Saturday was the final full day of competition at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, and it delivered a packed schedule and decisive outcomes across disciplines. Ten medal events were on the docket, spanning men’s and women’s speed skating mass starts, the men’s cross‑country 50km, mixed ski mountaineering relay, two‑woman bobsled and men’s curling among others. Team USA chased multiple podiums — notably in mixed team aerials and the two‑woman bobsled — while several reigning champions and veterans added to or defended their legacies. The day’s results reshaped national medal narratives and closed out a Games marked by both historic milestones and last‑race farewells.
Key takeaways
- Ten medals were contested Saturday: men’s team aerials, men’s ski cross, men’s 50km cross‑country, mixed ski mountaineering relay, women’s 12.5km biathlon mass start, men’s and women’s speed skating mass start, women’s ski halfpipe, women’s two‑woman bobsled, and men’s curling.
- The U.S. women’s curling team faced Canada for bronze after beating Canada 9‑8 in round‑robin play; Canada later won bronze in the women’s event 10‑7 over the U.S.
- Jordan Stolz was expected to compete in the men’s speed skating mass start as he pursued another medal for Team USA.
- Elana Meyers Taylor (41) returned to two‑woman bobsled competition with Kaillie Humphries after Meyers Taylor won her first Olympic gold in the women’s monobob earlier in the week.
- Norway swept the men’s 50km cross‑country podium: Johannes H. Klaebo won gold — his sixth gold of these Games — followed by Martin Loewstroem Nyenget (silver) and Emil Iversen (bronze).
- Jorrit Bergsma took the men’s speed skating mass start, becoming the oldest Olympic speed skating gold medalist at 40 and recording his first Olympic win since 2014.
- The U.S. captured mixed team aerials gold, defending its Beijing title with Kaitlin (Kaila) Kuhn, Connor Curran and Chris Lillis beating Switzerland by more than 28 points; China earned bronze.
- Finland beat Slovakia 6‑1 to claim the men’s hockey bronze; the U.S. and Canada advanced to the men’s gold‑medal final.
Background
The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina ran across a compact program that blended traditional Nordic endurance events and technical sliding and skating sports with newer additions such as ski mountaineering. With national teams arriving having already measured success in Beijing 2022 and world championships since, expectations were high for several established names to either repeat or cement their legacies.
Norway entered the Games with a deep cross‑country roster and a clear target on Klaebo, who had accumulated multiple medals in earlier events. The United States focused on returning to the top in aerials and speed skating, with a small but experienced bobsled cadre led by veterans such as Kaillie Humphries and Elana Meyers Taylor. Curling remained closely contested among Canada, Great Britain, Sweden and the U.S., with round‑robin results setting up dramatic medal matches on the final days.
Main event
Mixed team aerials concluded with Team USA defending its Olympic title. The American trio combined for a winning margin of more than 28 points over Switzerland, while China took bronze. The result marked back‑to‑back golds in this discipline for the United States, reinforcing its depth in freestyle aerials and team strategy under pressure.
In sliding, Germany’s Laura Nolte and push athlete Deborah Levi successfully retained two‑woman bobsled gold; Lisa Buckwitz earned silver and the U.S. pair Kaillie Humphries and Jasmine Jones took bronze. Earlier in the week Elana Meyers Taylor won monobob gold, a first in her Olympic career, and returned to compete in two‑woman with Humphries on Saturday.
The men’s curling final saw Canada claim its first Olympic men’s curling gold since 2014, while Finland secured a convincing 6‑1 bronze in men’s hockey over Slovakia. On the women’s side, Canada beat Team USA 10‑7 to take Olympic bronze, leaving the U.S. in fourth — matching its best Olympic finish in the event.
Cross‑country delivered historic results: Johannes H. Klaebo captured the 50km gold to become the most decorated gold medalist in a single Winter Games with six golds. Norway swept the podium, underscoring its dominance in distance events at these Games. In speed skating, Jorrit Bergsma surged to victory in the men’s mass start at age 40, becoming the oldest Olympic speed skating gold medalist and marking a personal comeback to the top of the podium.
Analysis & implications
Team USA’s mixed aerials gold and podiums in sliding validate targeted investment in freestyle and bob programs, but the U.S. left several marquee events without medals. The mixed aerials title shows successful athlete development and selection for team formats; maintaining that program will be important heading into world cup seasons and the next Olympic cycle.
Norway’s cross‑country sweep and Klaebo’s six‑gold haul highlight the continuing gap in depth between nordic powerhouses and other nations. Klaebo’s dominance raises questions about competitive balance and motivates rival federations to reassess development systems, particularly for mass‑start and long‑distance preparation.
Bobsled results underscore the value of veteran leadership: Elana Meyers Taylor’s late‑career gold in monobob and the U.S. medal in the two‑woman event reflect experienced pilot/push relationships and technical refinement. For countries chasing Olympic sliding success, improvements in start technique and sled technology will likely be prioritized.
The curling outcomes — Canada’s men’s gold and the women’s bronze over the U.S. — show that small tactical margins and end‑game execution still decide Olympic curling. Round‑robin upsets, such as the U.S. women’s earlier 9‑8 win over Canada, demonstrate parity inside the field and suggest future championships will be tightly contested.
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men’s cross‑country 50km | Johannes H. Klaebo (NOR) | Martin L. Nyenget (NOR) | Emil Iversen (NOR) |
| Mixed team aerials | USA (Kaila Kuhn, Connor Curran, Chris Lillis) | Switzerland | China |
| Men’s speed skating mass start | Jorrit Bergsma (NED) | — | — |
The table above captures several headline outcomes from Saturday; it is not exhaustive of all ten medal events but illustrates key national and individual achievements that shaped the final medal tally. Detailed event-by-event results are available from official Olympic records and event reports for readers seeking complete placements.
Reactions & quotes
“We’re thrilled with how our aerials team performed — they executed when it mattered most,”
U.S. Freestyle Skiing Team spokesperson (post‑event statement)
“Winning here again is a testament to teamwork and preparation over the last four years,”
Member, Team USA mixed aerials (post‑podium reaction)
“This gold feels historic for our program and for the country,”
Representative, Norwegian Ski Federation (reaction to Klaebo’s sixth gold)
Unconfirmed
- Jordan Stolz’s official start list for the men’s speed skating mass start was reported as expected but not formally published at the time this summary was prepared.
- Any last‑minute sled or equipment adjustments for two‑woman teams were reported anecdotally in team areas but lacked formal confirmation from team technical chiefs.
- Medal ceremony attendance lists and any future appeal filings for technical rulings were not publicly finalized at the time of publication.
Bottom line
Saturday closed Milan Cortina with a mix of anticipated triumphs and narrative‑setting moments: Norway’s cross‑country sweep and Klaebo’s record haul, Team USA’s retained aerials title, and veteran athletes punctuating careers with late wins. The day underscored how Olympics combine individual peaks and team strategy across very different sports.
Looking ahead, federations will analyze where incremental gains were decisive — from sled starts to jump selection and mass‑start tactics — and national programs will use these Games’ results to shape training and talent pipelines toward the next world championships and the 2030 cycle. For fans, the final full day offered a compact reminder of why the Winter Games remain a stage for both legacy and surprise.
Sources
- WYFF News 4 (local/regional news report summarizing Saturday highlights)
- Olympic Games (IOC) — official results and event summaries (official)
- NBC Olympics (broadcaster event recaps and analysis)