US Women Set Winter Olympics Record With 6 Golds, 17 Total Medals/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Team USA women delivered a historic performance at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, winning six gold medals and 17 total medals in women’s events. The medal haul set new Winter Games records for American women. More than 40 U.S. women will leave Italy with at least one medal, marking another milestone.
USA Women Winter Olympics 2026 Quick Looks
- 6 gold medals in women’s events (record)
- 17 total women’s medals (record)
- 21 medals including mixed events
- More than 40 American women medalists
- Women’s hockey wins gold over Canada
- Mikaela Shiffrin claims slalom gold
- Elana Meyers Taylor wins monobob gold
- Alysa Liu captures figure skating title
Deep Look: US Women Set Winter Olympics Record With 6 Golds, 17 Total Medals
The Milan Cortina Winter Olympics have become a landmark moment for Team USA’s women.
With six gold medals and 17 total medals in women-only events — and 21 medals when mixed competitions are included — American women set new records for Winter Olympic dominance.
The previous benchmarks stood at five gold medals and 13 total medals in women’s competition. Both marks were surpassed in Italy, cementing the 2026 Games as the most successful Winter Olympics ever for U.S. women.
Gold Across the Snow and Ice
The record-setting performance spanned nearly every corner of the Winter Games.
In alpine skiing, Mikaela Shiffrin added another chapter to her legendary career by winning slalom gold. Downhill specialist Breezy Johnson also reached the top of the podium, continuing a strong American showing on the slopes.
On the ice, figure skater Alysa Liu captured gold in the women’s singles event and added another gold in the team competition, highlighting the depth of U.S. skating talent.
The U.S. women’s hockey team delivered one of the Games’ most dramatic finishes, rallying to force overtime before defeating Canada for gold — a victory that underscored the program’s continued growth and global competitiveness.
In bobsled, Elana Meyers Taylor claimed gold in monobob, while Kaillie Humphries added bronze medals in both monobob and two-woman competition, helping solidify the U.S. as a sliding powerhouse.
Freestyle skiing also fueled the medal surge. Elizabeth Lemley won Olympic gold in moguls, while Jaelin Kauf secured two silver medals in the discipline. Kaila Kuhn contributed to a gold medal in mixed team aerials, pushing Team USA’s overall gold total to a Winter Games record 11 across all events.
Record Numbers, Expanding Opportunities
More than 40 American women will leave the Games with at least one medal — another unprecedented achievement.
While the number of women’s events has grown over the decades — from just 12 in 1980 to 41 in 2026 (excluding mixed events) — the scale of Team USA’s dominance stands out even within that expanded framework.
The 17 medals won by U.S. women in women-only events would exceed the total medal count — men and women combined — for the United States in every Winter Olympics from 1924 through 1998.
Records, in this case, reflect not just opportunity but excellence.
Title IX’s Lasting Legacy
Sarah Hirshland, CEO of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, pointed to the long-term effects of Title IX and collegiate athletics in shaping the pipeline of elite female competitors.
Many of the medalists at Milan Cortina developed their skills in NCAA programs, benefiting from decades of increased investment and opportunity in women’s sports.
The impact is evident in the depth across disciplines — from skiing and skating to hockey and sliding sports.
Inspiration for the Next Generation
For athletes like curler Cory Thiesse — who became the first American woman to medal in Olympic curling — the broader impact goes beyond podium finishes.
She emphasized the importance of visibility, noting that watching female Olympians succeed inspired her own dreams.
The same sentiment echoed throughout Team USA’s delegation. The achievements in Italy are not just milestones for 2026 but building blocks for future Games in 2030, 2034 and beyond.
U.S. men’s hockey coach Mike Sullivan praised the women’s hockey team for inspiring young girls nationwide, noting how dramatically the sport has grown in the United States over recent decades.
A Defining Olympic Chapter
The Milan Cortina Games will be remembered as a turning point — not only because of the medal totals but because of the breadth of disciplines in which American women excelled.
From alpine slopes to ice rinks, from mogul courses to bobsled tracks, Team USA’s women defined these Winter Olympics.
Six gold medals. Seventeen total medals in women’s events. More than 40 medalists.
A record-setting Winter Olympics — and a powerful reminder that American women continue to reshape the history of sport.
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