Finally, first gold medal at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games

Canada finally has its first gold medal of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, and it arrived in a familiar place: the moguls course.

On Sunday, February 15, freestyle legend Mikaël Kingsbury won the inaugural Olympic men’s dual moguls event in Livigno, delivering Canada’s first trip to the top of the podium after a slower-than-expected opening week. Kingsbury, 33, added the new gold to a medal haul that already included silver in the traditional single moguls earlier in the Games—an emphatic reminder that Canada’s veteran core can still cash in when the pressure peaks.

As of the end of Day 9 (Feb. 15), Canada sat at **nine total medals: 1 gold, 3 silver, and 5 bronze**—a respectable count, but one that has lagged behind traditional table-toppers like Norway and host Italy as the Games move into the back half.

The question now is whether Kingsbury’s breakthrough becomes a turning point or a lone highlight.

Canada’s men’s hockey team is doing its part to keep expectations high. A dominant 10–2 win over France completed a perfect 3–0 preliminary round, securing first in Group A and sending Canada directly into the quarterfinals. The result reinforced what has been obvious throughout the early tournament: Canada has depth, speed, and a goal-scoring spread that makes it the team most opponents want to avoid in the knockout rounds.

Off the ice, Canada’s early narrative has also included frustration in sports where the country expects to contend nightly. Curling, in particular, has been unsettled by “double touch” controversy—an unusual rules flashpoint that has drawn attention at exactly the wrong moment as teams fight for positioning in the round robin.

Still, the overall picture isn’t panic—it’s opportunity. Even before Kingsbury’s gold, Canadian Olympic officials publicly framed the medal table as “not exactly where we want to be,” while stressing that the team believed a stronger second week was coming. Now, with a first gold in hand and several marquee events entering their decisive stages, Canada has a clear chance to build momentum when medals matter most.