It seems almost poetic that Team USA was knocked out of the Milan-Cortina tournament by this particular duo.
Hilary Knight and Evan Bates will represent the United States at the closing ceremony on Sunday, as announced last Friday.
Knight has had quite an unforgettable time at the Olympics, both on and off the ice.
Just this past Wednesday, she got down on one knee and proposed to her girlfriend, Brittany Bowe, who is also an American speed skater. Knight shared this significant moment on Instagram, posting a video of herself presenting Bowe with a silver ring.
She captioned the post, “The Olympics brought us together. The Olympics made us forever,” a sentiment filled with emotion.
By Thursday, Knight made headlines again, this time for leading the U.S. women’s hockey team to gold with a nail-biting 2-1 overtime victory over Canada.
She managed to score the equalizing goal when her team was trailing and only two minutes remained in the game.
Megan Keller then clinched the victory by scoring the winning goal in overtime, marking America’s first gold in eight years.
This goal was historic for Knight too—it was her 15th goal in Olympic competition, the highest by any American female hockey player.
This was her fifth and final Winter Olympics, earning her second gold medal (the first was in 2018) out of five total. She also has three silver medals from 2010, 2014, and 2022.
2026 Winter Olympics
Meanwhile, Bates will once again take center stage in Milan. Along with his ice-dancing partner, Madison Chock, he won a silver medal in a competition that raised eyebrows. Many felt the French judges unfairly favored the gold-winning pair, Laurence Fournier Baudry and Guillaume Cizeron.
It’s worth noting that Bates and Chock’s silver medal was their third Olympic medal, adding to their two golds in team figure skating, including one at these very Games.
They’ve come a long way since beginning their journey as friends back in 2011, eventually tying the knot in 2024.
