Olympic Medal Count: One Country is Already Dominating

Gold medalist Breezy Johnson of Team United States celebrates on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Women's Downhill on day two of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre on February 08, 2026 in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.

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By Anne EricksonShareNewsweek is a Trust Project member

The 2026 Winter Olympics are well underway, and one country is already dominating the Olympic medal count in Milan, Italy. That country isn't the United States, either.

When it comes to the number of people participating in the 2026 Winter Olympics, the United States as the most, with a record roster of 232 to 235 athletes, according to research from CBS News. Canada comes in at No. 2 with roughly 207 to 211 athletes, and host nation Italy is No. 3 with around 195.

The United States is regularly one of the largest delegations in both the Winter and Summer Olympics. But, they're not dominating the medal count in Milan, yet, at least.

According to official numbers from CBS News, Norway is doing the best at the 2026 Olympics with six total medals as of Monday, Feb. 9. Switzerland is at No. 2 with five medals, and Japan is No. 3 with seven medals. It's worth noting that even though Japan has more medals than Norway, the latter is considered No. 1 in the ranking because they have three gold medals while Japan has two.

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Germany is at No. 4, and the United States lands at No. 5 with two lone gold medals. In the first two days following the opening ceremony, Team USA's Breezy Johnson won gold in the women's downhill, and U.S. figure skaters won gold in the team event, buoyed by a strong performance from the "Quad God," Ilia Malinin.

Looking deeper at the landscape for the 2026 Winter Games, the venues in Italy cover 8,494 square feet.

The 2026 Games are also the first Olympics co-hosted by two cities, according to CBS News, with competitions held across 13 venues in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo.

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"The dual host cities mean it will become the most widespread Games in Olympic history, according to the International Olympic Committee, spanning nearly 8,500 square miles of northern Italy," the report adds. "Milan and Cortina are about 250 miles apart by road, nearly a five-hour drive."

This approach allows the maximum use of existing venues," an official press release from IOC states, "reducing the need for new construction and, as a consequence, minimizing the carbon footprint."

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It's also worth noting that Olympian rosters for each of the countries participating in the 2026 Games ranged from just one athlete to more than 100. The National Governing Bodies, which are responsible for training, competition and development for their respective sports, selected the athletes who are competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics.

"Most winter sports use their respective world circuit standings as a barometer for choosing the top athletes," Team USA said in a news release on Monday, Feb. 8. "So, while the Olympic and Paralympic Games are on every athlete's mind, they must also focus on their regular winter season performance."

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