While the victories and gold medals are what go down in the history books, there’s a lot more that makes the Olympics special. The Games are a place for connection, a spectacle of pageantry and elegance, and, sometimes, the perfect setting for romantic sparks to fly. As we reach the halfway point of the Milan Cortina Olympics, here are some of the storylines we’ve loved to love.

It’s every athlete’s dream to come back from the Olympics with a medal, let alone a gold one. So, when Breezy Johnson won her first medal eight years after competing in her Olympic debut, it was a special moment. Johnson’s gold in women’s downhill was the first U.S. medal of the Olympics, a triumphant moment in and of itself.

However, that wouldn’t be her only special moment. While Johnson didn’t win a medal in the women’s team combined (despite finishing first in her leg of the two-part event) or super-G, an even bigger prize awaited her.

Rest assured, though, you don’t have to be a few days removed from winning gold to receive a ring.

On the slopes, Chloe Kim rises above all, soaring above halfpipes that stand 22 feet tall. When we’re talking about people standing on the ground, few rise above Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, who stands at 6-foot-4.

One thing the couple share in common is domination of their sports. In the 2025 season, Garrett broke the National Football League record for most sacks in a single season with 23. At Milan Cortina, Kim won her third consecutive Olympic medal in the women’s halfpipe event, tying Shaun White, Kelly Clark and Ayumu Hirano for the most total medals by a halfpipe athlete.

Figure skaters Madison Chock and Evan Bates first met as teenagers when Chock moved to Michigan to pursue her Olympic dream. Over the years, their chemistry grew on and off the ice. They married two years ago and recently won their second straight gold medal in the team event, as well as silver in the ice dance.

Another Team USA couple, Brittany Bowe and Hilary Knight, are hoping to end their Olympic careers on a high note while dating. Bowe, a speed skater, has won a bronze medal each of the last two Olympics and nearly added another in the women’s 1000m. Knight is looking to cement her legacy as one of the greatest hockey players in the country’s history, tying the career Olympic goals and points records in pursuit of her second gold medal.

It wouldn’t be an article that mentions hockey and romance in early 2026 without bringing up the popular novel and TV show Heated Rivalry. In addition to Knight’s relationship, there are some other couples on the ice.

If you’re looking for a duo that best fits the theme of the show, consider Sweden's Anna Kjellbin and Finland’s Ronja Savolainen. While they’re engaged off the ice, they play for different teams in the Professional Women’s Hockey League as well as at the Olympic Winter Games. Despite their close connection, Savolainen has openly talked about showing no mercy to Kjellbin on the ice. That certainly doesn’t seem likely to change with the two potentially facing off with a medal in the line.

If you’re looking for a duo that's together on and off the ice, see Canadian forwards Marie-Philip Poulin and Laura Stacey. Poulin is the one of the most decorated members in Canadian women’s hockey, although she’s dealt with injury so far in these Games. Stacey is a strong player in her own right and was one of Canada’s top scorers when they won gold in Beijing. The longtime national teammates married in September 2024.

While athletes are very focused for most of their time at the Olympics on training and competition, the Olympic Village can offer the right atmosphere for sparks to fly when there is downtime. American biathlete Deedra Irwin and snowboarder Robbie Burns met at the Opening Ceremony in Beijing. Fast forward four years, and there was Irwin at the Opening Ceremony again — this time, with an engagement ring on her finger, given to her by Burns. 

But if your heart is aching a bit on this Valentine’s Day, take comfort in there being other ways athletes can connect rather than just the power of love. After all, at least if you’re talking to Team USA, nothing screams building friendships like … knitting?

Cross-country skier Ben Ogden and moguls skiers Liz Lemley and Jaelin Kauf, among others, have all taken up the practice. Whether it’s for relaxation, bragging (as fellow cross-country skier Gus Schumacher claimed Ogden was doing on his personal blog), or distributing merch to friends and family like for Lemley and Kauf. It’s so crazy it just might work, as Ogden won Team USA’s first men’s cross-country medal in 50 years, while Lemley and Johnson finished one-two in women’s moguls. Now that’s something everyone can love.