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US Earns Most Gold Medals In Nation’s Winter Olympics History

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The United States took home a total of 33 medals at this year’s Winter Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. Of those medals, 12 were gold, the most gold the US had ever taken in a Winter Olympic Game. 

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When US athletes initially arrived in Italy, they faced a multitude of protests and questions regarding the nation’s politics and rising tensions. However, as the Games progressed, the focus was on what truly mattered, pure athletic ability and talent representing the pride these competitors have for their sports. 

Some of the most talked about moments were on the ice, with the solo and team performances by US figure skaters as well as the US men’s and women’s hockey teams. 

“The men of USA hockey are GOLDEN at the Winter Olympics for the first time since 1980,” the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee said.

The US became the only country outside of Europe to get into the top five nations with most medals at this year’s Winter Games. 

Elena Meyers Taylor from Georgia won gold in the “monobob” bobsled event, and said: 

“I don’t think I’m going to process this for a while. There were so many moments during this entire season, during these past four years, that we just thought that was impossible.”

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At these Winter Games, the US sent over its largest roster of athletes ever, 232 men and women, with 18 states sending no Olympians at all, according to the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s official tally of athletes and their “recognized hometowns.”

Colorado itself accounted for five medals, including three gold, while Vermont and Wyoming accounted for one gold and six silver medals. This is an incredible feat considering how small of a population both states have. 

“It’s been a tough road, but sometimes you just have to keep going because that’s the only option. And sometimes when you keep going, maybe you’ll make it back to the top. It’s really special,” said Alpine skier Breezy Johnson from Wyoming, who won gold in women’s downhill. 

Norway took home more gold and the most medals overall with 25 of the 41 medals being won within two disciplines: cross-country skiing and biathlon. The US, in comparison, medaled in eleven different sports disciplines, shining in figure skating, hockey, bobsledding, and speedskating. 

“It [the gold medal win] means a lot to me,” said Stolz, from Wisconsin, who picked up two gold and a silver.

“It’s every four years that you get the chance to win Olympic gold, so I’m super happy.”

Olympic Athletes Will Put On Their Own Medals This Year To Prevent Spreading Of Covid-19 

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The International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach announced this week that all athletes at the Tokyo Olympics will put their medals around their own necks as a means of protecting themselves and others from the Covid-19 virus. 

“The medals will not be given around the neck. They will be presented to the athlete on a tray, and then the athlete will take the medal to him or herself.”

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“It will be made sure that the person who will put the medal on the tray will do so only with disinfected gloves so that the athlete can be sure that nobody touched them before,” Bach explained. 

Many individuals in the industry were wondering what the medal ceremonies would look like this year, considering Japan is currently enduring another state of emergency due to the spreading of the Delta variant of Covid-19. 

In Europe, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has been personally hanging medals around the necks of all players involved in the competition finals. He also shook hands with Italy’s standout goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and other all star players. 

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Bach, however, confirmed this Wednesday that during the 2021 Tokyo Games there will be no hand shaking or hugs allowed during the ceremony. This marks just one of the many changes the International Olympic Committee is going to have to continue to endure for deciding to move forward with the Games this year. 

Many of the residents of Japan are adamantly against hosting the Olympic Games this year, considering the world is still very much battling the Covid-19 pandemic, despite the rollouts of multiple vaccines internationally. 

Vaccination rates are different in every country, so the thought of bringing in thousands of individuals from hundreds of countries all with different vaccination and infection rates, has most Japanese citizens worried for the health of their country; especially considering they’re currently in lockdown and the Games are set to begin in less than two weeks. 

It’s still unclear what other modifications will be made to the Games this year. Covid-19 infection rates are still on the rise in Tokyo and Japan in general, and while the IOC has taken a multitude of measures to protect all athletes and staff involved in the Olympics, it’s unclear how smoothly this event will go considering all that’s at stake.