Winter Olympic Games champion, while Kerrigan won the silver medal. Johann Olav Koss of Norway won three gold medals, coming first in all of the distance speed skating events. 13-year-old Kim Yoon-Mi became the youngest-ever Olympic gold medallist when South Korea won the women's 3,000 meter speed skating relay. Russia won the most events, with eleven gold medals, while Norway achieved 26 podium finishes, collecting the most medals overall on home ground. Juan Antonio Samaranch described Lillehammer as "the best Olympic Winter Games ever" in his closing ceremony speech. The 1998 Winter Olympics were held in the Japanese city of Nagano and were
Italy at the Olympics Italy at the Olympics Italy has competed at all the modern Olympic Games Italy has taken part in all the Winter Olympic Games, winning 124 medals, and 577 medals at the Summer Olympic Games. Italy has won a total of 246 gold medals which makes them the 6th most successful country in Olympic history, after the USA, the Soviet Union, Germany, Great Britain and France. Italy has the sixth highest medal total of all time with 701. The Italian National Olympic Committee was created in 1908 and recognised in 1913. The Italian Olympic Team has also competed in the Mediterranean