The United States was a force to be reckoned with in this year’s Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina. For three consecutive weeks, elite athletes from all corners of the U.S. showcased some of their best performances that elevated the red, white and blue.
The United States finished second in the medal table with 33 total. They made history by setting a new national record after winning 12 gold medals in Italy, which is two more than their previous record of 10, set at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. They finished with 12 silver and nine bronze as well.
There would be no medals though without the talented American athletes who wore their country’s color with pride.
Mikaela Shiffrin’s road to redemption ended with a gold medal in the women’s slalom this Olympics. Shiffrin was a global star at 18 when she won gold in the same event in the Sochi Games, and then also took home two medals in the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. However, the superstar struggled after her father died in 2020, failed to medal in Beijing in 2022 and got injured in 2024.
But this Olympics was different. It was so much more than another Shiffrin performance, it was something more personal and emotional. She delivered one of the most captivating victories in her career, snagging gold with a combined time of 1:39.10, and winning by 1.50 seconds – the largest margin of time in Olympic Alpine skiing history since 1998.
Chloe Kim, the legendary snowboarder, secured a silver medal in the women’s snowboarding halfpipe amid heavy snowfall in Italy. She became the first female snowboarder ever to medal in three separate Olympics, taking home gold in 2018 and 2022.
At her fifth Olympics, monobob athlete Elana Meyers Taylor, took home her first Olympic gold medal in the women’s monobob event. At 41, she became the oldest American to ever win a gold medal individually, proving age is just a number.
Jordan Stolz kept showcasing his speed this Olympics after failing to place last Games in Beijing. The athlete broke not one, but two records this Olympics. First, his 1000m time in the first week of competitions, then he finished the men’s 500m with a time of 33.77 seconds.
In the men’s freeski halfpipe, Alex Ferreira had something to prove and he did. At 31, the freestyle skier saw his window closing, so he laid it all on the line, hitting a trio of 1080s, some 1620s and multiple grabs on his halfpipe run. Finishing with a score of 93.75, the Colorado native secured the medal and title he dreamed of since he was little.
The 2002 Salt Lake City Games was the last time an American took home gold in the women’s figure skating event. That was 24 years ago until Alysa Liu hit center stage this year. The cheerful Liu showed joy as she skated, delivering a graceful and clean long program that warded off the talented Japanese competitors.
The United States owns the world of ice hockey now. Both teams beat Canada in overtime to take home the gold medal, bringing down one of the best known hockey countries in the world.
The women’s team couldn’t be stopped, blowing out most of the teams that crossed their path. They scored five or more goals in the first five games of the tournament, marking the longest run of 5-plus goals in a single tournament in U.S. women’s Olympic ice hockey history. They even went as far to snag a 5-0 win over Sweden in the semifinals.
In the women’s final, Laila Edwards became the first Black woman to score a goal for Team USA in the Olympics, let alone, she is also the first Black woman to make the USA Olympic roster. Team USA went on to shut out Canada for the first time at the Olympics and it was their largest win over them in Olympic history.
In regards to the men, they also had a sweet end to their Olympics, taking home their own gold in historic fashion. For the first time since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” game, the U.S. men’s ice hockey team won. In a nail-biter game versus Canada, Jack Hughes scored the golden goal in overtime to seal the deal. He even lost two front teeth in the game, showing just how much the team wanted it.
Team USA proved to the world something this Olympics. Against all odds, traumas, injuries and setbacks, the athletes put on the show of a lifetime, bringing joy, tears and pride to the American homefront. Showing what the world of sports is really all about, the future is bright for the next generation of athletes.