(NEXSTAR) - The United States has reached a milestone of nine gold medals at the Winter Olympics as the competition enters its final three days. US Olympic and Paralympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland credited the achievement to years of preparation and the most robust sports system in the world. The USOPC provides resources and tools to athletes over long-term cycles to prepare them for the high pressure of the Olympic stage. Hirshland described the success of athletes as the "ultimate reward" for the organization's staff, noting that the emotional impact of the games affects the leadership and the public alike. The US has secured 27 total medals with three days remaining in the Winter Games. Hirshland noted that the team's performance has surpassed the results from the Beijing games, emphasizing a goal of continuous improvement across a diverse range of sports. She credited the success to a robust sports system but warned that the nation's leadership in sports cannot be taken for granted. One significant challenge facing the organization is the shifting landscape of collegiate athletics. Hirshland expressed concern that economic incentives in the college system are currently prioritized toward football, which may compromise the funding and survival of Olympic and women's sports on campuses. She suggested that this imbalance could eventually impact the youth sports system and the pipeline for Team USA. To address these systemic issues, Hirshland advocated for federal intervention to standardize the industry. "We need to create some regulation around college sports that is at the federal level and not continue to allow each state to make their own laws," Hirshland said. She noted that federal legislation could mandate proportionate investment in broad-based sports on campus to ensure opportunities remain available for all athletes. Beyond collegiate structure, the USOPC is focusing on direct athlete support through compensation. For the first time, athletes are receiving grants of $100,000 for living expenses and $100,000 for protection. Hirshland emphasized that these funds are meant to help elite athletes afford the high costs of training and health insurance rather than to make them wealthy. "We've got to continue to make sure that our country's best athletes choose this, that they choose to invest their time, energy and talent in this movement," Hirshland said regarding the financial support. She added that she would like to see medal bonuses become more indicative of the level of accomplishment associated with winning a gold medal. Hirshland also highlighted individual achievements that she believes have defined the current games, specifically noting the performance of Alpine skier Michaela Shiffrin. After facing previous competitive struggles, Shiffrin secured a gold medal in a performance Hirshland described as "raw and authentic." "I think watching Michaela was breathtaking," Hirshland said. "When you see an athlete so in the zone that they make it look that effortless, and then to see how she showed up when she won in just a very raw and authentic way." Hirshland also pointed to the figure skating team's gold medal as a standout moment that reflected years of preparation. The US is preparing to host two of the next three Olympic Games, including the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. Hirshland described the upcoming events as a "massive undertaking" that requires intense coordination across different states, geographies and constituencies. She stated the USOPC has worked to build a culture of trust and inclusivity to ensure athletes feel safe and welcome within the movement. With three days of competition left, the USOPC will continue to monitor performance and conduct a statistical review of the results across all sports. Hirshland said the ultimate goal of these moments is to inspire the next generation of competitors. "There's tens of thousands of young people out there who watch that and got motivated by it," Hirshland said. "And that's, at the end of the day, 20 years from now, you want the story from someone who says, I was a little girl and I watched that and I decided I wanted to do that." All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by Nexstar. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by Nexstar staff before being published