Winter Olympics Milano Cortina 2026 Closing Ceremony Highlights: Flag Handed Over To 2030 Games Hosts France

Welcome to our live coverage of the Milano Cortina 2026 closing ceremony. Tonight, the historic Verona Arena hosts a breathtaking Beauty themed finale. We celebrate Norway’s third straight victory at the top of the medal table (18 golds) and a record-breaking 12-gold performance from Team USA.

Johannes Hosflot Klaebo has owned the Milan Cortina Games. But the internet has a new challenger: Nazgul, the lightning-fast Czechoslovakian wolfdog. Human endurance meets canine instinct in a fantasy face-off that’s pure viral gold. Would Klaebo’s flawless glide outpace four paws on fresh snow? Probably. But in the world of memes, anything can happen.

Read Our Story: Dog Steals The Show At Winter Olympics 2026 Women’s Team Sprint

For the first time since 1980, Team USA won the Olympic men's ice hockey gold. In a heart-stopping final, Jack Hughes scored the golden goal just 1:41 into overtime to defeat Canada 2-1. Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck was the hero of regulation, making 41 saves to secure the historic victory.

United States: NBC (TV), Peacock (Live Stream), NBC Olympics.com

United Kingdom: BBC One / BBC iPlayer (Free), Discovery+, Eurosport

Canada: CBC / CBC Gem (Free), TSN, Sportsnet

Australia: Channel 9 / 9Now (Free), Stan Sport (4K UHD)

Europe: Eurosport, Discovery+, and local national stations (RAI, ARD, ZDF, France TV)

India: JioHotstar

Global: Olympics.com (Olympic Channel) in select territories

We are underway for the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics 2026 and it starts with a long montage of all the moments that unfolded across the two weeks.

Tonight’s "Beauty" ceremony at the Verona Arena follows a tight two-hour schedule. It kicks off with the Parade of Athletes, followed by the final medal presentation for the women's 50km cross-country. We’ll then see the Antwerp Ceremony flag handover to France, cultural performances by Roberto Bolle and Achille Lauro, and the simultaneous extinguishing of the twin cauldrons.

Well right now there's a thorough stage act going on, showcasing Italy's opera and theatre culture. The gigantic set is looking absolutely stunning.

The torch heads to sunny Los Angeles for the 2028 Summer Games, marking the first Olympics on U.S. soil since Salt Lake City in 2002. From there, the movement returns to Europe for the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps, followed by a trip Down Under to Brisbane, Australia, in 2032. Finally, the Winter Games return to the United States in 2034, with Utah set to host once again.

All the participating nations are coming out to surround the circular structure inside the venue. From Greece to Albania and Japan to UK, all the representatives are enjoying the Italian atmosphere.

Three nations made their historic Winter Olympic debut at Milano Cortina 2026: Benin, Guinea-Bissau, and the United Arab Emirates. Additionally, the high-octane sport of Ski Mountaineering (Skimo) debuted on the Olympic program, while Brazil celebrated its first-ever Winter medal with a historic gold in Alpine skiing.

Arif Khan (Alpine Skiing): The flag-bearer and veteran skier finished 39th in the Men's Slalom. This is a massive milestone, as it's the best-ever finish by an Indian male in this event, breaking a 38-year-old record. He clocked a combined time of 2:41.60 across his two runs.

Stanzin Lundup (Cross-Country Skiing): Making his Olympic debut, the Ladakh-born skier finished 104th in the Men's 10km Freestyle.

As the President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), PT Usha has been in Italy to support the Indian contingent and attend high-level administrative meetings. Despite facing a significant personal loss shortly before the Games, she arrived in Milan on February 13, 2026, to fulfill her leadership duties.

The second leg of the Khelo India Winter Games 2026 officially kicks off today, February 23, in Gulmarg, Jammu & Kashmir. Following the ice sports in Ladakh, this phase focuses on snow sports like Alpine skiing, snowboarding, and ski mountaineering, featuring over 400 athletes competing on the Kongdoori slopes.

In keeping with tradition, the podium ceremony for the grueling 50km classic mass start events took center stage tonight. Sweden’s Ebba Andersson claimed gold on Sunday, finishing over two minutes ahead of Norway’s Heidi Weng, which is a triumphant redemption after her heartbreaking relay crash earlier in the Games.

The 50km mass start classic stands as the most prestigious and grueling endurance test in cross-country skiing. For over a century, this marathon on snow has remained the ultimate Olympic discipline for winter athletes.

So it's only fitting that the winners of that discipline receive their medals separately.

The official transition to the 2030 French Alps Winter Games has begun with the symbolic Olympic flag handover and a stirring rendition of La Marseillaise. Accompanied by the raising of the Tricolour, this ceremony marks a new dawn as the world looks toward the peaks of France.

It is time for the speeches now. First up is Giovanni Malago, President of the Milan Cortina Foundation that organized the 2026 Winter Olympics.

That's it ladies and gentlemen. The Winter Olympics Milano Cortina 2026 has been officially closed by IOC President Kirst Coventry, who had massive words of praise for the organizing committee, the media members, volunteers and the athletes.