2026 Winter Olympic Games - Update for Feb. 8, 2026
- Rex Ballard
- 15 hours ago
- 3 min read
USA Shines with Double Gold on Day 2 of Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics
The second full day of competition at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics delivered thrills, spills, and triumphant moments, with Team USA claiming its first two medals – both gold – amid a mix of heartbreak and heroics. As the Games progress into their early stages, Norway has surged to the top of the medal standings with three golds, while host nation Italy leads in total medals with nine. With 13 of 116 events completed, the action is heating up across the snowy venues of northern Italy.
The day was marked by dramatic finishes in alpine skiing, figure skating, and more, including a scary crash involving American legend Lindsey Vonn. Here's a roundup of the key results, with a spotlight on U.S. athletes who are already making waves.
Latest Medal Count by Country
As of the end of February 8 (local time), the medal table stands as follows. Norway edges out the competition in golds, but Italy's bronze haul keeps them atop the total count. The United States sits in second for golds but is yet to add silvers or bronzes.
Rank | Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
1 | Norway (NOR) | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
2 | United States (USA) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
3 | Italy (ITA) | 1 | 2 | 6 | 9 |
4 | Japan (JPN) | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
5 | Austria (AUT) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
6 | Germany (GER) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
7 | Czechia (CZE) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
7 | France (FRA) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
7 | Sweden (SWE) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
10 | Switzerland (SUI) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
11 | Republic of Korea (KOR) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
11 | Slovenia (SLO) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
13 | Bulgaria (BUL) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
13 | Canada (CAN) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
13 | People's Republic of China (CHN) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
This tally reflects a competitive start, with traditional powerhouses like Norway dominating endurance events while the U.S. excels in high-profile disciplines.
Key Event Results from February 8
Day 2 saw eight new medal events, building on the five from February 7. Highlights include:
Alpine Skiing - Women's Downhill In a heart-pounding race on the challenging Cortina slopes, Breezy Johnson of the United States stormed to gold with a blistering time of 1:36.10, edging out Germany's Emma Aicher by a mere 0.04 seconds. Italy's Sofia Goggia thrilled the home crowd with bronze (1:36.69). Johnson's victory marked America's first medal of the Games and came after a tense moment when teammate Lindsey Vonn, making a comeback at age 41, crashed spectacularly and was airlifted off the course. Vonn is reported to be in stable condition, with no major injuries confirmed. "This one's for Lindsey," Johnson said post-race, dedicating her win to her compatriot.
Breezy Johnson's downhill gold is America's first medal of 2026
Figure Skating - Team Event Team USA defended their title from Beijing 2022, clinching gold with 69 points in a nail-biter against Japan (68 points). Italy took bronze (60 points). Ilia Malinin's stellar men's free skate (200.03 points) sealed the deal, featuring a quad Salchow and a crowd-pleasing backflip despite a minor stumble. Other U.S. standouts included Madison Chock and Evan Bates in ice dance, and pairs duo Ellie Kam and Danny O'Shea. This marks the second straight Olympic team gold for the Americans, showcasing their depth in the sport.
Malinin boosts U.S. to Olympic figure skating team gold
Cross-Country Skiing - Men's 15km + 15km Skiathlon Norway's Johannes Høsflot Klæbo powered to his sixth career Olympic gold, dominating the field. Silver went to France's Hugo Lapalus, with bronze to Norway's Harald Østberg Amundsen. No U.S. athletes medaled, but Jessie Diggins from Day 1's women's skiathlon (8th place) sets high hopes for upcoming events.
Snowboard - Women's Parallel Giant Slalom Czechia's Zuzana Maderová claimed gold, defeating Austria's Sabine Payer in the final. Italy's Lucia Dalmasso earned bronze. U.S. snowboarders advanced in qualifications but didn't podium here.
Luge - Men's Singles Germany's Max Langenhan slid to gold over four runs, with Austria's Jonas Mueller taking silver and Italy's Dominik Fischnaller repeating his Beijing bronze. American lugers Jonathan Gustafson and Matthew Greiner competed but finished outside the medals.
Other notable updates: In women's ice hockey, Team USA remains undefeated (3-0) after a 4-1 win over Switzerland, positioning them strongly for the knockout stages. Curling's mixed doubles saw the U.S. rebound with wins, while freestyle skiing qualifications advanced several Americans to finals on February 9.
Looking Ahead
With more events on February 9, including biathlon pursuits and snowboard halfpipe qualifications, expect the medal table to shift. Team USA has strong contenders in figure skating singles and snowboarding, aiming to build on this golden momentum. Stay tuned for more updates as the Winter Games unfold in style across Milan and Cortina.
For Best Photos of Day 2 click here:
