Reminiscing on what the Olympic Winter Games gave us
The 2026 Milano Olympic Winter games brought many special stories and records to life. Between Feb. 4 to Feb. 22, athletes around the world took to the stage to display their impressive talents on the international stage. From curling scandals to cheating, this year’s winter olympics had it all! Here’s a highlight of the good and not so good.
High: Canadian men’s curling took home gold
The Canada Men’s Curling Team fought for their win in a tense game for the gold medal against the strong Great Britain. This win was especially exciting for Canada as the men’s Great Britain team is known for their strength, making this match nerve wracking. The Canadian’s won 6-9 in a tight ending, resulting in Great Britain to receive their second silver since 2022. This victory occurred after the controversy of the Canadian men’s team, when Sweden’s Oskar Eriksson accused the Canadian Marc Kennedy of cheating, after it seemed he might have double-touched the curling stone with his finger. This resulted in uproar online from curlers and non-culers and gave opportunity for some pretty unforgettable memes.
Low: Lindsey Vonn’s injury
American skier Lindsey Wonn experienced an injury during the women’s downhill event, which resulted in her being airlifted to seek medical attention at a hospital. That afternoon, an update noted that she had a broken leg and required an orthopedic operation. The surgery prevented her from needing to amputate her leg and she credited her surgeon in his work to save her leg. Since, it has been reported that she has been back at the gym since her devastating injury on the road to recovery.
High: Alysa Liu’s MacArthur Park gold-wing performance
Alysa Liu, the American figure skater, took home gold for her program that utilized Donna Summer’s cover of “MacArthur Park”. Since her performance, many online have talked about her, from her hair and style to her relaxed attitude regarding her involvement in the Olympics. Since her iconic performances, including her gala performance to PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson’s hit “Stateside,” Liu has become a household name during conversations about this year’s Olympics.
Low: A surprising cheating announcement
An announcement that hit the internet by storm was Norway’s Sturla Holm Laegreid after he won bronze in the men’s biathlon. After his race, Laegreid revealed that he had cheated on his girlfriend in an interview. In his comments, he acknowledged that he had already told her and looked shaken. Many felt mixed about him taking this opportunity to publicly announce this, and he later told a news conference that “he felt bad about upstaging his teammate with his deeply personal news.”
High: Steven Savart’s competition in cross-country
Savart was the first Olympic cross-country skier to represent Haiti through his three events. During his last event, the men’s 10km interval start free race, he finished 79 out of 113 skiers and took a bow as the audience cheered for his hard work. As the flagbearer for Haiti, Savart’s pride shined bright.
Low: Canadian hockey’s double loss
Since the Four Nations Face-Off in early 2025, hockey-related tensions have been high between the two countries. This was no different during the Olympics. In the women’s game, Canada lost 2-1 in overtime to the United States, which was a stark difference from the Canadian loss of 5-0 to the states during the preliminary round. Many noted the hard work of these athletes and their tough play against their power rival. Ultimately, Canadians felt for their silver winning team, but looked forward to the opportunity of seeing this battle again in the men’s hockey. But, this feeling carried as the men’s Canadian team lost to the states, similarly, 2-1 in overtime in a shootout. This shocked Canadians across the country, who many showed up early to bars and started their drinking at 6 a.m. This loss was felt even harder by the comments of the United States President and the following frenzy between the United States’s Women’s and Men’s hockey teams.
Overall, the 2026 Winter Olympics brought feelings of happiness, awe and even disappointment to the lives of not just sports goers, but many across the globe. From chaos to funny stories, this year’s Olympics will be one to remember.
