American patriotism shines on the Olympic stage

Published February 20, 2026 1:48pm ET



From figure skating to hockey to skiing, it has been a good few days for American patriotism on the global sports stage at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Thursday was a banner day for American gold, with the U.S. women’s hockey team winning in sudden-death overtime against Canada. After steamrolling all challengers (including Canada the first time), the Americans trailed Canada 1-0 until there were two minutes left. Team captain Hilary Knight scored on a deflection to send it to overtime, and Megan Keller scored the winner in sudden death, capping a phenomenal run for the team. The American women then stood arm in arm and sang along to the national anthem.

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