Winter Olympics 

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Latest news on the Winter Olympics, also known as the Winter Games or Olympic Winter Games, covering Milano Cortina 2026 (also written Milan Cortina or Milano-Cortina), French Alps 2030, Salt Lake City 2034, the medal table, results, Team USA, Norway, skiing, skating, snowboard, ice hockey, curling, the Paralympics and the IOC.

The Winter Olympic Games bring together the world's best snow and ice athletes under the International Olympic Committee. Milano Cortina 2026 spread competition across Milan, Cortina d'Ampezzo and several Alpine valleys. Norway topped the medal table with 18 golds and 41 medals in total, ahead of Team USA with 12 golds and 33 medals, and the Netherlands in third. Host nation Italy finished fourth and recorded its best medal haul at a Winter Games, with 30.

Attention now turns to the French Alps 2030 Games and Salt Lake City 2034, which will mark Utah's second Winter Olympics. Venue plans for the 2030 Olympics have been revised in recent years, including a proposal to hold speed skating outside France. Climate change is the biggest challenge facing the Games: critics point to heavy reliance on artificial snow, water use, carbon emissions and the cost of spread-out venues.

The Winter Games are also a human story of years of training, injury, comebacks and national pride. Fans follow alpine skiing, cross-country, biathlon, snowboard, freestyle skiing, figure skating, speed skating, ice hockey, curling, bobsleigh, luge, skeleton and ski jumping. Ski mountaineering joined the programme at Milano Cortina, showing how the Winter Olympics keep adding new disciplines. The Paralympic Winter Games, held shortly after the Olympics, showcase para alpine skiing, para ice hockey, wheelchair curling and more.

The Winter Olympics began at Chamonix in 1924, when the competition was later recognised by the IOC as the first Winter Games. American Charles Jewtraw won the first gold medal, in the 500m speed skating. Cortina d'Ampezzo hosted the 1956 Games, so the 2026 Olympics were a homecoming for Italy's Alpine heritage. From a small gathering of European nations, the Games have grown into a global event.

Staying informed matters because host decisions, new sports, athlete eligibility, safety and sustainability continue to shape the Olympic movement between Games. Our NewsNow Winter Olympics feed brings together the latest headlines from reliable sources on Milano Cortina, French Alps 2030, Salt Lake City 2034, the medal table and every Winter Games story.