Breezy Johnson of the United States secured the gold medal in the women's downhill at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, on February 8, marking the first medal for the U.S. in the games. Johnson's time of 1:36.10 on the Tofane Alpine Skiing Center course edged out Germany's Emma Aicher by a mere 0.04 seconds, while Italy's Sofia Goggia took the bronze, according to NPR News.
The opening ceremony for the Milan Cortina 2026 event, held on Friday, was described as "painfully long, inevitably uneven, excessively dance-obsessed but also somehow lovable" by Time. The ceremony included a tribute to La Dolce Vita, a classic Italian film. The event, which was a master of spectacle, craftsmanship, and glamour, gave off a good feeling, especially after previous Olympics that faced challenges such as frigid temperatures and COVID-related restrictions, according to Time.
The 2026 Winter Olympics are part of a rare convergence of mega sporting events, including the FIFA World Cup and the Youth Olympic Games, which are expected to draw billions of viewers, according to Time. The World Economic Forum projects that the sports economy, currently valued at $2.3 trillion, will reach $8.8 trillion by 2050. However, this growth depends on healthy people, stable environments, and resilient communities, which are currently under strain due to rising physical inactivity and climate risks, according to Time.
For many U.S. Olympic athletes, Italy feels like home turf, according to NPR News. American athlete Jessie Diggins, the world's top-ranked female cross-country skier, competed in Italy's Val di Fiemme in January, according to NPR News.
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