The United States has the most athletes competing in the Winter Olympics, but is not favored to win the gold medal race.

While the opening ceremonies for the Winter Olympics begin on Friday, the events actually got underway on Wednesday.

The 2026 Winter Olympics are bringing thousands of athletes from around the world together for more than two weeks of competition — and the Games are a gold mine for statistics.

The target number of medals for a country to win the overall medal table is 35. Norway captured 37 medals to top the 2022 Winter Olympics medal table. That was 10 more than Germany in second place and 12 more than Team USA in third.

Athletes from around the world are arriving in Italy for the 2026 Winter Olympics, which begins on February 6.

Most countries that have competed at the Winter Olympics have taken home medals in multiple sports over the years. There are also some that have emerged