Overview
- The IOC declared the 2026 Winter Olympics closed at Verona’s Arena and transferred the Olympic flag to France for the 2030 Games.
- Norway finished atop the table with 18 golds and 41 total medals, the United States was second with 33, and the Netherlands third with 20 as host Italy posted a best‑ever 30.
- Team USA won men’s hockey gold over Canada in overtime on Jack Hughes’s goal, ending a 46‑year Olympic title drought in the event.
- Johannes Klæbo swept six cross‑country golds to reach 11 career Olympic titles, while Eileen Gu won halfpipe to become the most‑decorated Olympic freeskier with six career medals.
- The Games spanned about 22,000 km² with 116 medal events, including the Olympic debut of ski mountaineering, as post‑Games coverage highlights protests over costs, the Heraskevych helmet dispute, Lindsey Vonn’s multiple leg surgeries, and the Paralympics set for March 6–15.