The 2026 Winter Olympics officially wrapped up on Sunday, February 22, in Italy, with a grand closing ceremony held at the ancient amphitheater. The event commenced at 21:30 Kyiv time, marking the end of a thrilling two-week competition.
Ukrainian freestyle skiers Anastasia Brykina and Dmytro Kotovskyi proudly carried their national flag during the closing festivities. The games featured nearly 3,000 athletes from around 100 countries, competing for 116 sets of medals across eight sports and 16 disciplines.
Norway emerged as the dominant force in the overall medal standings, securing a total of 41 medals, including 18 golds. This achievement set a new record for the most gold medals won by a single nation at a Winter Olympics, surpassing their previous record of 16 golds at the 2022 Beijing Games.
Following Norway in the medal tally were the United States and the Netherlands, who claimed second and third places, respectively. Italy, the host nation, finished fourth overall, achieving a record number of medals but falling short of the Netherlands in the silver medal count. Germany rounded out the top five.
The opening ceremony took place on February 6 at the iconic San Siro Stadium in Milan, setting the stage for a series of exhilarating competitions in the cities of Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Ukraine sent a delegation of 46 athletes competing in 11 sports. However, the games were not without controversy. Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych was barred from competing after he refused to remove a helmet featuring images of fallen Ukrainian athletes. The International Olympic Committee cited a violation of expression rules as the reason for his disqualification.
Heraskevych argued that wearing the helmet was a tribute and did not contravene any regulations. His appeal was subsequently rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
The 2026 Winter Olympics concluded in Italy with Norway achieving a historic medal count. Despite controversies, the games showcased remarkable athletic performances and international participation.