U.S. Olympic Team Scores Gold at 2026 Winter Games

The beginning of the 2026 Winter Olympics wasn’t particularly stellar for America’s athletes, but Sunday marked a turning point with a gold medal win.

In the team figure skating event, the U.S. clinched the gold, finishing with a total of 69 points. They edged out Japan by just one point, while Italy secured the bronze medal with 60 points.

To achieve their top ranking, the American team needed strong performances across ice dancing, pairs skating, women’s singles, and men’s singles events. Madison Chock and Evan Bates were standout performers in the ice dance competition, scoring 133.23 points, which helped put them in the lead.

Meanwhile, Danny O’Shea and Cam Ely managed to secure an additional point compared to their qualifying round. However, they slipped behind competitors from Japan, Georgia, and Italy.

Amber Glenn, competing in women’s singles, earned eight points during her final round but fell short of Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto and Anastasia Gubanova.

Ilia Marin, often called the “God of the Quads,” needed an exceptional routine in the men’s singles to keep the team in top standings. He delivered, amassing 200.03 points. His performance was critical, especially under pressure from Japan’s Shun Sato, who scored 194.86 points.

The day concluded with a second gold for Team USA, as Breezy Johnson claimed victory in the women’s alpine downhill skiing event earlier that day.

Looking ahead, the American team only has two medals on the agenda for the upcoming Monday competitions.