Milan-Cortina 2026 ends with Italy's best-ever showing at the Winter Games: 30 medals overallA haul that, as the news reports tell, is worth overtaking the previous Italian peaks and certifies a "home" Olympics capable of combining results, excitement, and new disciplines finally brought to the podium.
The total speaks for itself: 10 golds, 6 silvers and 14 bronzesBut behind the numbers lies a mosaic of achievements: champions returning from impossible injuries, doubles that open the Games with a bang, relay teams that become team symbols, and young people breaking historic taboos.
The Golds: From Doubles to Historic Firsts
The first golden face is that of Francesca Lollobrigida, who opens the Games with a double in speed skating: gold in the 3000 and then gold in the 5000A start that sets the tone for the entire expedition.
Among the symbolic images there is also the "film" of Federico Brignone: after a serious injury, he signs a double in alpine skiing with gold in super-G e gold in giant, becoming one of the icons of Milan-Cortina.
Sledding offers an unforgettable evening: gold in women's doubles to Andrea Voetter and Marion Oberhofer, and in quick succession gold in the men's doubles to Emanuel Rieder and Simon Kainzwaldner.
A new chapter has arrived in biathlon: Lisa Vittozzi conquest gold in the 10km pursuit, first Olympic gold for Italian biathlon.
And then the party on the ice: the mixed short track relay bring another one oro to Arianna Fontana, Elisa Confortola, Thomas Nadalini, and Pietro Sighel.
Finally, the explosion on the snow of Livigno: in the ski cross a double that is worth gold and silver arrives, with Simone Deromedis Olympic champion and Tomasoni second by a few centimeters
The silver medals: the strength of the relay teams and the double in ski cross
Among the silver medals, the biathlon one stands out: the mixed relay (With Tommaso Giacomel, Lukas Hofer, Dorothea Wierer, and Lisa Vittozzi) finished second, behind France.
Women's short track adds another heavy metal: silver in the women's 3000 relay to Fontana, Confortola, Betti and Arianna Sighel.
Then there is the silver of the team snowboard cross to Michela Moioli and Lorenzo Sommariva, the result of a comeback described as one of the most spectacular races.
In men's alpine skiing, Italy finds an unexpected protagonist: John Franzoni conquest silver in decline.
And in the ski cross, in addition to Deromedis' gold, comes thesilver by Federico Tomasoni, with a touching dedication: the one to Matilda Lorenzi, the missing girlfriend.
The Bronzes: from bottom to curling, passing through ice and board
Bronze becomes the color of the blue depths: medals distributed across different sports, often with stories that are as worth as the podium.
In figure skating, Italy wins the bronze in the Team Event.
In mixed doubles curling, Stefania Constantini and Amos Mosaner they close with the bronze.
In speed skating, two bronze medals were won: Richard Lorello in 5000 meters e Andrea Giovannini of mass start.
In the sled, Dominik Filehner è bronze in the single, and also arrives the bronze in the team relay to Hofer, Rieder, Kainzwaldner, Fischnaller, Voetter and Oberhofer.
On snow, Alpine skiing adds two bronze medals in downhill: Sofia Goggia between women and dominik paris among men. In snowboarding, Lucia Dalmasso it is bronze in the parallel giant, while Moioli returns to the podium also in the snowboardcross individual.
In the end, Italy climbs onto the podium twice: bronze in the men's 4x7,5km relay e bronze in the team sprint to Federico Pellegrino and Elia Barp.
And in short track, the closing is still a team effort: bronze in the men's 5000 relay to Sighel, Nadalini, Spechenhauser and Cassinelli.
A balance that is worth more than the medal table
Thirty medals aren't just a record: they're the mark of a movement that has succeeded at home, in traditional disciplines and in new territories. Milan-Cortina 2026 leaves behind an Italy capable of transforming the pressure of the "home Games" into collective energy: solid teams, champions who resist, young people who surprise.
And above all, a rare sensation: that of having experienced an Olympics in which, behind every piece of metal, there was a story worth remembering.
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