The Winter Olympics
By Cecilia fountain
The Winter Olympics are opening in Milano Cortina, Italy and so far the games have been thrilling. Turning on the TV and watching athletes from all over the world compete in sports that seem death defining. As they attempt to ski at 80 miles an hour, or skate while doing flip, the Winter Olympics is an exhilarating entertainment that only comes once every 4 years. And this year is no exception. From gold medal upsets in ice skating, to major injuries in skiing, and of course world record, the 2026 WInter Olympics have been very eye-catching.
First up was the major upset in partner ice dancing. The French team Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron of France, unexpectedly beat the U.S team Evan Bates and Madison Chock. The U.S team had come to Italy hoping for their first gold medal, and because they were three-time reigning world champions they were heavily favored to win. They performed a dance called, “Paint It Black”, which featured Chock as the matador and Bates as the bull. However, when the competitors took the ice with their performance of “The Whale” they outscored the U.S team by 1.43 points. Creating a bittersweet moment for the U.S team, where they were happy to win silver but devastated that they lost gold.
Next was the heart breaking crash of the 41 year old Linsey Vonn during the downhill ski race. The three time Olympic medalist from the U.S had come back from retirement ready to face the downhill ski. Her previous injury history is excessive, with: February 2010: Broken right pinkie from crash in giant slalom at Vancouver Olympics, February 2013: Torn ACL and MCL in right knee and tibial plateau fracture in right leg following crash in super-G at world championships, November 2013: Torn right ACL from crash in training at Copper Mountain, Colorado, November 2018: Torn lateral collateral ligament and meniscus in left knee, three tibial plateau fractures from crash during training at Copper Mountain, Colorado, and January 2026: Torn ACL in left knee, just a month before the Winter Olympics. Yet, she still decided to try it out for one last time. It ended tragically with less then 20 second into her ski she hit a flag mid air causing her to crash and break her leg and need multiple surgeries to repair her tibial fracture.
Finally, the young 21 year old Jordan Stolz broke the world record in the men’s 1,000 meter speedskating, Winning the Gold Medal with an astonishing time of 1 minute, and 5.37 seconds. Stolz says it was “ a memorizing moment” as he looked back at his tie after he crossed the finish line. A dream he has had since he was five years old. He is also being compared to his all time ideal Heiden, the only speedskater to claim five long track gold medals at a single Winter Games. This upcoming Saturday he races the 500, and February 19 he will race the 1,500, where he is anticipated to win a few more medals.
https://www.olympics.com/en/milano-cortina-2026/news/winter-olympics-highlights-daily-results-10-february
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2026/02/11/wildest-stories-2026-winter-olympics/88621839007/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2026/01/30/lindsey-vonn-injury-history-2026-winter-olympics/88433214007/
https://www.cnn.com/sport/live-news/milan-winter-olympics-results-highlights-medals-02-11-26