Four years later, the Winter Olympics are back – the games held in Milano and Cortina, Italy, began on February 6th and all sporting events will be completed and closed out on the 22nd, 2026. From alpine skiing to speed skating, there are 116 medal events over the course of these two weeks, varying across eight different sports and 16 disciplines, and around 2,800 athletes will be competing.
Team USA has brought in 235 athletes – the most in winter Olympic history – and are competing in all events. “Having so many athletes gives team USA a lot of depth, and it gives them really good chances to win some medals,” said student-athlete Izzy Tanguay.
After the two weeks of events, there have been many triumphs and upsets across the board. Team USA’s Alysa Liu won gold in women’s single skating at just 20 years old after coming out of her retirement from 2022. Team USA took gold in two events for women’s alpine skiing and bronze in the combined team event. USA’s women’s hockey team won gold against Canada, after taking silver in 2022; and the men are set to play the gold medal match against Canada – a rematch of the Four Nations tournament final last February.
“It’s inspiring how many athletes push themselves through severe pains and injuries,” said Tanguay. Unfortunately, four-time Olympian Lindsey Vonn was seriously injured after she crashed at her first event in alpine skiing 11 seconds in. On the course, she was medflighted and rushed to the hospital where she underwent multiple surgeries to repair her broken leg.
Team USA’s Ilia Malinin placed eighth in the men’s figure skating single event. After his performance, he opened up during a candid interview expressing he was unaware of the true stress and intensity the Olympic games bring. From olympics.com, Malinin told interviewers, “(the olympics or medals) doesn’t change who you are as a person or even as an athlete.” He went into the event wanting to make history with his quad axel jump, but he skated off with grounding experiences being only 21 years of age.
In the sport curling, team USA’s women were beaten by Switzerland in the semi-final, earning silver. Curling has exploded in a form of popularity at this year’s Olympics, where many are confused and admit they do not fully understand the event. “The only thing I know about this year’s Olympics is the sport curling, and I don’t know why it is even a sport,” said student Milina Quizhpi-Lema.
With the winter games bringing 93 countries together to compete, the question arises: Does it unite people across the globe, or does it divide all biased in nationalism? The Olympics are a great outlet for countries to gain recognition and prove their space in the games. It can highlight countries and athletes that may be overlooked, or it can create intense division between rivaling countries. “The Olympics are especially important today as the world has felt very divided in recent years,” said student Ashlyn Sullivan. When athletes compete in their events, there are always cheers and applause for all – no matter the size of a country, or number of athletes representing the country – they all own their space to display skills and talent, while also using their platform for good. The Olympics gives a space for all to voice what they represent because in today’s world, it is more than just sports.
With the games being held across Italy, there are time-zone differences. Italy has a six-hour difference from Eastern Standard Time (EST), which makes live viewing a challenge for many Americans. As an alternative, many find themselves watching primetime showings at 8:00pm EST, or through social media. Student Isla Donnelly said, “I see a lot of clips on TikTok, it quickly grabs my attention and attracts more viewers for the Olympics.” Across the globe, there has been an extreme upsurge in daily viewers of the winter games. According to NBC, the streaming service is averaging around 23 million viewers for the 2026 games. Compared to four years ago, this is an increase of viewers by about 86%.
As of February 20th, the games are continuing in Italy. Team USA is currently holding 29 medals; but the true meaning of the Olympics is more than decoration. The stories of hard work, resilience, bravery and representation are what shines through. “Sports are played all over the world, and the Olympics helps to unify people through the games,” said Sullivan. At the end of the day, a spot on the podium matters less than the sportsmanship and unity the Olympic games create – whether it be summer or winter.
When these games are nearing the end, the United States and the rest of the world focus their attention to celebrate the paralympians participating in the 2026 Winter Paralympics held in Milano Cortina, Italy from March 6 to March 15 – cheering for the sports, the athletes, the coaching and the fans that bring people together.
