+ The siblings created curling fever
Siblings Isabella and Rasmus Wranå created curling fever in Sweden with their gold in mixed curling. Not only for what they did on the ice but also for Isabella's posts on social media. The fact that Team Hasselborg also won gold fueled the curling craze.
+ Career over now, Vonn?
The 41-year-old alpine star Lindsey Vonn arrived in Cortina without a cruciate ligament in her left knee after a crash just before the Olympics. She then crashed in the first race, the downhill, and badly broke her tibia. She had four surgeries before leaving Italy and another in the United States.
+ Ukrainian disqualified after helmet fight
Images of dead Ukrainian athletes and coaches on his skeleton helmet were considered a political statement by the IOC, and Ukrainian athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych was banned from the Olympics. He was awarded the Order of Freedom by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
+ The King: "What a flip"
Ebba Andersson flipped twice in the ski relay; the second time she did a forward flip, which broke the binding on one ski, and she “only” got silver in the women’s ski relay. This made King Carl Gustaf exclaim “What a flip! I’ve never seen a cross-country skier fly in the air like that. It was fantastic.”
+ The women's skiers were superior – they won five out of six gold medals
Frida Karlsson never got the chance to win three individual golds because she fell ill in the 5km. But Ebba Andersson made sure to secure that gold for Sweden as well. The women skiers won all distances except the relay.
+ The index finger created a big fight
Marc Kennedy's index finger caused a huge row in curling. It was the Swedes who pointed out that the Canadian was poking the stone illegally, as pictures also showed. Kennedy responded with "fuck off" and was then warned. After that, extra judges were appointed to keep track of when the stones were released. Canada's men responded to the criticism by taking gold.
+ Had the same time in both runs – shared medal
In both the first and second runs of the giant slalom, Sara Hector and Thea Louise Stjernesund, Norway, had the same time. That gave them both silver. “What are the odds, it was one in a million,” Stjernesund told SVT.
+ Klæbo historic gold medalist
Johannes Høsflot Klæbo became the ski king in Val di Fiemme and the first Winter Olympian to win six consecutive gold medals in one Olympics. Figure skater Eric Heiden won five in the 1980 Olympics. In total, the Norwegian has eleven Olympic gold medals – no Winter Olympian has won more.
+Swedish hockey depression
The star-studded Swedish men's hockey team, made up entirely of NHL players, was eliminated in the quarterfinals. The women, on the other hand, made it to the bronze medal match, where Switzerland won in overtime.
+ Ski jumping scare
Sweden has not won an Olympic medal in ski jumping since 1952. Frida Westman came close on the big hill in Predazzo. She managed to clinch fourth place, just six points short of bronze.
+ Ruined the golden celebration with confession of infidelity
Johan-Olav Botn's gold in the individual biathlon event was overshadowed when his Norwegian teammate Sturla Holm Lægreid admitted to infidelity on live television after winning bronze. Lægreid, who had hoped to get his ex back through the televised confession, instead had to apologize to both his ex and Botn.
+ The Quadruple God's Knock-Through
One of the Games' surest golds turned to dust when quadruple-jump ace Ilia Malinin couldn't handle the pressure in the figure skating free program and finished in eighth place. "It's not just any competition," he explained. The American was subjected to online hate afterward.
+ Watch out, dog in the tracks
Jonna Sundling had already crossed the finish line in the qualifying round of the team sprint when a dog, with wolf-like features, ran after the skiers on the run. There was speculation for a while whether it was a wolf, but the dog's owner appeared and explained that Nazgul was a kind and social dog that had run away from home.
+ Italy's domestic success
Home nations usually increase their medal count in the Olympics, and so does Italy. In Beijing four years ago, they came tenth in the medal table, and this year they are fourth after winning 30 medals, ten of which are gold.
+ The Norwegian went to the forest
Atle Lie McGrath had a solid lead heading into the second run of the slalom, but crashed out. He then headed for the forest before lying down in the snow to let his disappointment melt away. “Emotions take over,” said the Norwegian.
+ Trump's attack: "A real zero"
US President Donald Trump lashed out at American freestyle skater Hunter Hess, who said he had “mixed feelings” about representing the US in the Olympics. Trump responded to Truth Social: “Hunter Hess, a complete loser.” After the halfpipe qualifier, Hess then made the so-called loser sign - a thumb and index finger to his forehead.
+ Norway – and Sweden – medal winners
Norway, as usual, topped the Winter Olympics medal table, ahead of the USA and the Netherlands, with 41 medals, 18 of which were gold. Sweden's women led in golds with six, the same number as the Netherlands, USA and Italy.
+ Emotional celebrations after the hockey gold medal
The United States paid tribute to the deceased Johnny Gaudreau after the victory in the hockey final against Canada. "He should have been on this team," said Matthew Tkachuk, holding up a game jersey with Gaudreau's name on it. Johnny Gaudreau, whose children were on the ice in Milan, and his brother Matthew were both killed by a car during a bike ride in 2024.
+ Success for scattered games
The Milan and Cortina Winter Games were the most widely distributed. At the closing ceremony in Verona, IOC President Kirsty Coventry praised the Olympic hosts. “You delivered a new kind of Winter Olympics and set the standard for the future,” she said. The 2030 Olympics in the French Alps will be even more widely distributed.
