The 2026 Winter Olympic games are off and running. On Wednesday, Feb. 4, the events began, showcasing world class talent on the main stage. The United States brought some huge contenders to Milano Cortina this year, some even projected to be big time winners. But how have the U.S. done so far as the Games have been on for a week now?
America’s first Olympic success came in the women’s downhill event as Breezy Johnson took home gold. The 30-year-old from Wyoming got down in 1:36:10 seconds, securing the first medal of the Games for the United States. Although her run was not perfect, Johnson took risks and skied aggressively, pushing herself to the top speeds and cleanest turns.
The women’s ski medals didn’t stop there. Jacqueline Wiles and Paula Moltzan snagged the bronze medal in the women’s team combined. Wiles finished fourth in the women’s downhill event, getting down in 1:37.04, and Moltzan finished fourth in the women’s slalom, getting down in 44.87 seconds. Combining for a total time of 2:21.91, the two secured the bronze for the United State’s second medal in alpine skiing.
In the men’s freeski slopestyle event, Alex Hall took home silver. He was the defending gold medalist in the event from the 2022 Beijing Games, however, the seasoned skier had a rough third that stuck him at second.
U.S. Olympic history was made in men’s cross country as Ben Ogden fended off the Swedes, Finns and Norwegians who usually dominate the events. With a completion time of 3:40.61, Ogden took home the silver medal in the men’s cross-country skiing sprint classical race. He became the first American to ever medal in that discipline of cross country skiing and the first man to medal in any cross country event since Bill Koch in 1976.
In mixed doubles curling, the U.S. also had an historic performance delivered by Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin. The two fell to Sweden 6-5 in the final, leaving with the silver medal. Still, the feat was extremely monumental as Thiesse became the first U.S. woman to win an Olympic curling medal and the duo became the first Americans to win an Olympic mixed doubles curling medal.
On Tuesday, Ashley Farquharson made her name known in the American luge saga by taking home the bronze in the women’s singles luge competition at Cortina Sliding Centre. Her third place time of 3:31.582 made Farquharson the second American woman and the first in 12 years to take home an Olympic medal in the luge event.
It was the U.S. figure skating team event which took fans’ breaths away, bringing dominance back to American figure skating. The U.S. fought tooth and nail with Japan, as both teams brought all the tricks and artistry they had. Madison Chock and Evan Bates earned the team 10 points for their first place finish in the free skate for ice dancing. In pair skating, veterans Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea glistened their best performance earning the team seven points. Amber Glenn and Alysa Liu dominated in the women’s free skates, and the “Quad God,” Ilia Malinin completed seven quads, plus a backflip, to propel the U.S. to a gold medal.
Chock and Bates also took home silver after a flawless ice dance free skate. The pair have been skating together for 15 years now and that chemistry showed between the married duo.
In the Men’s Super-G alpine skiing event, Ryan Cochran-Siegle took home his second silver Olympic medal with a 1:25.45 time. But it wasn’t the medal that made Cochran-Siegle’s win even better, but the day he won it on. On Feb. 11, in the 1972 Winter Olympics, his mom won her gold medal in women’s slalom.
In the Women’s Mogul Finals, the U.S. dominated the podium, winning gold and silver. Elizabeth Lemley, the 20-year-old from Colorado, took home the gold medal in her senior Olympic debut, scoring a 82.30. Right behind her was Jaelin Kauf, who took home her second silver in this Olympic event.
The U.S. added another gold medal to their collection as Jordan Stolz took home all the glory in the Men’s 1000m Speed Skating event. The 21-year-old from Wisconsin set a new Olympic record with a time of 1:06.28, which goes along with the world record he already had at 1:05.37. This Olympic medal is Stolz’s first of possible many.
Jessie Diggins medaled in her third Olympics as she took home the bronze in the women’s cross-country skiing 10-kilometer freestyle. Diggins, who was battling severe pain from bruised ribs, collapsed after crossing the finish line. For the love of the sport, Diggins pushed through in order to ward off some top Norwegian and Swedish competitors.
The Olympic Games have only just begun in Milano-Cortina. With one week down, the U.S. sits in third place for medal count with 13 total as of right now. Team U.S.A. still has many more athletes to showcase and many more events to take place. With just a few medals behind the leaders Norway and Italy, this Olympics could belong to the States if the athletes continue to bring big energy onto the world platform.