. The 25-year-old’s victory at the Stelvio Ski Centre makes him the first Brazilian and first South American ever to claim a medal at the Winter Games.
“I was skiing completely according to my intuition, and my heart today, and that’s what enabled me to become an Olympic champ,” an elated Braathen told reporters after the race.
Braathen held his nerve to deliver a gold-winning run and become the first-ever athlete from a South American NOC to be crowned champion at the Winter Games. He is also the first athlete from the southern hemisphere to claim an Olympic medal of any colour in Alpine skiing since Zali Steggall of Australia won bronze in women’s slalom at Nagano 1998.
Brazil has taken part of every edition of the Winter Olympics since 1992. The country’s best result until Pinheiro Braathen’s gold medal was ninth place in women’s snowboarding in 2006 with Isabel Clark.
MEN’S HOCKEY: OVERTIME THRILLER SETS UP SEMIFINALS
The men’s ice hockey tournament at the Winter Olympics Milano Cortina 2026 now has its four semi-finalists set after Wednesday’s (18 February) exciting quarter-finals action. Top seeds Canada and the United States both won their respective quarter-final games on Wednesday, though their victories didn’t come without considerable angst among their supporters.
Canada, in an early game, rallied to beat Czechia 4-3 on a Mitch Marner breakaway goal in overtime, while in the late game the USA rebounded in its own way from a late third-period marker by Sweden to win 2-1 in overtime, courtesy of defenceman Quinn Hughes.
An exciting day of hockey all around, Wednesday marked the first time in Olympic quarterfinal-round history that three men’s hockey games were decided in overtime.
Finland survived overtime against Switzerland and is moving on after a 3-2 win. Slovakia took down Germany 6-2 in the men’s hockey Olympic quarterfinal round on Wednesday.
The semifinals are set for Friday, February 20, with Canada facing Finland and the United States taking on Slovakia. The winners will meet in the gold medal game on Sunday, setting up a potential showdown between hockey powerhouses.
OTHER NOTABLE MOMENTS
Six U.S. athletes have won multiple medals at the 2026 Games. Madison Chock and Evan Bates: Silver in ice dance, gold in figure skating team event; Jaelin Kauf: Silver in women’s moguls, silver in women’s dual moguls; Liz Lemley: Gold in women’s moguls, bronze in women’s dual moguls; Jordan Stolz: Gold in men’s speed skating 500m and 1000m; Ben Ogden: Silver in cross-country skiing men’s sprint classic and men’s team sprint free.
Italy surged to speed skating men’s team pursuit gold. The Italians finish in a time of 3:39.20, ahead of the USA (silver) in Final A. People’s Republic of China beat Netherlands in Final B to win bronze.
The games will feature 116 events in eight sports across 16 disciplines, including ski mountaineering, which will be making its Olympic debut.
Georgia also won its first medal in their Winter Olympic history.
LOOKING AHEAD
With just a few days remaining in the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, the world continues to watch as athletes push the limits of human achievement on ice and snow. The Games have already delivered unforgettable moments of triumph, heartbreak, and history-making performances that will be remembered for years to come.
The closing ceremony is scheduled for February 22, 2026.
FXBGNEWS.com will continue to provide updates as the final days of the 2026 Winter Olympics unfold.
