The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina have come to a close, and the history books will show that Team USA secured a record-breaking 12 gold medals. But the most striking story behind those numbers is who stood at the top of the podium: Women were responsible for 8 out of those 12 golds.
From the slopes of the Alps to the ice of Milan, American women didn’t just compete—they dominated. While the men’s hockey team made headlines with their first gold in 46 years, the women of Team USA were the consistent engine of the most successful Winter Games in U.S. history.
The Breakdown of the Golden Eight
The dominance of female athletes was felt across nearly every major discipline. Here is how the women of Team USA secured their 66% share of the gold:
• Mikaela Shiffrin (Alpine Skiing): Reclaiming her throne, Shiffrin won gold in the slalom, putting her past Olympic struggles to rest and cementing her status as the greatest of all time.
• Alysa Liu (Figure Skating): In a stunning return to the sport, Liu won the individual gold medal—the first for an American woman since 2002—and contributed to the gold in the team event.
• Breezy Johnson (Alpine Skiing): Johnson opened the Games for Team USA with a ferocious win in the women’s downhill, the first American gold in that event in 16 years.
• Women’s Ice Hockey: In a heart-stopping overtime thriller, Team USA took down their rivals, Canada, to return to the top of the podium for the first time since 2018.
• Elana Meyers Taylor (Bobsled): At 41, Meyers Taylor became the oldest American woman to win an individual Winter Olympic gold by clinching the title in the women’s monobob.
• Elizabeth Lemley (Freestyle Skiing): Making her Olympic debut, Lemley struck gold in women’s moguls, leading the first 1-2 American finish in the event’s history.
A Legacy Beyond the Podium
This isn’t just a win for the individual athletes; it’s a testament to the long-term impact of Title IX and the robust collegiate system in the United States. USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland noted that the depth of the American women’s team is a direct result of decades of investment in female sports—a competitive advantage that many other nations have yet to match.
The 2026 Games prove that when you invest in women, you win. As Team USA heads home with 33 total medals, the message from Milan is clear: the future of American winter sports is female.