The overall nation standings are one thing, but the individual stories of the athletes at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games stole our hearts and made our pulses race faster. They were the ones sweating buckets in training, fighting their own weaknesses and the pressure of the whole world, to finally stand on the highest step of the podium.
Who shone the brightest this year? Who is going home with a suitcase full of precious metal? We looked closely at the exact statistics to highlight the absolute elite – five athletes who broke the bank during this year's Olympics.
King Johannes and Norwegian Dominance
If anyone had doubts about whether Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo is a machine programmed to win, these Games have finally dispelled them. The Norwegian representative claimed an incredible 6 gold medals, leaving his rivals in cross-country skiing with no illusions. His incredible aerobic endurance, legendary uphill technique, and explosive finish are the result of years of grueling training. Klaebo is simply the definition of sporting perfection.
Right behind him was his compatriot, Sturla Holm Laegreid, who, although he did not win gold, showed iron consistency. With 3 silver and 2 bronze medals to his name, he proved that regularity and nerves of steel on the shooting range (in biathlon) pay off.
The French Duo and the Flying Dutchman
Third and fourth place in the individual standings are a great triumph for French biathlon. Julia Simon and Quentin Fillon Maillet took home 4 medals each from Italy, including 3 golds each! Both showed that the key to success in their discipline is not only leg strength, but above all the ability to instantly lower their heart rate just before taking a shot.
Closing the list is the representative of the Netherlands, Jens van 'T Wout, who resembled a lightning bolt on the short track. His 3 golds and 1 bronze are proof of incredible dynamics, centrifugal force, and powerful quadriceps muscles that allowed him to overtake rivals on the turns.
Table: Top 5 Athletes of Milano Cortina 2026
Here is the official list of the 5 most successful competitors of the past Games:
| Position | Athlete | Country | Gold 🥇 | Silver 🥈 | Bronze 🥉 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | KLAEBO Johannes Hoesflot | 🇳🇴 NOR | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 2 | LAEGREID Sturla Holm | 🇳🇴 NOR | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| 3 | SIMON Julia | 🇫🇷 FRA | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 | FILLON MAILLET Quentin | 🇫🇷 FRA | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 5 | van 'T WOUT Jens | 🇳🇱 NED | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
The Secret of Their Success? You Have It Too!
Watching these superhuman feats can be intimidating, but the truth is that every single one of these athletes started exactly in the same place as us – from the first step, the first workout, and the first decision to give it their all.
Behind every medal are hours spent in the gym, thousands of squats, deadlifts, and hectoliters of sweat. Their success is not only genetics, but above all a rigorous plan, mobility, strength training, and unwavering discipline. It doesn't matter if you're preparing for a marathon, want to improve your figure, or simply want to feel better in your own body – the rules of the game are the same.
Build an Olympian-Worthy Shape
You don't have to aim for 6 gold medals right away, but you can feel like a champion in your own body. The Elite Club team will prepare a plan for you that will unlock your full potential.