USA’s historic Olympics comes to a close
Sunday's closing ceremony marked an incredible Olympic games fro Team USA
MILAN-CORTINA, Italy - From seeking gold to achieving it, Team USA made history at the 2026 Winter Olympics, leaving the Milan-Cortina Games as one of the most memorable in recent American Olympic history.
The United States finished second in the overall medal count but set a new standard with a record 12 gold medals — the most ever by a U.S. team at a single Winter Games.
Both the men’s and women’s hockey teams broke multiple records, marking the first time in U.S. Olympic history that both squads won gold at the same Games. The women’s team continued an unprecedented scoring streak, posting at least five goals in each of their first five games — the longest 5-plus goal streak in a single tournament in USA women’s Olympic history. They extended the streak with a 5-0 semifinal win over Sweden.
Caroline Harvey, defenseman for Team USA, scored her ninth point in the quarterfinal game against Italy, setting a new record for points by a U.S. defenseman in a single Olympic tournament. Laila Edwards, the first Black woman to make the U.S. Olympic roster, also made history by scoring a goal against Canada, helping the team shut out its longtime rival for the first time and earn the largest victory over Canada in Olympic history.
The U.S. men’s hockey team matched the women’s record-setting pace with its longest streak of scoring five or more goals per game in the NHL-player Olympic era. Quinn Hughes became the first American to record a six-game point streak during a single Olympics featuring NHL players.
Other historic moments included Elana Meyers Taylor tying the record for most Winter Olympic medals by an American woman and Jordan Stolz setting records in both the men’s 500- and 1,000-meter speed skating races.
With golds across hockey, bobsled, speed skating, and other events, the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics cemented Team USA’s place in Winter Games history.
