USA beats Canada to win its first ice hockey olympic gold since 1980

The event featured the dream final for all, a North American duel in Milan between the United States and Canada, with their NHL stars. Team USA prevailed 2-1, with a goal by Jack Hughes in sudden death.

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Williams Perdomo

22 de febrero, 2026

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Just hours before the closing ceremony in Verona, Italy, the final event was played Sunday in the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, with the U.S. men's ice hockey team and U.S.-born freestyle skier Eileen Gu as the final stars.

The last gold of this edition was hockey, and the event featured the final dreamed by all, a North American duel in Milan between the USA and Canada, with their NHL stars. The former won by a score of 2-1, with a goal by Jack Hughes in sudden death.

"Congratulations to our great U.S.A. Ice Hockey team. THEY WON THE GOLD. WOW!" Trump said on Truth Social, adding: "WHAT A GAME!"

The United States won the third Olympic gold in its history in men's field hockey and the first since the memorable "miracle on ice" of 1980, when it beat the Soviets at the height of the Cold War.

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Eileen Gu, gold and bad news

In Livigno, acrobatic skiing superstar Eileen Gu, who had so far won two silvers in Italy, was finally able to win gold, revalidating her Olympic title in the halfpipe.

However, it was not all happy for her this Sunday, as in her post-victory press conference she revealed that just after receiving the medal she learned of the passing of her grandmother.

In the other finals on the final day of the Olympics, Sweden triumphed with cross-country skier Ebba Andersson in the 50 kilometer race and with its women's curling team, while Germany made it a gold-silver double in the men's bobsleigh.

Norway dominates the medal count

In the final medal tally, Norway again finished top, in an edition where it shone especially with cross-country skier Johannes Klaebo, who took a total of six golds.

In total, the Norwegians won 41 medals, 18 of them gold, ahead of the United States (33 medals, 12 gold), while third place went to the Netherlands and fourth to the host Italy, both with 10.

Norway thus finishes at the top of this ranking, as in Pyeongchang 2018 and Beijing 2022. In Sochi 2014 it was second behind Russia, but would move into first place also taking into account the Russian athletes who were disqualified for doping after that controversial edition.

The flame about to be extinguished

With the sporting competition already concluded, Milan-Cortina only has to say goodbye in style, with a closing ceremony that will take place in a luxury setting, the Arena of Verona, the 1st century Roman amphitheater, older than the Colosseum in Rome, and which is the emblem of the city of Romeo and Juliet.

According to the organizers, the event, which will begin around 8:30 p.m. local time, will aim to extol Italian beauty.

As is tradition in the closing ceremonies, it will also serve to extinguish the Olympic flame and pass the baton to the host of the next edition, scheduled for 2030 in the French Alps.