MILAN (AP) — Jack Hughes’ overtime goal against Canada gave the United States its first Olympic gold medal in men’s hockey since 1980 — and on the 46th anniversary of the “ Miracle on Ice ” no less.
Hughes, who had lost a tooth or two from a high stick during the game, scored off a pass from Zach Werenski early into 3-on-3 overtime to clinch a 2-1 victory Sunday.
“It doesn’t matter about the goal. Just an unbelievable team, unbelievable team win,” Hughes
said. "We’re just so proud to win for our country.
“The best experiences I have are playing for my country, playing to break the golden drought with this group of guys and for us to win gold here at the Olympics, just an unbelievable moment," he added.
There was a hint of sadness amid the joy as Werenski and Matthew Tkachuk carried a Johnny Gaudreau No. 13 jersey around the ice in tribute to the beloved player who died in August 2024 along with his brother when they were struck by an SUV while riding bicycles.
The Americans' victory Sunday was their 12th gold of the Milan Cortina Games. The US women's hockey team had also won gold — also in a 2-1 overtime victory over Canada in the final.
Norway topped the final medal count with 18 golds and 41 medals overall — best in both categories.
Eileen Gu is now six-for-six in Olympic medal events after another halfpipe victory.
The 22-year-old Gu, American-born but competing for her mother’s homeland of China, is already the most decorated freeskier in the short history of the sport at the Olympics. She also captured two silver medals at the Milan Cortina Games, to pair with two golds and a silver from the Beijing Games.
Gu won her last event on the strength of her second run, a clean, technically sound pass. She got even better in her final run — pumping his ski poles after landing the final trick — and finished with a score of 94.75. Her teammate, Li Fanghui, took silver and Zoe Atkin of Britain was third.
The event was rescheduled to Sunday following a big snowstorm the night before.
First, Ebba Andersson pulled away from the pack to win the 50-kilometer mass start cross-country ski race and earn redemption for her crash that cost Sweden a gold medal in the team relay.
“I’ve dreamed about this day for a long time now and it’s almost unbelievable that everything went as planned,” she said.
And then Sweden’s curling moms beat Switzerland to give the Scandinavian nation another gold.
Jessie Diggins finished fifth in the 50-kilometer mass start cross-country ski race. Just a few seconds shy of one more medal.
She's OK with that.
“I can confidently say I could not possibly have tried harder or gotten more out of my body,” the 34-year-old Diggins said.
It marked the final Olympic event for an athlete who transformed American cross‑country skiing and became a symbol of endurance.
In bobsled, Germany’s Johannes Lochner added the four-man gold to his two-man title.
Lochner — who announced his retirement months ago — capped his career with his second gold medal of these Olympics, winning the four-man event over two-time defending Olympic champion Francesco Friedrich by 0.57 seconds.
“It’s just such a dream. … It’s indescribable,” Lochner said. “A moment for eternity. A perfect finish, the most perfect finish ever.”
___
AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
