Winter Olympics Final Week: Team USA Eyes Medals as Verona Prepares for Closing Ceremony

Crews are transforming the historic Arena di Verona into the stage for the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games closing ceremony this Sunday.

The ancient Roman amphitheater—nearly 2,000 years old—will host the final event of the Games under the theme "Beauty in Action." Tourists are still snapping photos near the protection fences surrounding the work areas, even as preparations ramp up inside.

The ceremony will include the traditional handover to France, which hosts the next Winter Olympics in 2030.

Team USA Making Moves

The final full week of competition is underway across northern Italy, and Team USA is in third place in the overall medal count—with plenty of chances to climb.

Hockey: The U.S. men's team crushed Germany 5-1 on Sunday, locking up the top spot in Group C and punching their ticket to the quarterfinals. They're the No. 2 seed in the knockout round, just behind rival Canada.

"We've had some good spurts throughout the tournament so far, but I feel like today was our most complete," defenseman Zach Werenski said. "And just trying to build on that."

Bobsled: The U.S. team is building toward history in women's monobob, holding three of the top five spots heading into today's finals. Elana Meyers Taylor, the most decorated bobsledder in Olympic history at 41 years old, sits in second place.

Curling: Both the American men's and women's curling teams are riding three-match win streaks and in strong position to reach the medal rounds. The women take on host Italy later today.

Women's Hockey: The biggest game of the day—the U.S. women's hockey team, the best squad in the tournament so far, faces Sweden. One win puts them in the gold medal finals.