The Milan Cortina Winter Olympics may be winding down, but the memories will linger for years to come.

The competition began on Wednesday, February 4, with the official opening ceremony on Friday, February 6. A little more than two weeks later, the Games will conclude with an epic closing ceremony on Sunday, February 22.

So much action was packed into the event that it was a full-time job keeping up. Since a lot of people have actual full-time jobs, here’s a look back at the highlights, endearing moments, and heartbreaks of the XXV Olympic Winter Games.

How can I track 2026 Winter Olympics medals?

First things first. You can stay up to date with all of the medals and medalists who have emerged victorious this winter with this handy medal count tracker on Olympics.com. Now for the highlights.

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The first gold medal of the Games

While it is quite an impressive accomplishment to even qualify for the Olympic Games, let’s be real—most athletes want to win it all.

Franjo von Allmen got to live out his wildest dreams when he took home the first medal of the Games for Switzerland in the men’s downhill alpine skiing event. He liked winning gold so much that he did it again two more times.

His story off the slopes highlights the power of community.

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