LIVIGNO, Italy — As the three women’s aerials medalists celebrated and prepared to take the podium around 2:30 Wednesday afternoon, freestyle skier Kaila Kuhn walked through the media area.
She had hoped, maybe even planned, to change into the fluffy, sparkling white suit that Team USA brought for the medal ceremony. Instead, here she is, still wearing her helmet and goggles, answering questions about why she can’t pull off the tricks she envisioned in her head.
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“The ladies on the podium had the best day,” Queen said. “And I didn’t.”
Of course, that’s not the whole story. About half an hour before that, Kuhn had only one last chance to advance to the six-man final. All previous results were wiped out, and everything boiled down to a takeoff, a move and a landing.
She absolutely nailed it, as you’d expect from someone who won the World Aerials Championship last year.
But when it comes time to do it again – to do the whole thing in one jump?
All that happened was a small mistake, a slight loss of balance when landing. And so began the four-year countdown to her chance to win an Olympic medal in the most important event.
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“I was really excited going into the last Olympics. I’ve worked really hard over the past four years and I’m honored not to get a medal (this time),” the 22-year-old said. “It was a little bit painful to miss that podium.”
At almost the same moment, on the other side of the country in Cortina, a man who knew all too well about this disappointment felt completely different emotions.
Ilya Marinin attempted the most difficult move in figure skating, but it ultimately cost him a chance at the podium. (James Long-Iman Photo)
(Image from Reuters Connect/REUTERS)
Mikaela Shiffrin’s third Olympic gold medal won’t really change her career or her place in alpine skiing history. But now, after eight years of fielding questions – and perhaps indulging in her own doubts – about whether she’d do it again when it mattered most, all it took was a game she’d never have to face. all That again.
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But this is the Olympics: a four-year narrative hinged on one run, one game decided by less than a second, one score, and the performance of Team USA’s 232 athletes.
It’s ridiculous to judge a single competitor, let alone an entire national team’s effort, where the margins are so low and where individuals’ emotional range will be so different when leaving the Milan Cortina Games.
However, with a little more than four days left until the Olympics, it seems like a good time to ask: Will 2026 be a success or a disappointment for a U.S. team that has high hopes of surpassing the record 37 medals it won in Vancouver 16 years ago?
This can be a mixed bag.
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As of Wednesday afternoon, the U.S. was third in the medal standings with 24 medals, just one behind second-place Italy, but the gold rush led by American stars has yet to materialize. Given the time remaining, going above 37 seems unlikely. However, with seven gold medals at this stage and some great opportunities from hockey and speed skater Jordan Stoltz, Team USA has a good chance of surpassing its previous high of 10 gold medals set at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games.
Is this a reason to celebrate or to lament a missed opportunity? It’s fair to consider both.
At the other end of the spectrum is Elizabeth Lemley, who shocked the field at 20 when she won the Women’s Mogul title. On the other hand, Ilia Malinin had a shocking performance in the men’s singles competition and became the overwhelming favorite. While going from one alpine medal to four in Beijing this year was a huge success, it was a bit shocking to see Team USA only win two medals (and no gold) in snowboarding — a sport the U.S. invented and exported to the rest of the world.
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In many ways, 2026 could become a year of razor-thin margins and what-ifs, regardless of where Team USA ends up in medal count.
What if Lindsey Vonn skis at a very high level but doesn’t tear her ACL less than two weeks before the Olympics? What if Chloe Kim performed well in the halfpipe meet and didn’t tear her shoulder in training and miss valuable practice time? What if the freeskiing big air jury admired Mac Forehand’s never-before-seen butter six-turn trick a little more than Norway’s Tormod Frostad did? What if cross-country skier Jessie Diggins wasn’t injured when she won bronze in the 10km freestyle? What if the U.S. mixed curling team hadn’t made a key mistake or two in the closing moments of their gold medal game against Sweden, which was expected to win?
What if Kuhn could complete the run she had in mind when she stood at the top of the mountain on Wednesday, knowing that seconds could separate a medal from being won or lost?
At the same time, this is also the purpose for athletes to sign up. They all know this. A chance — and sometimes a leap — defines four years of work. No choice but to live with it.
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“Of course,” Kuhn said. “It’s just the way the fabric is cut.”
But the story isn’t finished yet. More days, more events, more medals still await dozens of American athletes who will leave here, either ecstatic or heartbroken, to begin the long climb again.
This is what makes the Olympics so special and why we must cherish every moment that comes.
