Winter Olympics Medal Race Heats Up as Italy, Japan, and Norway Share Lead

The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo have produced thrilling competition through the first several days, with Italy, Japan, and Norway each sitting atop the medal table with three medals apiece as of February 8. Each of the three nations has collected one gold, one silver, and one bronze medal, showcasing the balanced depth of their winter sports programs. Sweden follows closely with two medals including one gold, while Switzerland, Slovenia, Canada, and China have also reached the podium in the early going.

The first gold medals of these Games were awarded across multiple disciplines, highlighting the diversity of winter sports on display. Swiss alpine skier Franjo von Allmen captured gold in the men's downhill, while Sweden's Frida Karlsson dominated the women's cross-country skiathlon to claim her nation's first gold medal. Italy's Francesca Lollobrigida thrilled the home crowd with a gold medal performance in women's speed skating, providing an emotional moment for the host nation. Norway's Anna Odine Stroem soared to victory in women's ski jumping, and Japan's Kira Kimura secured gold in men's snowboarding, demonstrating his nation's continued excellence in freestyle winter sports.

The United States women's hockey team has been dominant in preliminary round play, improving to 2-0 in the tournament with a commanding 5-0 victory over Finland. The Americans entered these Games as defending Olympic champions and have looked every bit the part through two matches, outscoring opponents by a combined margin of 12-0. Their defensive structure and offensive firepower suggest they remain the team to beat in women's ice hockey, though challenges from Canada, Finland, and other nations are expected as the tournament progresses into the knockout stages.

Competition on February 8 features a packed schedule across multiple venues, with events in Alpine skiing, biathlon, ski jumping, snowboarding, and cross-country skiing taking place on the mountain courses. The ice venues in Milan host continuation of round-robin curling matches, luge runs, and more ice hockey preliminary games. Athletes are competing in challenging conditions as organizers work to maintain optimal snow and ice quality across the various venues spread throughout northern Italy.

The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics mark the first time Italy has hosted the Winter Games since Turin 2006, and the first time the Olympics have returned to Cortina d'Ampezzo since the resort town hosted the 1956 Winter Games. Competition continues through the closing ceremony scheduled for February 22, with hundreds of medals still to be decided across 15 winter sport disciplines. As the Games approach the midway point, the medal race remains wide open, with traditional winter sports powerhouses like Norway, Germany, Canada, and the United States expected to make strong pushes in the coming days.