Fifty-seven medals came home with Team USA from the Milano Cortina Winter Games, twelve of them Olympic golds, a record for the United States in a single Winter Olympics. The haul included the efforts of Paralympians, athletes with physical disabilities who contest their own parallel bracket of events, who added 24 medals and 13 golds to the count. President Donald Trump hosted more than 120 of those athletes at the White House on Thursday.
A record performance by the numbers
The Olympic medal total of 33 is itself a record: the most Team USA has taken from a Winter Games held outside North America. Three hundred athletes represented the United States across both the Olympic and Paralympic competitions at the Milano Cortina Games.
The 72 Paralympians on the roster competed across five sports. Their 24 medals included gold in sled hockey, a Paralympic ice sport, for the fifth consecutive time. Trump told the assembled group Thursday that the streak stands as one of the greatest dynasties in international sports.
How hockey played out
Both the men's and women's Olympic hockey squads beat Canada in overtime at the Games. The wins carried political weight at home. Trump had invited members of the men's team to his State of the Union address, and goaltender Connor Hellebuyck received the Presidential Medal of Freedom earlier that same day.
The women's team took a more complicated route to Thursday's ceremony. Trump drew criticism after joking on a call with the men's team that he would face impeachment if he failed to invite the women to the White House as well. USA Hockey released a statement saying athletes were grateful for the invitation but that active college and professional schedules made attendance impossible. Forwards Joy Dunne and Abbey Murphy were present Thursday. Trump recognized both by name from the podium.
At the close of the ceremony, the athletes presented Trump with a Team USA varsity jacket and a new pair of shoes.
What the calendar shows next
Athletes not at Thursday's event are already back in training. The 2030 Olympic and Paralympic Games are scheduled for the French Alps. The 2034 Winter Games go to Salt Lake City.