Norway consolidated its position at the top of the gold medal count on Day 8 of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy, despite a strong comeback by the host nation.

Italy claimed two back-to-back gold medals on Friday, climbing to the lead in the overall medal tally with 17 medals.

Medal standings after Day 8 (44 of 116 events completed):

Norway: 7 gold, 2 silver, 5 bronze (Total: 14) — leads in gold medals

Italy (hosts): 6 gold, 3 silver, 8 bronze (Total: 17) — tops overall count

United States: 4 gold, 7 silver, 3 bronze (Total: 14)

Germany: 4 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze (Total: 9)

Sweden: 4 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze (Total: 8)

Friday’s schedule featured high-profile finals in alpine skiing, short track speed skating and ice hockey quarter-finals, spread across Milan’s urban rinks and Cortina’s dramatic alpine slopes.

The day belonged to the hosts. Speed skater Francesca Lollobrigida added a second gold in the women’s 5,000 m, cementing her status as Italy’s most decorated Olympic speed skater. Alpine standout Federica Brignone won a tightly contested women’s Super-G on home snow, sparking wild celebrations among Italian fans.

In snowboarding, South Korea’s young talent Choi Gaon stunned with halfpipe gold, edging out American favourite Chloe Kim. NHL stars delivered intense performances in the men’s ice hockey group stages, adding excitement to the tournament.

With the Games continuing until February 22 and the closing ceremony set for Verona’s historic arena, medal momentum remains fluid.  Norway’s cross-country dominance persists on Cortina’s slopes, while underdog breakthroughs keep the multi-region spectacle unpredictable and thrilling.