Sports News
Milano Cortina closes in Verona: Norway's record 18 golds, and Italy's best Winter Games
The Milano Cortina Winter Olympics ended on Sunday, 22 February, with a closing ceremony in the Verona Arena. Norway finished top of the medal table with 18 gold, 12 silver and 11 bronze, 41 in all, which Outlook India called the highest gold count by any country at a single Winter Games. Cross-country skier Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo won six golds.
The United States came second with 12 golds and 33 medals, its best gold count at a Winter Games. The Netherlands (10 gold, 20 total) edged hosts Italy (10 gold, 30 total) for third on silver medals, with Germany fifth.
Italy's Quotidiano Sport saw a record rather than a fourth place. Thirty medals beat the 20 won at Lillehammer in 1994, ten golds set a national best, and Italy won medals in 10 disciplines, behind only the US. Turin 2006, the last home Games, brought 11 medals. The paper wrote that “Italy has surpassed itself”, while noting that many of its medallists are near the end of their careers.
How each outlet framed it
- Outlook India — the final table: Norway's record and the US's best Games.
- Quotidiano Sport — the host's view: fourth place, but Italy's best ever Winter Olympics.
Asia's share: South Korea won 10 medals including three golds, seven of them in short-track speed skating, and Korean snowboarder Choi Gaon won the women's halfpipe. Japan's Kimura Kira won men's big air, as listed by Nippon.com.