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When it came to storylines, the 2026 Winter Olympics certainly delivered.
Sure, the successes on the ice — or the track, or the slopes — generated their share of headlines, but the Olympics wouldn't be complete without some downright bizarre stories and odd moments.
From cheating scandals to affairs to breathtaking gold medal performances, these Olympics had it all.
Here's a look at the 10 most viral moments from the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina.
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10. Slovakian fugitive caught after traveling to watch hockey game
A real fan lays it all on the line for his team. One Slovakian hockey fan did just that.
Italian police announced the arrest of a 44-year-old Slovakian fugitive who returned to Italy after 16 years on the run to watch the Slovakian men's hockey team face Finland in their opening game of the tournament. The man was wanted for a series of thefts, and he was nabbed by police before he could get into the arena. Police said he will now serve an 11-month prison sentence.
As for the game itself, the man missed a good one. Slovakia upset Finland 4-1 in a game that positioned the team for a top-three seed in the bracketed portion of the tournament.
MORE: USA winners, losers from 2026 Winter Olympics
9. French biathlete convicted of credit card fraud wins gold
French biathlete Julia Simon was a star at the Winter Olympics, winning three gold medals and a silver after winning her first Olympic medal in 2022.
Just a few months ago, the Olympics were far from Simon's only concern. She was convicted of credit card fraud in October after stealing the credit card of a French teammate and using it to make $2,000 in online purchases. An investigation also revealed she used a team staffer's credit card without permission.
Simon was given a six-month ban by the French ski federation, but the ban was conveniently suspended until after the Olympics. Now, Simon is a three-time Olympic gold medalist and convicted criminal.
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8. Judge's controversial ruling denies Chock and Bates gold
The United States won big in many events in Milan, but the one that got away came in ice dancing.
The American duo of Madison Chock and Evan Bates surprisingly settled for silver after judges gave the French duo Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron a higher score. Many believed Chock and Bates put together a near-flawless performance worthy of gold.
France's margin of victory was only 1.43 points, but skepticism was directed toward French judge Jezabel Dabouis, who favored Beaudry and Cizeron by eight points.
U.S. Figure Skating declined to appeal, and an appeal seemed unlikely to succeed after the International Skating Union publicly backed Dabouis. Chock, however, was not thrilled with the result. "Any time the public is confused by results, it does a disservice to our sport," she said after settling for silver.
7. Stray dog crosses cross-country skiing finish line
Cross-country skiers were joined by a surprise competitor when a stray dog crossed the finish line during the team sprint on Feb. 18.
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 18, 2026The skiers seemed apprehensive once they noticed the dog just past the finish line, but he seemed friendly, giving each competitor a sniff and soaking up the attention. Unfortunately, the team sprint requires two competitors, leaving the dog one shy of qualifying.
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6. Lindsey Vonn's comeback ends with crash
41-year-old Lindsey Vonn's Olympic comeback bid was already set to be one of the biggest stories of the winter games before she suffered a torn ACL less than two weeks before competition was set to start. Once Vonn decided to continue competing on a torn ACL, all eyes were on her.
Unfortunately, Vonn's medal hopes went up in smoke when she suffered a gruesome broken leg in a crash on Feb. 8. Vonn's ACL injury didn't appear to be a factor in the crash, as she lost control after her arm hit a gate, but the devastating injury ended her Olympic run and forced her to undergo a handful of surgeries.
MORE: Explaining Lindsey Vonn's serious injuries after crash
5. 'Penisgate' rumors steal the headlines
Two years after a pole vaulter's genitalia had an unfortunate run-in with the bar at the Summer Olympics, 'Penisgate' became a ski jumping storyline in 2026.
Rumors first surfaced out of Germany that ski jumpers might be artificially enlarging their penises through injections so they could wear larger suits and therefore increase lift and reduce drag. Suits are specifically fitted for each athlete, but they have to cover the full length of an individual's genitalia, for obvious reasons.
The rumors intensified when a plastic surgeon said he injected a ski jumper's penis a month before the Olympics, but the International Ski and Snowboard Federation dismissed the reports as a "wild rumor." The World Doping Agency, however, said it would investigate the claims.
Whether an investigation finds any violations or not, 'Penisgate' won't soon be forgotten.
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4. Alysa Liu becomes American superstar
There is no doubt Alysa Liu was a superstar in the figure skating community before the Olympics, but let's be honest: fame in the figure skating world rarely translates to national superstardom in the United States.
Well, Liu has crossed the Rubicon. The 20-year-old captivated America with her gold medal-winning free skate routine, which made her the USA's first women's singles figure skating gold medalist in 24 years, and her bubbly personality quickly turned her into a star.
ALYSA LIU'S GOLD-WINNING FREE SKATE ROUTINE! ⭐️ #WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/mH8tZkFCdK
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 20, 2026After Liu won gold, she became a viral sensation, bringing Americans together during an Olympics that, at times, were marred by political division. Liu's follower count exploded on social media in the days following her gold medal performance, and she certainly created some new figure skating fans along the way.
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3. Jack Hughes scores the golden goal
For all of the controversies at the 2026 Olympics, few moments had more virality than the gold medal-winning goal by USA hockey star Jack Hughes.
The United States spent most of the gold medal game against Canada scratching and clawing for offensive opportunities, but after a stellar performance by goalie Connor Hellebuyck, Hughes didn't waste an overtime advantage. The Devils standout took a pass from Zach Werenski and fired it past Jordan Binnington, sending the American team into a frenzy.
JACK HUGHES DELIVERS AMERICA'S GOLDEN MOMENT IN OVERTIME. pic.twitter.com/4foFDOri53
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 22, 2026Hughes' goal gave the United States its first men's hockey gold medal since 2000.
MORE: Jack Hughes' missing teeth steal the show after golden goal
2. Canada curling controversy
Scandal rocked the curling tournament in Milan when Sweden's Oskar Eriksson accused Marc Kennedy and Canada of cheating by double-touching stones with his finger to gain an advantage.
Marc Kennedy knew where the Olympic cameras recorded fouls.
These cameras don't see his kind of curling rule breaking.
The Swedes knew too.
So they set up a camera to embarrass Canada.
Love it. pic.twitter.com/JfNk5R5jQ9
Kennedy was visibly upset when Eriksson tried to address the issue, telling Eriksson to "f— off."
"I haven't done it once," Kennedy said, but Eriksson told Kennedy he would show him a video proving that the stone was double-touched.
"How about you walking around on my peel last end, dancing around in the house here? How about that?" Kennedy responded. "Come on Oskar, just f— off."
The judge couldn't conclusively determine whether Kennedy cheated, but the controversy continued when Switzerland similarly accused Canada of double-touching in a separate match. On the women's side, Canada had a stone removed for double-touching.
Canada went on to win the men's gold medal.
1. Norwegian biathlete admits to cheating on girlfriend in bizarre interview
A typical interview with an athlete who just medaled at the Olympics is predictable, but Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Laegreid had a surprise in store for viewers after winning bronze in the individual biathlon on Feb. 10.
Speaking in Norwegian, Laegrid passed on the usual messages of gratitude and instead admitted he cheated on his girlfriend.
"There is something I want to share with someone who may not be watching today," Laegreid said, translated from Norwegian. "Half a year ago, I met the love of my life. The world’s most beautiful and nicest person. Three months ago, I made the mistake of my life and cheated on her, and I told her about that a week ago. This has been the worst week of my life."
Laegrid went on to say he "had the gold medal in life" and wished he could share the medal with her. Contacted by a Norwegian tabloid, the woman said Laegrid's infidelity was "hard to forgive" but added that she did find the biathlete's words "moving."
Laegrid won five medals at the winter games, though none were gold. Whether he has any chance of getting back together with "the gold medal in life" isn't clear.
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