The United States set a national record this month with 12 gold medals at the Milan Olympics in Cortina, two more than the previous 2002 Winter Olympics record at the Salt Lake City Games.
The US finished second in both gold medals (12) and total medals (33), behind only Norway (18 gold medals, 41 total medals). It marks the first time the U.S. has finished in sole possession of both gold and total medals since the 1952 Oslo Olympics.
The United States finished once outside the record for most medals won at the Winter Olympics (34, set in 2002).
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The historic Games came about as a number of American droughts ended.
The US men’s hockey team won gold for the first time since 1980, and the US women’s hockey team won gold for only the second time since 1998.
Jordan Stolz, the 21-year-old speed skating phenomenon, won gold in the 500 and 1,000 meters during his Olympic debut. He is only the second man to win the 500 and 1,000 at the same Olympic Games, next to his fellow countryman Eric Heiden.
Alysa Liu became the first American woman to win a medal in women’s figure skating since 2006 — and the first gold medalist since Sarah Hughes in 2002. The U.S. also narrowly won gold in the team figure skating event for the second consecutive Games.
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Legendary American bobsledder Elana Meyers-Taylor became the oldest Olympian to win individual gold at the age of 41 when she won her long-awaited first gold medal in the women’s monobob, having previously won five silver or bronze Olympic medals. She is tied with Bonnie Blair for the most Winter Olympic medals by an American woman (six).
Host nation Italy finished third in both gold medals (10) and total medals (30). Germany (eight gold medals, 26 medals in total) and Japan (five gold medals, 24 medals in total) round out the top five of the medals table.
