Olympic Medal Count: Norway’s Record Haul, Team USA Moments and Verona Arena Finale
The closing of the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics at the Verona Arena has left divergent Olympic Medal Count tallies in the headlines: one account lists Norway as topping the table with 18 golds and 41 total medals while another places Norway with 15 golds and 32 total medals. The Games closed in style with opera, dance and song, and the differing medal summaries highlight how rapidly the picture can shift as results and tallies are compiled.
Olympic Medal Count: conflicting tallies as Milano Cortina closes
One account has Norway winning 18 gold medals and 41 total medals, a performance described as topping the medal table and surpassing countries with far larger populations. That same account states Norway’s 18 golds were the most by a country in Winter Olympics history. A separate tally lists Norway with 15 golds and 32 total medals while also placing Norway in the lead for golds and total medals. These two sets of numbers sit alongside other differences in national totals in final headlines from the closing moments.
Norway’s historic performance and Johannes Høsflot Klæbo
NORWAY’S showing is singled out in both tallies. The first account credits Johannes Høsflot Klæbo with six gold medals on his own, a haul described as exceeding the gold totals of all but seven other countries at these Games. Norway’s population is given as about 5. 7m, and that small population is highlighted as a contrast with larger nations that Norway outperformed, including the US (population listed as 342m), China (1. 4bn), Germany (84m), Italy (59m) and Canada (40m).
Team USA: moments of gold and varying tallies
Team USA’s totals also appear differently across accounts. One summary places the US second with 12 golds and 33 total medals. Another lists Team USA with 24 medals overall and seven golds, placing the United States third for total medals. Individual American moments that shaped the medal story are detailed in both tallies.
Breezy Johnson won gold in the women’s downhill skiing on Feb. 8, recorded as only the second American woman to accomplish that feat, and noted as the first Olympic medal of her career and the first gold for Team USA at these Winter Games. She was described as tearful on the podium, saying, "it doesn't feel real yet. " That same day, Ilia Malinin—also known in coverage as the "Quad God"—stepped onto the ice in the figure skating team event with the gold hinging on his performance; he delivered and earned Team USA enough points to defeat Japan.
Elizabeth Lemley, 20, won gold in her Olympic debut in women’s moguls on Feb. 11, with teammate Jaelin Kauf taking silver. Speedskater Jordan Stolz is credited with taking gold in the men’s 1, 000 meters while setting an Olympic record, and then winning a second gold on Saturday, again setting another Olympic record.
Small nations punching above weight and host-nation comparisons
The Netherlands is noted for finishing with 10 golds, the same number attributed to the host nation Italy in one account, despite the Netherlands having a population of around 18m. One tally lists Italy with 25 total medals, nine of which are gold. Great Britain enjoyed what is described as its best ever Winter Olympics medal haul with three golds, a silver and a bronze. Australia is also recorded as enjoying a similar breakthrough with three golds, two silver and a bronze.
Verona Arena closing ceremony and final scenes
The Milano Cortina Winter Olympics closed at the Verona Arena amid a fanfare of opera, dance and song. Observers noted theatrical touches such as the trickster spirit of Rigoletto and a performer named Achille belting out "Amor. " Popular artists took part in the party atmosphere: Major Lazer was confirmed onstage while Diplo was seen filming on his phone. A broadcast commentator characterized one act by saying, "This is music they play at the gym, that is the genre. " The closing also included reaction to the USA’s gold in the men’s hockey, with Jack Hughes singled out for praise, and the plain statement that Milano-Cortina is officially over.
Final notes and bylines in coverage
Coverage of the finale included a personal sign-off from a writer who thanked readers for following the Games and said they would see readers again in 2030 or perhaps sooner when checking the latest headlines. A named contributor in one piece was identified as Isabel Yip, noted as a news associate. The differing Olympic Medal Count summaries and the array of standout performances leave a complex final ledger as the Games conclude in Verona; details may be reconciled further as official final tallies are confirmed.
