Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics closes as China posts best-ever overseas result

Norway topped the medal tally with 18 gold, 12 silver and 11 bronze medals, followed by the United States and the Netherlands. Host nation Italy finished fourth with 10 golds, six silvers and 14 bronzes, delivering its strongest performance in Winter Olympic history.

Norway's Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo delivered one of the standout performances of the Games, becoming the first athlete to win six gold medals at a single Winter Olympics by sweeping all men's cross-country events. The feat extended his record as the most decorated Winter Olympian with 11 gold medals.

China sent its largest-ever delegation to an overseas Winter Olympics, fielding 126 athletes in 91 events across 15 disciplines. The team finished with five gold, four silver and six bronze medals, marking its best result at an overseas Winter Games and also equaling its overall medal count from Beijing 2022.

A highlight of China's campaign came in the men's 1,500m speed skating, where Ning Zhongyan clinched gold, breaking the century-long dominance of European and North American skaters in the event.

"Ning has fought extremely hard," said Tong Lixin, deputy head of the Chinese delegation. "He kept his focus and took the lead in a sport long dominated by Western athletes, helping China break new ground in an event where we previously had little chance to compete for medals."

Tong said China's medal haul of 15 consolidated the medal-winning structure established at Beijing 2022 and sustaining balanced development across both ice and snow disciplines. He added that the depth of China's winter sports talent pool is also growing.