Winter Olympic Games Milano Cortina 2026 Medal Count

[Bohemia 1,534]

Best ever Winter Olympics for France, 23 medals and 8 golds, our previous record being 15 medals and 5 golds 

We really need to get better in some disciplines though (looking at speed skating and short track which give LOTS of medals...)

[Joshi 141]

9 minutes ago, Roamingrover86 said:

 are currently sitting 3rd in the medal table & ALL of their medals have come from speed skating (short track included). Imagine this , getting 20 medals in just 1 sport ( 2 disciplines ) which has 23 medal events! That is utter dominance in any level of sports & to do that at olympic level regularly year after year is amazing. But it begs the question you can be in top 3 on the table by just focussing in one sports programme! 

I don't think this level of dominance & its reflection in the medal table is possible in the summer games. 

 

Perhaps WOG needs more competition & more countries to develop their programme to make it a truly global event!

I honestly don't know if I should celebrate this  achievement or be sad that there is no competition for them.  

The Dutch have a long history in speed skating particularly long track where it's a national obsession a lot like Norway and XC skiing. They have over 100 yrs of it so it's tradition etc. With Korea and China not as dominant anymore in short track where its a bit of a lottery that became bonus territory regardless of them getting regular medals since 2014. But you could say it was a given that they'd eventually challenge in that discipline as well. 

[Dennis 842]

1 hour ago, Roamingrover86 said:

 are currently sitting 3rd in the medal table & ALL of their medals have come from speed skating (short track included). Imagine this , getting 20 medals in just 1 sport ( 2 disciplines ) which has 23 medal events! That is utter dominance in any level of sports & to do that at olympic level regularly year after year is amazing. But it begs the question you can be in top 3 on the table by just focussing in one sports programme! 

I don't think this level of dominance & its reflection in the medal table is possible in the summer games. 

 

Perhaps WOG needs more competition & more countries to develop their programme to make it a truly global event!

I honestly don't know if I should celebrate this  achievement or be sad that there is no competition for them.  

---

I mostly agree, though I dispute your last point. Apart from Velzeboer’s 500m, the Dutch weren't favorites in their winning events; they simply had everything break in their favor. And in long track the women’s 1,500m was won by 0.06 seconds, and the men’s mass start succeeded only because the field, except for Thorup, failed to counter the most predictable Dutch strategy possible.

 

Furthermore, top 8 data from Milan proves speed skating is highly global, certainly no less than i.e. XC skiing or biathlon that also have 23 events combined. The competition is there, the Dutch skaters just seized the margins.

 

• Short track (14 countries in 9 events, of which 8 countries winning at least 1 medal): 
  • Europe:  
  • North-America:  
  • Asia:  
• Long track (18 countries in 14 events, of which 10 countries winning at least 1 medal):
  • Europe:  
  • Asia:  
  • North-America:   

 

Compared to other sports with many events: 

• Cross-country skiing (13 countries in 11 events (so far), of which 8 countries winning at least 1 medal):
  • Europe:  
  • Asia: no top 8 spots
  • North-America:
• Biathlon (12 countries in 11 events, of which 8 countries winning at least 1 medal [all European]):
  • Europe:  
  • Asia: no top 8 spots
  • North-America:  

[copravolley 625]

11 minutes ago, Dennis said:

---

I mostly agree, though I dispute your last point. Apart from Velzeboer’s 500m, the Dutch weren't favorites in their winning events; they simply had everything break in their favor. And in long track the women’s 1,500m was won by 0.06 seconds, and the men’s mass start succeeded only because the field, except for Thorup, failed to counter the most predictable Dutch strategy possible.

 

Furthermore, top 8 data from Milan proves speed skating is highly global, certainly no less than i.e. XC skiing or biathlon that also have 23 events combined. The competition is there, the Dutch skaters just seized the margins.

 

• Short track (14 countries in 9 events, of which 8 countries winning at least 1 medal): 
  • Europe:  
  • North-America:  
  • Asia:  
• Long track (18 countries in 14 events, of which 10 countries winning at least 1 medal):
  • Europe:  
  • Asia:  
  • North-America:   

 

Compared to other sports with many events: 

• Cross-country skiing (13 countries in 11 events (so far), of which 8 countries winning at least 1 medal):
  • Europe:  
  • Asia: no top 8 spots
  • North-America:
• Biathlon (12 countries in 11 events, of which 8 countries winning at least 1 medal [all European]):
  • Europe:  
  • Asia: no top 8 spots
  • North-America:  

Italy, on the other hand, was very unlucky with 14 bronze medals, as it really could have been 1-2 more silver medals. With 30 medals, Italy is in third place on overall medal standings, just behind the USA with 31, but the number of bronze medals was the deciding factor, and I personally had a bad feeling for the past 2 or 3 days that we wouldn't finish 3 due to the low number of silver medals And it happened. It only took Sighel to finish second with the relay yesterday, or di Stefano to be in the mass start final today (he was right behind Thrup in 1/2), and the mass start final to turn out differently.