Olympics medal count climbs early as Milano Cortina 2026 spreads across northern Italy

The Olympics medal count is beginning to take shape at the Winter Olympics 2026, with a three-way tie at the top after the first full day of medals and hosts Italy already on the board. The early standings reflect a familiar pattern for the opening weekend: speed events and snow sports hand out quick podiums, while big team medals remain further down the calendar.

The Winter Olympics medal count will shift rapidly over the next week as more high-volume sports hit their busiest stretches, but the first snapshot offers a clear answer for anyone asking “medal count” or “where is the Winter Olympics 2026.”

Winter Olympics medal count leaders so far

Through events completed Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026 (ET), Italy, Japan, and Norway are tied atop the table with three medals each, while Sweden and Switzerland have opened their accounts with early golds.

Several other teams are also on the board with single medals, and the ranking order is expected to change quickly as additional finals are decided Sunday.

Which events drove the first medals

Early medals have been concentrated in disciplines that award podiums immediately in the first weekend: alpine skiing, cross-country, ski jumping, speed skating, and snowboarding. That mix tends to reward countries with deep pipelines in winter sport “bread-and-butter” events, where one standout performance can set the tone for an entire delegation’s first week.

For the host nation, the early gold carries extra weight because it validates the home-ice, home-snow atmosphere that organizers hope will translate into broader momentum. For traditional powers like Norway and Sweden, the opening surge is less surprise and more confirmation that their strongest sports are already delivering.

Where is the Winter Olympics 2026?

The Winter Olympics 2026 are being held in Italy, co-hosted by Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, with competition spread across multiple clusters in the north of the country.

Rather than a single compact “Olympic park,” Milano Cortina 2026 is built around a regional footprint:

• Milan hosts major indoor ice events, including figure skating and other arena-based competitions, alongside long-track speed skating.

• Cortina d’Ampezzo anchors the Dolomites portion of the Games and hosts marquee mountain and venue-driven events.

• Additional clusters such as Livigno and Antholz-Anterselva stage key snow and endurance competitions.

That geography is part of the Games’ identity: a big-city hub paired with iconic alpine terrain, connected by travel corridors and separate venue zones.

Why the medal standings can swing fast this week

Early medal tables often exaggerate specialists and early-schedule strengths. A delegation that spikes one or two golds in the first weekend can look dominant, only for the standings to reshuffle once sports with many medal events—like short track speed skating, biathlon, and freestyle skiing—hit their busiest days.

Another factor is how ties are displayed. Some trackers sort by gold first, then silver, then bronze, while others highlight total medals. That can create different “leaders” depending on what you prioritize, especially in the first few days when totals are still small.

What to watch next for medal movement

With more finals scheduled Sunday, the next movement in the Olympics medal count will likely come from:

• Speed events that keep producing daily podiums

• Snowboard and freestyle disciplines that can flip standings quickly

• Early endurance races that reward nations with depth rather than a single star

By midweek, the table typically becomes more predictive, as the medal distribution broadens and the sport mix becomes less front-loaded.

Sources consulted: Reuters; International Olympic Committee; Milano Cortina 2026 Organizing Committee; NBC Olympics