The 2026 Winter Olympic Games were held in Milano Cortina, Italy, marking another major chapter in the history of Team USA. With a mixture of veteran champions and emerging young stars, there were a total of 232 athletes (the U.S. largest Winter Olympic delegation) that competed at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The Winter Olympic Games feature athletes competing in snow and ice over the course of two weeks in a global competition. This year, Team USA was able to send 117 men and 115 women, summing up to a total of 232 athletes, which surpassed the previous record of 228 athletes at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
In total, there were nearly 100 athletes who previously competed in the Olympic Games, allowing the opportunity for the younger generation to compete and gain experience. The age ranged from athletes as young as 15, making their debut, to veterans in their 50s.
Team USA competed in nearly every winter sport, including alpine skiing, figure skating, speed skating, ice hockey, freestyle skiing, snowboarding, bobsled, skeleton, biathlon, cross-country skiing, and curling.
Early success came from figure skating as Team USA captured the gold medal in the team event. This victory set the tone for the competition and was led by Ilia Malinin.
Another key athlete in figure skating is 20-year–old Alysa Liu, whose comeback to elite competition has been one of the most inspiring stories in recent winter sports. Her performance won her the gold medal, ending the U.S. 24-year medal drought.
Several American veterans headline the team. Alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin, who is known as one of the most successful alpine skiers in U.S. history, won the gold medal in the slalom, ending an eight-year Olympic medal drought. Alongside her was Jessie Diggins, who competed with bruised ribs, yet still won the bronze medal in the 10k interval freestyle.
Chloe Kim once again dominated the half pipe in snowboarding, winning a silver medal. Sophomore Mallorie Perez said, ¨The athlete that stood out to me the most was Chloe Kim. Competing in a big event is already scary, but competing and being injured and still winning a medal is so impressive.¨ Kim had a major performance as she competed with a torn labrum and dislocated shoulder, which she endured just weeks before the games.
In bobsledding, Elena Meyers Taylor won the gold medal in the women’s monobob. This was a huge accomplishment for Taylor as it was her first Olympic gold medal, making her the oldest woman to win a gold medal in bobsled history, at the age of 41.
In ice hockey, Team USA had a double gold sweep with both the men’s and women’s teams defeating Canada, their rivals, in 2-1 overtime. For the men, this was the first time in 46 years the U.S. men’s team won an Olympic gold medal. On the women’s side, they reclaimed their title after an eight–year gap.
Sophomore Raelynn Black stated, ¨Overall, I think the U.S. did really well. They had strong performances in each of their sports and showed how talented and hardworking their athletes are.¨
In the end, the Milano Cortina Games showed that the United States is still one of the leading countries in the Winter Olympics, able to compete in every winter sport and improving with each new generation of athletes.