Now that the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina have come to a close, here are the biggest headlines you may have missed.
Amber Glenn, the 2025 national champion, experienced an incredible redemption arc during her first and possibly last Winter Olympics. After missing a spin landing in the short program, Glenn landed in 13th place, making the top five seem unattainable. Yet she bounced back during the free skate to finish fifth overall, and her performance made her the fifth person ever to land a triple axel at the Winter Olympics.Â
But the real standout was Alyssa Liu, who won the gold medal in the individual figure skating event, the first U.S. Olympic women’s figure skating gold in over 20 years. Alyssa actually quit figure skating at 16 after competing since she was 7. Two years later, at 18, she called her coach and decided to come back to the rink on her own terms: she would be in charge of the music she skated to, the outfits she wore, and when she needed to take a step back and rest. Aside from bringing home the gold, she has doubled her Instagram followers after going viral for her joyful exhibition gala performance to PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson’s hit “Stateside,” as well as her carefree personality and signature halo hairstyle.
The U.S. men’s and women’s hockey teams both won gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics, with the men making history by winning gold for the first time in 46 years. However, the gold medal was not the only thing that drew public attention. The U.S. men’s hockey team is currently facing controversy after a video went viral showing them on a call with President Donald Trump, during which they laughed after Trump commented that he was obligated to invite the women if he did not want to get impeached. Meanwhile, the women went so far as to reject the president’s invitation to the White House after their return from Milan.
Finally, in snowboarding, Chloe Kim won second place in the halfpipe, but the real MVP was Eileen Gu. Despite being an American citizen, Gu made the decision years earlier to compete for China, stirring debate about whether she had betrayed the United States. As of the 2026 Olympics, Gu is the most decorated freeskier, male or female, in history after winning three more medals this month. On top of being an Olympic athlete, Gu is also a full-time model and a full-time student at Stanford. Her thoughtful response at the post-Olympics press conference also drew attention, particularly when a reporter asked whether she felt she had “won two silvers” or “lost two golds.”
Overall, the female athletes from the U.S. Olympic team won 17 of the 33 medals earned by the U.S., helping the U.S. leave Milan with the second most Olympic medals. The next Olympics await in two years, taking place during the summer in LA! Â