The winter Olympics started this year on Feb. 6, and is scheduled to end on Feb. 22.
Medals
So far, Norway is in first place with five gold medals, one silver, and three bronze. In second place is Switzerland with three gold, one silver, and one bronze. Third place is Italy with two gold, two silver, and six bronze. Fourth is Japan with two gold, two silver, and three bronze. Fifth place is Sweden with two gold, two silver, and one bronze. Sixth place is United States with two gold, two silver.
Popular sports
Ski mountaineering, often called skimo, is the premier new sport debuting at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina. Ski mountaineering is a demanding human powered sport combining uphill climbing on skis with technical downhill skiing, often in challenging winter alpine terrain, using specialized lightweight gear. Athletes use skins (grippy strips) for uphill traction, transition to downhill mode, and may even carry skis on their backs to boot-pack steep sections, testing endurance, skill, and transition speed, with races ranging from sprints to long endurance events. The sport was scheduled to end on Feb 13.
Figure skating is a popular sport that most people tune into to watch. It is a Winter Olympic sport combining athletic, acrobatic, and artistic performance on ice. Skaters wear metal-bladed skates to execute routines set to music, featuring jumps, spins, and intricate footwork, judged on technical difficulty and artistic expression. Four main disciplines include men’s and women’s singles, pair skating, and ice dance.
Snowboarding is a widely watched winter sport, developed in the 1960s, that involves descending snow-covered terrain on a single, wide board with both feet secured at a perpendicular angle. Influenced by surfing, skateboarding, and skiing, it is practiced for recreation and competition, featuring in the Winter Olympics since 1998.
Lindsey Vonn crash
The only injury so far in the 2026 Winter Olympics is Lindsey Vonn who fell while skiing. Lindsey Vonn suffered a complex, season-ending tibia fracture in her left leg during the women’s downhill at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina on February 8, 2026. Only 13 seconds into her run, Vonn hooked her right arm on a gate, leading to a dramatic, high-speed crash that required immediate airlift. Vonn previously suffered a high-profile crash in the Super-G at the 2013 Alpine World Championships in Schladming, Austria, which resulted in a torn ACL and MCL and a tibial fracture.
Following her crash at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Lindsey Vonn expressed no regrets, describing the incident as a “5-inch” miscalculation rather than a result of previous injuries. She embraced the risk, stating “life is too short not to take chances” and highlighting the courage to “dare greatly” despite the outcome.
