Japan are doing well in the ongoing Winter Olympics 2026 because they’re the only Asian nation to have won multiple gold medals. With four golds, five silvers, and 10 bronzes, Japan are 10th in the official medal tally and are likely to finish as the best Asian nation when it’s all said and done, per the Winter Olympics 2026 odds.
Norway still lead the pack with 14 golds, eight silvers, and nine bronzes, while Italy are second with nine golds, four silvers, and 11 bronzes. Meanwhile, it’s a bloodbath below them, with the United States, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, France, Sweden, and Switzerland occupying the third to ninth positions in the medal tally, ahead of Japan.
Besides Japan, South Korea and Kazakhstan have at least one gold apiece, while China have three silvers and three bronzes. The Philippines are the only participating country without a single medal.
Learn more about the Winter Olympics 2026 updates, courtesy of SBOTOP.
Sakamoto eyes elusive Olympic gold in figure skating
Kaori Sakamoto recently announced she will be competing in her final Winter Olympics this year, and she hopes to cap off her swansong with an Olympic gold. The three-time Olympic medalist and triple world champion has never finished at the top of the podium at the Games. However, she goes into the women’s singles as the form skater after winning her segments in the team event, taking silver behind the United States.
The 25-year-old lit up the crowd at the Milano Ice Skating Arena on Tuesday at the women’s short program, as she performed to “Time to Say Goodbye” by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman. Sakamoto delivered a masterful performance en route to accumulating 77.23 points, putting her second behind 17-year-old teammate Ami Nakai.
Speaking of Nakai, her Winter Olympics debut is off to a fantastic start. The teenager’s routine featured a clean triple axel and a triple lutz, triple toeloop combination that earned her a personal best of 78.71 – good for first place. Meanwhile, fellow Japanese Mone Chiba, also making her Winter Olympics debut, skated last and finished with 74.00 points to slot fourth. Rounding out the Top 3 is Alysa Liu, as the 20-year-old American finished with the third-best score of 76.59 points.
After yesterday’s short program, these skaters will compete in a singles free skating event on February 19 before the Exhibition gala on February 21.
Klæbo makes history for Norway
As expected, Johannes Høsflot Klæbo made history after anchoring Norway to glory in the men’s 4 x 7.5 km relay along with Emil Iversen, Martin Løwstrøm Nyenget, and Einar Hedegart, winning by 22.2 seconds ahead of France and Italy, who won silver and bronze, respectively. This means that the 29-year-old is the first athlete to win nine Winter Olympic gold medals across his career.
Klæbo added four golds to his collection in Tesero in eight days. After winning the skiathlon last Sunday, he followed it up by winning the men’s sprint classic two days later before equalling the Winter Olympic record on Friday when he topped the 10km podium.
But this time, he needed help to win his fourth Milano Cortina gold, as he went out last in the relay. Iversen set the tone with a two-second lead, with the United States, Italy, and Canada in pursuit before Nyenget extended Norway’s lead to 10 seconds over Finland. Hedegart extended their lead to 12 seconds before Klæbo paced the team to victory while saluting the crowd and celebrating with his teammates.
Poulin sets Olympic record for Canada ice hockey
Canada have set up an all-North American clash with the United States in the women’s ice hockey tournament, as Marie-Philip Poulin became the all-time leading goal scorer in Olympic women’s ice hockey.
During Monday’s semi-final against Switzerland (2-1), the 34-year-old skipper gave Canada a 1-0 lead before scoring her second 10 minutes later to make it 20 goals in her illustrious career. Poulin fired a one-timer from the top of the zone for the record-breaker after fighting through traffic before cleaning up a rebound for her second of the game at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena.
Before this, Poulin was level with Hayley Wickenheiser with her 18th goal on Saturday in the quarter-finals against Germany. This was her first game back after missing two matches due to injury. Before these Games, she had 17 goals, 18 assists, and 35 points across 22 contests. Poulin’s moniker is Captain Clutch, as she has scored the game-winning goal in each of her three gold-medal wins in Vancouver (2010), Sochi (2014), and Beijing (2022).
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