The Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics concluded Sunday evening in Verona with a spectacular closing ceremony where the Olympic flag was handed over to France for the 2030 Games in the Alps. The United States won gold in men's ice hockey against Canada in overtime, while France finished sixth in the medal table with a historic tally of 23 medals.
The Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics ended on February 22, 2026, during a closing ceremony held in Verona's Arena, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Themed 'Beauty in Action,' the evening showcased Italian history and culture, guided by the character Rigoletto played by Stefano Scandaletti. Musical performances enlivened the event, with DJ Gabry Ponte playing 'Blue (Da Ba Dee),' followed by Major Lazer and Achille Lauro.
The ceremony began with the entry of flag-bearers, including Lou Jeanmonnot and Mathis Desloges for France, who paraded to the Marseillaise sung by Marine Chagnon. Medals for the women's 50 km cross-country skiing were awarded: gold to Ebba Andersson (Sweden), silver to Heidi Weng (Norway), bronze to Nadja Kaelin (Switzerland). In the men's event, Johannes Klæbo (Norway) received gold, bringing his total to six golds.
The highlight was the handover of the Olympic flag. CIO President Kirsty Leigh Coventry presented it to Fabrice Pannekoucke, president of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, and Renaud Muselier, president of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Coventry stated: 'I declare the Milan Games now closed. I call on the youth of the world to assemble in four years in the French Alps.' Giovanni Malagò, president of the Italian organizing committee, thanked the Games' stakeholders: 'Your commitment has shown the best of Italy.'
Prior to this, the final events saw the United States defeat Canada 2-1 in overtime in the men's ice hockey final, with goals from Matt Boldy and Jack Hughes. Eileen Gu (China) won gold in halfpipe with 94.75 points. France, with 23 medals including eight golds (13 in biathlon), finished sixth, overtaken by Germany in bobsleigh. Norway topped with 18 golds, followed by the United States (12) and Netherlands (10). Edgar Grospiron, president of the Alps 2030 committee, said: 'We will obviously draw inspiration from it.' Adam Siao Him Fa expressed: 'A lot of nostalgia after finishing these Games.'
