7 Winter Olympics 2026 Moments That Went Viral This Week

Summary:

• Team USA wins historic men’s hockey gold, while Norwegian Johannes Høsflot Klæbo claims six golds in cross-country skiing.

• Japanese skier crosses finish line backwards, Dutch speed skater’s celebration goes viral, and Spain’s figure skater wears Minions costume.

• Norway sets records with 18 gold medals, Team USA wins both men’s and women’s hockey gold in overtime against Canada.

The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina, Italy concluded on February 22, leaving behind a week of record-breaking performances and widely shared moments across social media. From historic individual achievements to unexpected finishes, here are seven moments from the Games that dominated online conversation.

1. Jack Hughes Scores Overtime Winner to Give Team USA First Men’s Hockey Gold Since 1980

Forward Jack Hughes scored 1:41 into overtime to give the United States a 2–1 victory over Canada in the men’s ice hockey gold medal game on February 22. The win marks Team USA’s first men’s hockey gold medal since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” — a span of 46 years.

Hughes received a pass from defenseman Zach Werenski and scored past Canadian goaltender Jordan Binnington in 3-on-3 overtime. Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck stopped 41 of 42 shots. The gold medal game fell on the exact same calendar date as the 1980 semifinal win over the Soviet Union, and 1980 hero Mike Eruzione was present in the arena. Hughes was photographed on the ice with a visibly lost tooth after taking a high stick during the game.

2. Johannes Høsflot Klæbo Wins Six Gold Medals — A Winter Olympics First

Norwegian cross-country skier Johannes Høsflot Klæbo won all six events he entered at the 2026 Winter Olympics, becoming the first athlete in Winter Olympics history to win six gold medals at a single Games. Klæbo, 29, took gold in the skiathlon, sprint, 10km freestyle, relay, team sprint, and 50km mass start — breaking the previous record of five, set by U.S. speed skater Eric Heiden at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics. Klæbo now holds 11 career Olympic gold medals, a Winter Olympics all-time record, placing him second in total Olympic golds among all athletes in history behind only Michael Phelps (23).

Norway also set a national record with 18 gold medals at a single Winter Olympics.

3. Japanese Skier Crosses the Finish Line Backwards — and Advances

In the men’s dual moguls event, Japanese skier Ikuma Horishima crossed the finish line skiing backwards and still advanced to the next round after his opponent, Nick Page of the United States, skied off course and recorded a DNF. Both skiers lost control during the run. Page exited the course entirely, which automatically eliminated him. Horishima continued and crossed the line in an inverted position, qualifying by virtue of his opponent’s disqualification. NBC Olympics posted the official video, captioning it: “I CAN’T BELIEVE MY EYES.”

“I CAN’T BELIEVE MY EYES.” 😳

Dual moguls madness as Nick Page skis out of the course for a DNF while his opponent, Ikuma Horishima, barely stays in control and skis over the line BACKWARDS for the win. pic.twitter.com/hFqqi5gnQE

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 15, 2026

4. Jutta Leerdam’s Post-Race Celebration Goes Viral

Dutch speed skater Jutta Leerdam set a record and celebrated by unzipping her racing suit. The camera captured the moment in full, and the clip spread rapidly across social platforms within hours of the race.

The moment prompted wide discussion around athlete expression and broadcast coverage, and became one of several speed skating moments to cross over from sports feeds into broader lifestyle and entertainment content.

5. Team USA Wins Gold in Both Men’s and Women’s Hockey — Both in Overtime, Both Against Canada

For the first time in Olympic history, both the U.S. men’s and women’s ice hockey teams won gold at the same Games — and both victories came in overtime against Canada. The U.S. women’s team defeated Canada earlier in the week, with Megan Keller scoring the game-winning goal.

The men followed with their 2–1 overtime win on February 22.

6. Norway’s Medal Count Becomes a Viral Statistic

Norway finished the 2026 Winter Olympics with 18 gold medals and 40 total — both new records for a single nation at a single Winter Olympics.

The dominant showing extended across multiple disciplines, with biathlete Johannes Dale-Skjevdal’s 15km mass start win on February 21 clinching the record-breaking 18th gold the day before the closing ceremony.

7. Spanish Figure Skater Competes in a Full Minions Costume

Spanish figure skater Tomàs-Llorenç Guarino Sabaté performed his short program in a Minions-themed costume, skating to music from the Despicable Me franchise — music that had been temporarily blocked by the production company in the days before the Games.

He received clearance before competition, scored 69.80, and qualified for the final. The performance was broadcast on official Olympic channels and clipped widely across social media, drawing attention from users well outside the figure skating audience.

The 2026 Winter Olympics took place February 6–22 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. The Paralympic Winter Games begin March 6, 2026.