The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina came to a close last Sunday, wrapping up two weeks filled with memorable moments. These Games had everything—triumphs, heartaches, and moments that distilled the spirit of sports. Records were broken, underdogs stunned the world, and athletes pushed the limits of what winter sports can be. More than anything, the 2026 Olympics showed just how far the world’s best have come in their relentless pursuit of excellence.

Let’s dive into a few of the moments that really defined the 2026 Games.

1. When the Protégé Surpasses the Mentor

A generational moment unfolded in the women’s snowboard halfpipe. South Korea’s Gaon Choi, at just 17-years-old, pulled off the impossible. She made history by becoming the youngest Olympic snowboarding gold medalist and South Korea’s first female Olympic snowboarding champion, according to The Athletic. And she did it by dethroning her idol, Chloe Kim.

Chloe Kim came into the competition as a two-time Olympic champion, aiming for a historic third consecutive title. While she didn’t achieve that milestone, the most memorable moment of the event came after the final run, when Kim ran over and hugged Choi with respect and pride painted over her face.  

Before this moment, Kim and her father had previously helped Choi move to the United States so she could train at a higher level. Back in 2018, when Kim won Olympic gold at age 17, it inspired Choi to pursue the sport seriously, and Choi later credited Kim as both a role model and mentor. Kim described the moment as a “full circle moment,” according to NBC Olympics. 

Choi also faced a bumpy road to the gold medal. She fell very hard on her first two runs, and there was a moment where it appeared as though she would not be getting back up after crashing. Even though her knee was throbbing with pain, she found a way to push through. On her final attempt, she delivered a performance that was enough to secure the gold.

“I cried because I thought I wouldn’t be able to compete,” Choi said. “But the thought kept coming back to me: ‘You can do this. You have to go on.’”

In the end, the moment became the passing of a torch, also a symbol of the Olympics, with one generation inspiring the next. Choi’s breakthrough and Kim’s sportsmanship created a heartfelt scene at the Olympics. 

2. Brilliance and Breakdown on Olympic Ice

Twenty-one-year-old American figure skater Ilia Malinin entered the Olympics with immense expectations. Malinin, nicknamed “Quad God,” was known for continuously pushing the technical boundaries of figure skating through his quadruple jumps. 

During the team competition, it came down to the wire against Japan. Malinin delivered a free skate with five quadruple jumps and a one-legged backflip, as stated by USA Today. That routine earned the maximum points possible, and the US edged out Japan by one point. Alongside six teammates, Malinin helped deliver a memorable team victory. 

But the men’s individual event was a whole different story. Although Malinin’s short program earned the highest score and placed him firmly in first heading into the free skate, the free skate proved how unforgiving Olympic pressure can be. According to The Athletic, Malinin fell twice and completed only three of his seven planned quadruple jumps, mistakes that erased his advantage and flipped the medal race upside down. He finished in eighth, while Kazakhstan’s Shaidorov earned gold in a shocking upset. 

Malinin’s Olympic journey showed both sides of the Games: the thrills of greatness, but also the cold reality that even the best athletes in the world can falter at the biggest event of their life when the world is watching. 

3. The Newly Crowned King of the Winter Games

Norwegian cross-country skier Johannes Høsflot Klæbo delivered by far the most dominant performance of the entire Olympics. By the end of the Games, he walked away with six gold medals. In doing so, he set a new mark for the most golds ever earned at one Winter Games, and his 11 total career golds established him as the all‑time leader in Winter Olympic gold, as stated by ESPN. 

One of his highlights in the Games was when a video of him skiing went viral. In the closing stretch of the men’s classic sprint final, the 29‑year‑old launched into an explosive uphill sprint that looked almost unreal on skis, according to NBC Olympics. His speed on the climb reached 11.4 mph, and he was going at a sub-six-minute mile pace uphill on skis. As he entered the home straight, Klæbo’s lead was so overwhelming that he took a moment to bow to the fans and look back at his competitors still battling up the hill. 

Even his competitors couldn’t help but admire the moment. Silver medalist Ben Ogden said Klæbo looked like he was “competing in an entirely different sport,” NBC Olympics reported.

Klæbo’s dominance captured the rare Olympic moment when an athlete is so far ahead of the field that the world can only watch in disbelief. 

Together, these moments were just a short recap of what made the 2026 Winter Olympics so exciting. Fans saw young athletes rise, favorites struggle, and legends deliver performances no one will forget. Milano Cortina proved that the Olympics are less about medals, but more about the stories and the athletes who make them unforgettable.