Time for a look back at some of the most notable moments of Milano-Cortina 2026!

• Golden Birthday–Francesca Lollobrigida (yes, she is related to Gina Lollobrigida!) winning gold in the speed skating 3000m and setting an Olympic record at home in front of her toddler on her birthday to win Italy’s first medal of the Milano Cortina Winter Games is the type of Olympic story that writes itself…a true fairytale. That she won a second gold medal a few days later is just icing on the (birthday) cake!
• 90s Night–I can’t think of a theme for ice dancing that could appeal to me more…the music, the costumes, the hair & makeup…it made my Gen X heart happy!
• Tina the Olympic…Stoat?!?–I’m not going to lie…prior to Milano Cortina 2026, I had no idea what a stoat even was! But the costuming on this Olympic mascot was so cute, and after seeing a video of how stoats actually hop through the snow, I fell in love!
• Frecce Tricolori–I don’t know how often the Italian air display team performed at the Olympics, but I happened to catch a flypast at the medal ceremony for the women’s Super-G, which just happened to be won by an Italian. If the colorful display in front of the Alps wasn’t cool enough, the fact that it occurred immediately before the Italian national anthem played put it over the top!
• The Pierogi Plush–The Polish figure skating team’s plush pierogi quickly rose to international acclaim, and l loved seeing what quickly became Poland’s unofficial mascot in every kiss and cry following a Polish performance!
• Golden Joy–I remember when Kristi Yamaguchi, Tara Lipiniski, and Sarah Hughes won women’s figure skating gold, and I also remember just how long that’s been…none of my children have been alive when an American woman stood atop the podium! The fact that Alysa Liu completed her comeback story and won gold on her own terms just made the moment all the more special, and the joy she carried with her throughout the Olympics was evident every step of the way!
• Curling Controversy–Did anyone else have a curling cheating scandal on their Olympics bingo card? Watching the Canadians, who are normally known for being polite and mild-mannered, completely melt down as their attempt at cheating was uncovered was an amusing distraction from some of the more serious Olympics moments.
• Snooping Around Italy–Snoop Dog was a highlight of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, and he really embraced his role as unofficial coach of Team USA (and Olympic icon!), as he explored Milan and met with athletes. I loved seeing him get the chance to try out a few winter sports himself, and who doesn’t want to get gelato with Snoop?!?
• Every Time Johnny Weir Called Terry Gannon “Terrence”–I don’t know if this is something Johnny Weir has always done in the broadcast booth when he’s working with Terry Gannon, but every time he called him Terrence, I found it hysterical, and by the end of the figure skating, we were all calling him Terrence, too…I hope he doesn’t mind!
• Meltdown on the Mountain–I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like Norweigen skier Atle Lie McGrath throw down his ski poles and storm off to the woods following the disqualification that cost him the gold medal. It was a moment lacking in sportsmanship, but also one full of humanity, as McGrath, who should have by all rights won the gold, had lost his grandfather the day of the Opening Ceremonies.
• Nazgul the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog–My wildest dreams would never have included a Wolfdog joining the end of a skiing competition, but here we are. He looked very excited, and I love that the coverage even gave him a photo finish…now give that good boy a medal!
• Miracle in Milan–I wasn’t super invested in the hockey, but I thought it was really cool that our men’s team won gold on the anniversary to the day of the “Miracle on Ice.” What really got me, though, was the way the team brought Johnny Gaudreau’s children on the ice for a team photo, which also included the Gaudreau jersey that had been a focal point of their Olympic success.
• The Thrill of Victory–Mikhail Shaidorov wasn’t really supposed to be on the podium, even though he is a great figure skater and has medaled at the world championships in the past. Watching him as the realization that not only was he going to win a medal, but that he won gold was priceless…his face changed in real time as it sank in, and if Ilia couldn’t win the gold, I’m glad Misha did! Also, I loved that he skated the exhibition in his panda costume.
• The Agony of Defeat–Not all of my most prominent memories of Milano-Cortina 2026 are happy ones, and I’m pretty sure watching Ilia Mallinin not only lose out on gold, but miss the podium altogether, is my worst Olympic memory ever. It’s not even because he lost, but because of the shattered look on his face when he finished his performance…it absolutely broke me, and I’m sure I won’t ever forget it.
• Sportsmanship Above All–Even though Ilia suffered an agonizing loss on a world stage, he displayed impeccable sportsmanship as he congratulated Misha and then continued to cheer for the rest of the figure skating team and Team USA. And it wasn’t just him…there were lovely displays of sportsmanship and camaraderie all around, and that is just as fun as watching athletes win the gold!

Milano Cortina was my favorite Winter Olympics since at least Vancouver 2010, and maybe my favorite winter games ever. The setting was beautiful, from the city views in Milan to the glory of the Alps in the Dolomites, and the near-constant snowfall made everything look like it was taking place in a snow globe. The stories of the athletes and all of the great competitions we got to watch made it a very memorable event, and one that I’ll look back on fondly for years to come!