Olympics 2026 medal count today: Norway hits double-digit gold as Eileen Gu rebounds from a crash to reach big air final

As of Saturday night, February 14, 2026 ET, the 2026 Winter Olympics medal race has a clear leader and a tightening chase pack behind it. Norway has reached 10 gold medals and sits atop the overall table with 20 total medals, while host nation Italy remains within striking distance and the United States is holding third with a deep stack of silvers that could convert into a late-Games surge.

At the same time, one of the Games’ biggest stars delivered a dramatic qualifier: Eileen Gu recovered from a fall in women’s freeski big air qualification to secure a spot in the final, keeping her multi-event Olympic campaign on track after already earning silver earlier in the week.

Medal count Olympics 2026: the leaders after February 14 competition

The medal table after February 14 action shows a familiar Winter Games dynamic: a cross-country and sliding-sport powerhouse on top, a strong host push, and a cluster of traditional contenders jostling for position.

Top three as of February 14, 2026 ET

• Norway: 10 gold, 3 silver, 7 bronze, 20 total

• Italy: 6 gold, 3 silver, 9 bronze, 18 total

• United States: 5 gold, 8 silver, 4 bronze, 17 total

Just behind them, Austria and Germany are staying close on totals, while France is keeping pace through consistent podium finishes. Japan is also piling up medals even when gold is harder to come by, a reminder that depth matters as much as star moments across a two-week event.

The key storyline here is the shape of the U.S. haul. The United States is heavy on silvers right now. That can read two ways: either the team is consistently in the mix and due for conversion, or it is repeatedly a half-step short of gold. The next several days decide which interpretation sticks.

Eileen Gu Olympics 2026: crash, comeback, and a final berth in big air

On February 14, Eileen Gu advanced to the women’s freeski big air final in Livigno after a qualification round that turned tense fast. She opened with a strong first jump, then fell on her second attempt, a swing that temporarily dropped her down the standings and raised the risk that a single mistake could end her big air medal defense.

With pressure on, Gu landed a high-difficulty third jump that pushed her safely into the top group that advances to the final. The moment mattered beyond the points: it showed she can absorb a scary in-run, reset immediately, and execute when the margin is thin.

This big air appearance is also notable because Gu has been juggling all three of her freestyle disciplines at these Games. Earlier, she won silver in slopestyle, and she is still expected to contest halfpipe, making her schedule one of the most demanding on the women’s side of the freestyle program.

Behind the headline: what the medal table and Gu’s comeback reveal

The context is a Games where variance is high. New formats, weather windows, and course setup differences can flip favorites quickly. In that environment, Norway’s ability to keep stacking gold is not just dominance, it is operational excellence: depth, preparation, and a system that turns opportunities into wins.

Italy’s position is the classic host-nation pattern: strong across multiple sports, boosted by familiar venues and emotional lift, and aggressive about converting “near-podium” athletes into medalists.

For the United States, the incentive is urgency. A pile of silvers suggests the team is close to a breakthrough stretch. But it also adds pressure, because athletes and coaches feel the narrative risk of being “almost” great. One gold-heavy day can change the shape of the entire medal story.

Gu’s incentive is slightly different. She is competing under the spotlight in events where the difference between first and tenth can be one small landing error. Her comeback qualifier is a signal to rivals that she remains dangerous even when a run goes wrong.

Stakeholders are broader than they look. Medal momentum affects funding narratives, federation leadership confidence, and the public perception of what a successful Games looks like. For athletes, it also affects the emotional calculus of risk: do you push for the highest-difficulty trick, or bank a cleaner run to protect a medal chance?

What we still don’t know

Several missing pieces will define the next wave of headlines:

• Whether the United States converts silvers into golds as marquee events hit their finals

• Whether Italy sustains its host push or experiences the typical mid-Games dip

• How Gu manages the physical and mental load of three events, especially with halfpipe still in play

• Whether the big air final becomes a difficulty arms race or a consistency contest decided by landings

What happens next: realistic scenarios with clear triggers

1. Norway extends its lead if endurance events and relays continue to fall its way. Trigger: clean execution days with no surprise misses.

2. Italy closes the gap if it wins a few head-to-head finals and keeps grabbing bronzes. Trigger: one or two golds in high-visibility events that swing public momentum.

3. The U.S. surges if a cluster of favorites finally lands on top of the podium. Trigger: back-to-back golds that turn the medal table story overnight.

4. Gu medals again if she lands two high-difficulty jumps clean in the final. Trigger: sticking landings under pressure and avoiding the “one big crash” that kills totals.

5. Gu’s halfpipe storyline intensifies if training access and scheduling become a talking point. Trigger: any public dispute over fairness or preparation windows ahead of qualification.

The headline today is straightforward: Norway leads, Italy is chasing at home, and the United States is close enough to make the second week volatile. And in the middle of it, Eileen Gu has ensured that at least one of the most watched finals of the freestyle program will feature a star who just proved she can fall, get up, and still qualify when it matters.