The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics were an exhilarating two-and-a-half weeks for viewers worldwide. Many records were broken, including a total of 50 women’s events, four more than the previous record from the 2022 Winter Olympics; doubled viewer counts across many European countries, with two out of every three people in Italy watching; and, in Canada, over five times the amount of watched hours compared to the previous Winter Olympics. But, for the United States, the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will be remembered as one of the most successful and exciting Winter Olympic Games in the nation’s history.
First off, the US won a total of 33 medals, including 12 gold, during the Games. Those wins allowed the US to break its previous national Winter Olympics records during a single Winter Olympics. But, that is not the full extent of the achievements that the American teams earned.
The US men’s hockey team, known as Team USA, helped contribute to the nation’s new record of 12 gold medals at one Winter Games. Even better, they also won their first gold medal since 1980, after multiple tough matches against teams from around the world. The team started by winning three preliminary matches (against Latvia, Denmark, and Germany, respectively) leading them to the quarterfinals in a game against Sweden. After a tough match and some overtime action, Team USA beat the Swedes, 3-2. Soon after earning the newly won spot in the semifinals, they played against Slovakia, winning 6-2. Now that they could practically feel the gold medal in their hands, Team USA advanced to the finals. The last time they were there in the finals, in 2010, they lost to Canada. And now, 16 years later, they were in the same situation. But, in a year of redemption and unbeaten scores, 2026 was undoubtedly different. Team USA won 2-1 against Canada in overtime, securing the gold medal for men’s ice hockey. After 46 years, Team USA men’s hockey had finally won gold. And what makes it so much sweeter for America is that all of the players on the Team USA and Team Canada men’s hockey teams are part of the NHL (National Hockey League).
This national victory was not just limited to the men’s team; the women’s hockey team had a similar feat, also winning gold against Canada. They played four preliminary rounds against Czechia, Finland, Switzerland, and Canada, respectively. They won each of them 5-0 (excluding Czechia, where they won 5-1). Then, they went on to play Italy in the quarter-finals, where they won 6-0; and Sweden in the semifinals, winning 5-0. And, when the time came to play against Team Canada’s women’s hockey team, the girls of Team USA won with a score of 2-1 in overtime, experiencing the same feat the men’s team dealt with.
Even further, it is not uncommon for the American women’s hockey team to earn this accomplishment. Since 1998, when women’s hockey was introduced at the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, Team USA has placed on the podium every time. The team has won gold three times (1998, 2018, and 2026), silver four times (2002, 2010, 2014, and 2022), and bronze once (2006).
This year’s multiple wins from Team USA’s hockey teams helped prove that, even though hockey is a large part of the Canadian national spirit, it is also part of American culture as well. And while the Canadian teams put up a tough competition against Team USA this year, one thing is certain: the American teams were united in their fight for victory. And that fight won both the men’s and women’s teams gold medals, teams that are part of the greatest country in the world.
