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The United States came away with 33 medals in total at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games, and many came from the female athletes who competed in Italy this month.
American female athletes won 17 medals, including eight of the 12 gold medals.
While many Americans enjoyed watching the events at home, LPGA Tour legend Michelle Wie West was in Milan to watch the United States stand on the podium in several events.
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Michelle Wie attends the New York premiere of Netflix’s ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ at Jazz at Lincoln Center on July 21, 2025, in New York City. (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
“I had the honor of being in Milan with Nike and getting to see some of the Winter Olympics for the first time in person. It’s amazing to see all these competitors,” she told PK Press Club Digital in a recent interview. “I have to see [silver medalist] Chloe [Kim] doing his halfpipe, and it was incredible.
“Women’s hockey, I mean, it’s amazing. I got to go to the first game and it was just lights out.”
From Mia Manganello in speed skating to Alysa Liu’s captivating gold medal in figure skating, Wie West admitted the Olympics made her a little emotional watching athletes achieve their dreams.
“This whole Winter Olympics season has been so — I think every Olympic season is so uplifting,” she said. “But this one in particular was so inspiring, and it feels like the female athletes really knocked it out of the park.
“I feel like every Olympics makes me very emotional. I get to see athletes achieve their dreams and it’s so cool. It was really cool to see that in person.”
Gold medalist Alysa Liu of Team USA poses for a photo during the women’s individual skating medal ceremony on the thirteenth day of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the Milan Ice Rink on February 19, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Wie West also added that Lindsey Vonn’s “heartbreaking” accident after competing with a torn ACL was hard to watch. However, “seeing his journey up to that point and even after was very inspiring to me.”
Breanna Stewart, a three-time gold medalist with the U.S. women’s basketball team, shared Wie West’s feelings about American success overseas.
“I think there are so many events that I’ve really learned a lot about, whether it’s bobsleigh or curling or hockey,” she said. “I just wanted to cheer on the United States in whatever event they compete in, and see the pride and passion the athletes feel every time they step out to compete in their sport.”
LPGA player Michelle Wie West plays her shot from the 14th tee during the Golden Bear Pro-Am before the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday 2025 at Muirfield Village Golf Club on May 28, 2025, in Dublin, Ohio. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Stewart even mentioned getting “goosebumps” thinking about what it feels like to have a medal around your neck, and better yet, to see the flag raised with the national anthem playing.
“It’s really just a satisfaction and a vindication of why you’re doing it and why you’ve gone through these times and tough times,” she explained. “For me, the Olympics is the highest level. You play your sport at the highest level against everyone else in the world, and you see it. It’s just a goosebumps feeling no matter how many times you do it. Just the pride and knowing that you represent something bigger than yourself always comes full circle.”
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