Canada ended a nine-day wait for a gold medal at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics, marking the country’s longest period without a gold at the Winter Games in 58 years.
Mikaël Kingsbury, a freestyle skier, secured Canada’s first gold of the Games on Sunday, adding to his collection of five Olympic medals, making him the most decorated men’s freestyle skier in history. Kingsbury had previously claimed gold in moguls in 2018 and silver in 2014 and 2022.
“I gave everything, I left nothing in the tank and finished my career being the first ever [men’s] duals gold medallist at the Olympics — one of the best days of my life,” Kingsbury said after the win.
The last time Canada experienced such a lengthy gold drought at a Winter Games was in Grenoble, France, in 1968, when alpine champion Nancy Greene secured gold in the giant slalom on the ninth day, despite battling an ankle injury prior to the Games.
At the 1976 Innsbruck Olympics, Team Canada faced a similar gold dry spell, not claiming a gold medal until 10 days into the Games, with alpine skier Kathy Kreiner securing the
