As the 2026 Winter Olympics command global attention in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, a quieter but historically charged moment is unfolding a few nations to the north. Denmark’s Bruun Rasmussen is bringing to auction a first-place silver medal from the 1896 Athens Games —the first Olympics of the modern era.

Davidson College Visiting Assistant Professor of Classics Allison Smith examines the "distant echoes" of the original Olympic Games and how they compare to the modern global competition. The discussion explores the evolution of the games from a sacred religious sanctuary at Olympia to today's "moving circus" of international host cities.

This is the first Olympics in 50 years where the move hasn't been illegal—and Malinin’s backflip has long been known as the “Bonaly flip.”

A former figure skating Olympian gold medalist doesn't buy that reason, though. He believes he knows exactly why Malinin stumbled in the biggest moment of his professional career: the media. More news: The Night the ‘Quad God’ Ilia Malinin Fell Back to Earth at the Olympics More news: Shocking Photo Reveals Alarming Figure Skating Conditions at the Olympics Russia's Evgeni Plushenko won the men's individual event at the Torino Games in Italy 20 years ago.

The 21-year-old was the gold medal favorite entering 2026 Winter Olympics. He took a more than five-point lead into Friday's free skate. But the self-proclaimed "Quad God" had a disastrous performance,

I already know that a lot of people are using condoms, or giving them to their friends outside of the Olympics because it’s a kind of gift for them.” While medals remain the official currency of success,

Here's a look at the latest medal standings after all the action wrapped up on Saturday, Feb. 14. Find the upcoming medal event schedule below. USA TODAY Sports has a team of more than a dozen journalists on the ground in Italy to bring you behind the scenes with Team USA and keep you up to date with every medal win,