Olympic Medal Count: Johannes Høsflot Klæbo and Norway Finish atop Milano Cortina

The final Olympic medal count for the Milano Cortina Winter Games left Norway at the summit as the closing ceremony played out in the Verona Arena. That finish mattered not only for the table but because it underlined a run of individual and national records during a Games that featured breakout American performances and surprising hauls from smaller winter nations.

Norway leads Olympic Medal Count as Klæbo wins six golds

Norway topped the medal table, winning more gold medals and more total medals than the United States. One tally lists Norway with 18 golds and 41 total medals; that same 18-gold figure is noted as the most by a country in Winter Olympics history. Johannes Høsflot Klæbo accounted for six golds on his own — a haul larger than the total gold count for all but seven other countries at these Games. Norway’s population is given as about 5. 7m, which was repeatedly noted alongside comparisons to much larger nations: the United States at 342m, China at 1. 4bn, Germany at 84m, Italy at 59m and Canada at 40m.

There is an alternative tally in the record of these Games listing Norway with 15 golds and 32 total medals, a separate set of figures that differs from the 18/41 count but which also places Norway in the lead.

United States totals and individual American breakthroughs

The United States appears with differing totals across counts. One set of figures places the U. S. second with 12 golds and 33 total medals; another lists Team USA with 24 medals, seven of them gold, and in third place for total medals. Despite that discrepancy, several American performances are clear and specific.

Breezy Johnson won gold in the women’s downhill on Feb. 8, becoming only the second American woman to win that event; it was the first Olympic medal of her career and the first gold for Team USA at these Games. Johnson stood tearful on the podium and said, “it doesn’t feel real yet. ” That same day the figure skating team event produced a crucial contribution from Ilia Malinin — nicknamed the “Quad God” — who stepped onto the ice with a gold hinging on his performance and delivered the points that helped defeat Japan. Speedskater Jordan Stolz won the men’s 1, 000 meters, setting an Olympic record, and then won a second gold on Saturday, again setting an Olympic record. On Feb. 11, Elizabeth Lemley, 20, won gold in her Olympic debut in women’s moguls, with teammate Jaelin Kauf taking the silver. The closing stretch of the Games also featured the United States’ gold in men’s hockey; Jack Hughes’ performance in that tournament drew high praise, with one remark calling him “different gravy. ”

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Surprising national hauls: Netherlands, Italy, Great Britain and Australia

Smaller winter nations also exceeded expectations. The Netherlands finished with 10 golds — the same number as host nation Italy in one count — and the Netherlands’ population is listed at around 18m. Italy appears in the medal summaries with a total of 25 medals, nine of which are gold. Great Britain enjoyed its best-ever Winter Olympics medal haul with three golds, a silver and a bronze; Australia matched its best with three golds, two silver and a bronze.

Verona Arena ceremony, cultural moments and closing reactions

The Milano Cortina Winter Olympics closed at the Verona Arena with a fanfare of opera, dance and song. The ceremony included a Rigoletto element described as a trickster spirit “packing the arena away, ” and performers drew both amusement and praise. A singer with a face tattoo was glimpsed and it was unclear in the provided context whether that artist was Achille belting out “Amor. ” The millionaire DJ Diplo was seen filming on his phone, and the set eventually featured Major Lazer, whose appearance was framed as rescuing the party. Broad camera cuts showed Italian athletes visibly enjoying the moment while competitors from other nations appeared more subdued.

During the ceremony a commentator summed up the music’s feel with the line “This is music they play at the gym, that is the genre. ” As the broadcast wrapped, the writer gave a sign-off thanking readers and saying they would be seen again in 2030 or perhaps the following day, closing with “Buona Notte. ” The piece ends noting that Milano Cortina is officially over.