Norway Breaks Single-Games Gold Record as 2026 Winter Olympics Freestyle Skiing Winners Shine
Norway extended its dominance at the Games when a 1–2 finish in the men’s biathlon 15km mass start pushed the nation past its previous single-Games gold mark. The programme also produced standouts in the snow and on the ice, with Alex Ferreira taking gold in the men’s freeski halfpipe and the Netherlands claiming the men’s 5000m short-track relay title.
Development details
Johannes Dale-Skjevdal claimed gold as Norway finished first and second in the men’s biathlon 15km mass start, a result that broke the country’s own record for golds won at a single Games. In freestyle skiing, Alex Ferreira won the men’s freeski halfpipe while Great Britain’s Gus Kenworthy placed fifth in that event. China’s Wang Xindi won men’s aerials, coming two days after Xu Mengtao became an Olympic champion.
On the ice, the Netherlands added to their medal tally: Antoinette Rijpma-de Jong won the women’s 1500m on the long track, and the Dutch men’s squad took gold in the short-track 5000m relay — a first-ever triumph in that event for the country. In Swiss curling action, Switzerland beat Norway to take bronze in the men’s tournament, and Daniela Maier claimed gold in the women’s ski cross.
2026 Winter Olympics Freestyle Skiing: how events unfolded
The short-track 500m final produced a dramatic Dutch double: Jens van ’t Wout added a bronze to the two golds he had taken earlier in the week, while his brother Melle took silver, celebrating the medal on his 26th birthday. Jens, 24, had been favourite after winning the 1000m and 1500m, but a slow start and a crash by fellow Dutch finalist Teun Boer left him fourth midway through the race. Jens later overtook Canada’s William Dandjinou, who was subsequently penalised for taking out Boer.
Team coach Niels Kerstholst criticised the Canadian tactics, saying they had slowed the race and forced collisions to blunt Jens’s speed. That sequence — a crash bringing Jens back, followed by an overtake and a penalty — determined the final podium places.
Immediate impact
The biathlon result directly produced a landmark for Norway, elevating the nation’s gold tally and reshaping the medal table momentum late in the programme. The Netherlands’ relay victory and the Van ’t Wout brothers’ combined haul boosted the Dutch medal standing across both long-track and short-track disciplines: Jens now carries three individual medals in this Games, and Melle’s silver complements the team’s relay success.
There was disappointment for other Dutch hopes: the women’s short-track relay fell out of medal contention after Xandra Velzeboer, a winner of the individual 500m and 1000m, crashed on the opening laps, removing a clear path to the podium in that event.
Forward outlook
Competition continues with several confirmed fixtures and key finals approaching. On the long track, defending champion Kjeld Nuis is scheduled to line up for the 1500m final, where teammates Joep Wennemars and Tijmen Snel are also among the contenders. American Jordan Stolz, who has already secured gold in the 500m and 1000m, is listed among the favourites for upcoming races.
In ice hockey, Canada narrowly beat Finland 3-2, and the United States looked on course for a meeting with Canada in the final after taking a large lead over Slovakia late in their game. Across the mountain and rink events, medal contests are set to continue through the coming days, with both established champions and new winners contributing to shifting national tallies.
What makes this notable is the breadth of disciplines producing decisive shifts — from Norway’s endurance success in the 15km mass start to technical wins in freeski and short-track — underscoring how victories in individual events have immediate, measurable effects on overall medal standings.
