As an editor at The Free Press, I obviously love hearing people’s wildest and wackiest opinions, but here is one I will not tolerate: that the Summer Olympics is more interesting than the Winter Olympics. If you hold this view, I say to you: That is ridiculous. Have you seen how far the ski jumpers fly? How fast the speed skaters corner? How many times the snowboarders hurl themselves head over heels midair, risking their necks for no other reason than that they can and they want to?
And that’s supposed to compare to, what, the 100 m final? Both of Usain Bolt’s feet were mere inches from the ground at all times! The long jump? Those guys land on sand.
On average, the Winter Olympics gets far fewer viewers than the Summer one. This is wrong. If you haven’t been watching, you’ve missed some moments that will make your jaw drop and your breath stop. But don’t worry: It’s not too late for you to catch up. A crack team of Free Press culture writers have assembled a list of the most unmissable moments from the last week of the 2026 Games. As I write, and with another week of the Games to go, the U.S. is in third place in the league table with 14 medals, including four golds; in other words, Americans are covering themselves in glory in Italy this month, and our office is completely hooked. —Freya Sanders
