American Stars Shine in Opening Days at 2026 Winter Olympics

The first week of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, has delivered a mix of historic achievements and standout performances from Team USA. Among the earliest highlights was Breezy Johnson capturing the United States’ first gold medal of the Games in the women’s downhill.

Johnson clocked a thrilling winning run at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre, narrowly edging out her competition and securing the first U.S. gold in women’s Olympic downhill in 16 years. Her performance marked a dramatic start for Team USA.

Figure skating also delivered significant moments for the U.S. When the Team Event wrapped up, Ilia Malinin and his American teammates combined for gold in the mixed team figure skating competition, underscoring the depth of American talent on the ice.

Malinin, already noted this week for leading the men’s singles short program with a dazzling routine of quadruple jumps, anchored the team’s success with poise and power. His contributions helped the U.S. outscore strong challengers and claim the top spot on the podium.

In speed skating, another breakout moment came courtesy of Jordan Stolz, who won the men’s 1,000 meters in commanding fashion — shattering the Olympic record in the process. Stolz’s gold-medal performance represented not only his first Olympic hardware but also a continuation of the U.S. tradition of excellence in long-track speed skating events. He confirmed his place among the sport’s elite while sparking hopes of further medals later in these Games.

Other American Standouts and Historic Performances

The events in Italy continue through Feb. 22 and continue offering opportunities for Winter Olympics betting. In the first week, American athletes also made history beyond gold medals. In cross-country skiing, Ben Ogden earned silver in the ski sprint, marking the first U.S. Olympic medal in cross-country skiing in 50 years.

On the moguls course, Elizabeth Lemley stunned the field by winning gold in women’s freestyle moguls, denying the defending champion and capturing her first global title.

While the mixed doubles curling final saw the U.S. team fall just short of gold, securing silver nonetheless highlighted the strength of the U.S. curling program and its ability to compete at the highest level in a traditionally European-dominated discipline.

Elsewhere on the ice, the U.S. women’s hockey team delivered standout performances in group play, including a dominant 5–0 victory over Canada — a key rivalry — and individual stars like Hilary Knight tying U.S. Olympic scoring records while helping propel the team into the upper echelon of preliminary round competition. Young contributors like Joy Dunne have also energized the roster with clutch goals and impactful play in early games.

Preview: Olympic Hockey Comes Into Focus

As the first week wraps, attention now turns to the heart of the ice hockey tournament, where both U.S. men’s and women’s teams are positioned as medal contenders. Those who enjoy some NHL betting may now look to transition to some Olympic wagering.

After blasting past early opponents, the U.S. women’s team will look to advance out of the preliminary round with continued strong results against top international rivals, including a looming matchup with Canada that could help determine playoff seeding.

The U.S. men’s hockey team enters the Olympics with high expectations and a talented roster bolstered by NHL stars — part of the first Olympic tournament since NHL players returned to the Games. After beginning preliminary play, the Americans will take the ice in Group C with three scheduled games:

• USA vs. Latvia – Feb. 12 (3:10 p.m. ET)
• USA vs. Denmark – Feb. 14 (3:10 p.m. ET)
• USA vs. Germany – Feb. 15 (3:10 p.m. ET)

These matchups will set the stage for potential knockout round play later in the second week, with quarterfinals, semifinals, and medal games to follow. With their depth and talent, Team USA will be among the favorites to challenge for the gold medal — something they haven’t captured since the historic “Miracle on Ice”” in 1980.

When look at futures betting on the eventual gold medal winner, here’s a look at FanDuel odds on each team in the tournament:

• Canada -105
• United States +200
• Sweden: +500
• Finland +2200
• Czech Republic +2500
• Switzerland +3500
• Slovakia +7000
• Germany +10000
• Latvia +60000
• Denmark +60000
• Italy +100000
• France +100000