MILAN — With 116 medal occasions over 16 days unfold throughout northern Italy, the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics delivered many unforgettable moments. Listed below are 10 of the largest, from heartbreak to triumph.

U.S. skier Lindsey Vonn’s Olympic story was purported to be one among redemption. She got here out of retirement at age 41, battled a torn ACL in her left knee days earlier than competitors, and was prepared to beat the downhill. As an alternative she bought hooked on a gate 13 seconds into her run, leading to a terrifying crash in Cortina d’Ampezzo.

After receiving remedy for a couple of week in Italy for a posh tibia fracture, Vonn flew again to the U.S. She’s had at the least 4 surgical procedures.

Her skis didn’t launch in the course of the crash, elevating questions of safety among the many snowboarding circuit.

Heavy is the top that wears the crown, heavy is the neck that wears all of Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo’s gold medals.

The Norwegian gained all six gold medals within the males’s cross-country competitors, setting a brand new file for many golds at a single Winter Olympics.

The earlier file was set by American pace skater Eric Heiden with 5 golds within the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics.

Norway dominated the Olympics general, main the medal rely with 41. They chalk it as much as their lifestyle.

The overwhelming favourite to win gold in males’s determine skating, Ilia Malinin fell twice in his free skate program. The falls despatched him tumbling from first place all the best way off the rostrum.

“Actually, yeah, I used to be not anticipating that,” Malinin stated. “I felt going into this competitors I used to be so prepared. I simply felt prepared happening that ice. I believe possibly that may have been the rationale, is I used to be too assured it was going to go nicely.”

Alysa Liu gained the U.S. its first ladies’s determine skating gold medal in 24 years with a joy-filled, near-flawless free skate.

The 20-year-old had walked away from skating earlier than discovering her method again once more, and located herself within the course of.

“I believe my story is extra vital than something to me,” Liu stated, “and that’s what I’ll maintain expensive, and this journey has been unimaginable, and my life has simply been — I’ve no complaints.”

American athletes confronted persistent questions on President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda and their consolation in representing a rustic whose insurance policies are more and more controversial on the world stage.

American freeskier Hunter Hess stated he didn’t again the U.S. president’s immigration crackdown, prompting Trump to name him a “loser.” Chloe Kim, Eileen Gu and Hess’ teammates referred to as for unity in response. Hess responded throughout halfpipe qualifying by flashing an “L” on his brow, saying he stands by his assertion and loves the U.S.

U.S. determine skater Amber Glenn additionally stated she acquired threats on social media after saying throughout a pre-Olympics information convention that the queer neighborhood goes by a “arduous time” amid the political local weather below Trump.

Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych was barred from competing when he refused to not use a helmet that honored greater than 20 athletes and coaches killed within the Russia-Ukraine struggle.

The Worldwide Olympic Committee stated sporting the helmet would break guidelines towards making statements on the sphere of play. The IOC requested Heraskevych to put on a unique helmet in races. It supplied concessions, similar to sporting a black armband or letting him show the helmet as soon as he was off the ice.

“I imagine, deeply, the (The Worldwide Bobsled and Skeleton Federation) and IOC perceive that I’m not violating any guidelines,” Heraskevych stated. “Additionally, I might say (it’s) painful that it actually appears like discrimination as a result of many athletes already have been expressing themselves.”

The seemingly quaint and cordial sport of curling was rocked by dishonest allegations in the course of the Winter Video games. First Canada was accused, then Britain. The primary infraction? Double-touching.

After a wild few days with expletives and a short rule change, tensions simmered and groups and gamers roughly moved on.

“It’s the Olympics,” stated Canadian roller Ben Hebert. “It’ll be over in two weeks and everybody will return to protecting curling in 4 years.”

Sturla Holm Laegreid, one among Norway’s high biathletes, completed third within the 20-kilometer particular person race on the Olympics, after which gave one of the crucial weird interviews that rapidly went viral.

Laegreid, stuffed with regret, instructed Norwegian broadcaster NRK – and the entire world – he had been untrue to his girlfriend.

He later stated he regretted airing his private enterprise and overshadowing his teammate’s Olympic gold medal. However the meme injury had already been executed.

Hockey was all the time going to be a giant deal on the Milan Cortina Olympics. Even earlier than the primary puck dropped, there have been worries in regards to the new enviornment and pleasure about the Olympic return of NHL stars. As many had predicted, Canada and the USA made the ultimate of each the lads’s and ladies’s tournaments. The U.S. gained each gold medal video games in extra time.

Whereas Brazil was reveling in Carnival, Alpine ski racer Lucas Pinheiro Braathen gave the nation another excuse to have a good time — an Olympic gold medal in large slalom.

It was the first-ever medal on the Winter Video games for any nation in South America.

“I’ve tried again and again to place phrases into what it’s that I’m feeling,” Pinheiro Braathen stated. “But it surely’s merely unimaginable.”

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AP Winter Olympics protection: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics