As the winter Olympics wind down this month, it feels like a good idea to look at where the games were held, and all the stories that came with it.  

The games were held in Milan, Italy but multiple events were held in Cortana, Italy as well as other Italian cities. The opening ceremony happened on Feb. 6.  

According to nytimes.com prior to the Olympics, “…not all the events will be held in those two regions. Livigno and Bormio, both over 100 miles from Milan by car in the Italian Alps, will host snowboarding and the new Olympic sport of ski mountaineering. Predazzo and Tesero, roughly 125 miles away, will host ski jumping and cross-country skiing.”  

The Olympics were going to be big this year, from well-known events like skiing and figure skating, to extreme sports like slalom racing. There was a lot to look forward to with these games.  

America currently has eleven medals and both Norway and Spain are tied with thirteen medals. The most famous gold medal was awarded to internet darling ‘Quad God’ Ilia Malinin, the first U.S. figure skater to attempt a backflip during the men’s team figure skating event, and landed on one skate.  

According to espn.com, “By the time Malinin performed his now-signature backflip late in his program — prompting 24-time major tennis champion Novak Djokovic to jump to his feet in the stands and exclaim, “What?” with his head in his hands — it was all but a punctuation mark. Malinin ultimately earned a 200.03 as his teammates flocked to him on the kiss-and-cry podium.”  

Another fun thing that happened this year was the addition of rap sensation Snoop Dogg becoming an honorary coach for the US Olympic team. Snoop has previously been a part of the Olympics when he and co-host Kevin Hart acted as announcers, reacting to some Olympic events and making funny commentary.   

The 2026 Olympics seem to be shaping up as a first in many respects. There’s a lot to look forward to as the games continue.