PCHS Bulletin – Paige Harlow
Date Published - February 24, 2026
The 2026 Winter Olympics have officially concluded, with the closing ceremony taking place on the night of February 22. The games stretched from the streets of Milan to the snow-draped slopes of Cortina d’Ampezzo. Team USA surpassed their previous high of 10 gold medals, raising it to 12 out of 33 medals in general. Each day seemed to bring a new story, some triumphant, some heartbreaking, and some so unexpected they instantly become part of the Olympic lore.
The most sobering moment came early in the alpine events, when Austrian downhill star Lena Huber, just 22 and already considered one of the fastest skiers in the world, lost control on a steep section of the women’s downhill course. She clipped a gate at full speed and crashed violently into the netting, sending a hush across the mountain. By afternoon, officials confirmed she had suffered a broken leg. Athletes from multiple nations signed a banner for her at the finish area, and several paused their own training runs to leave messages in the snow. It was a harsh reminder of the razor-thin line winter athletes walk every time they push off the start gate.
But the Games were hardly defined by tragedy. In Milan, the men’s figure skating arena became a theater of artistry. American phenom Ilia Malinin, already known as the “Quad God,” delivered a free skate that felt like a declaration of intent, landing a clean quad axel that was thought to secure his place in at least the top 3. Unfortunately, he finished 8th place with him, and many others stumbled on the ice in their routines, raising questions about the texture of the ice and if it influenced their performances. Moments later, Japanese legend Yuzuru Hanyu, returning for what he has hinted may be his final Olympic appearance, skated with a level of emotional clarity that left the arena and people watching behind their TV’s amazed. Italian rising star Giulia Marinelli, just 17, brought the home crowd to its feet with a program capped by a perfectly landed quad toe loop. However, Mikhail Shaidorov from Kazakhstan took home the gold and Yuma Kagiyama surprisingly finished with silver.
The women’s figure skating was a huge success for Team USA, with Alyssa Liu, just 20 years old, securing her well-deserved gold medal. She has been an extremely popular figure on social media, especially Tik Tok amongst the younger generations who feel they can relate to her through her humor and how humble she appears in her interviews. She has been an inspiration throughout these incredible two weeks.
Speed skating has been equally gripping. Dutch veteran Jorien ter Mors turned back the clock with a blistering 1500-meter race, while Canadian sprinter Laurent Dubois shattered his personal best in the 500-meter, prompting applause that echoed through the oval long after he left the ice. South Korean short-track skater Kim Min-ji clawed her way into the semifinals after a dramatic fall in the heats. Just two days before the closing ceremony, Polish short-track speed skater Kamila Sellir was seriously injured after being cut in the face by a competitor’s skate but has officials confirmed she was okay following stitches. The Netherlands however, dominated early events with notable winners like Antionette Rijpma-de Jong in women’s 1500m and Jorrit Bergsma in men’s mass start.
Over at the snowboard park, the rivalry between American icon and two-time gold medalist Chloe Kim and Swiss newcomer Lara Gutmann has become one of the defining duels of the Games. Kim’s runs have been all precision and polish, while Gutmann has leaned into a more chaotic, improvisational style that gives her that unpredictable factor every time she drops in. Their back-and-forth has turned the halfpipe into one of the most anticipated events. At the conclusion, 17-year-old Choi Gaon from South Korea won the gold medal in women’s halfpipe, and Chloe Kim took silver.
It should not go without recognizing that in the middle of all this athletic intensity, Snoop Dogg arrived.
At first it sounded like a joke circulating through the press center, but by midday he was unmistakably present, wrapped in a massive coat, drifting through the curling venue. Cameras caught him offering commentary as well as meeting with skater Ilia Malinin. Later, he was spotted chatting with other athletes in the mixed zone, many of whom looked like they couldn’t decide whether to ask for a selfie or stare. By nightfall, he had become one of the most talked-about figures of the Games, a reminder that the Olympics always find room for the unexpected.
Finally, in men’s and women’s hockey, Team USA took the gold in two final matches against Canada, giving the Canadians silver. Each team played for their lives in a competitive rivalry. Both teams are compiled from the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) professionals, adding to the intense competition.
Across every venue, the stories continued unfolding. A Norwegian biathlete who nearly retired last year shot a perfect round under pressure. A French pairs skating duo landed a lift so daring the entire arena seemed to hold their breath at the same time. Fans from every corner of the world have been huddling together against the cold, trading flags, singing anthems, and turning the mountain villages into a patchwork of languages and colors.
Though earning bronze, silver, and in some cases gold medals are an ultimate high for any athlete, the Olympic Games are bigger than medals. It’s a collage of resilience, brilliance, heartbreak, and the occasional celebrity cameo as well as a reminder of how much better the world can be with diversity and love. The Summer Olympic Games will take place in 2028, and we will meet again with the 2030 Winter Olympic Games.