Winter Olympics 2026: Everything You Need to Know

As one of the largest stages in athletics, the Olympics returns this month with the 25th Winter Games, hosted jointly in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. This will be Winter Olympics’ first appearance in Europe since Sochi 2014 and in Italy since Turin 2006, and the first of its kind to be co-hosted by two cities. Accordingly, the games are spread out, with Milan hosting various skating and ice events and with others taking place in various locations around Cortina and the Northeast Italian area.

Opening Ceremonies began February 6 as an exciting kick-off to the competition. The production of nearly 1,300 cast members, performers, and volunteers, the ceremony was centered around Milan’s San Siro stadium, Italy’s largest sports venue, but, for the first time, also featured action in multiple locations, highlighting the spread-out nature of the entire event.

Since then, athlete representatives from nearly every country in the world have been competing in 116 medal events across sixteen disciplines. Making its Olympic debut in Milano Cortina 2026 is ski mountaineering, a rigorous and relatively modern discipline derived from practical methods of snowbound travel. It will feature multiple events, such as the sprint race, for men and women, and the mixed relay, all taking place in Bormio, an alpine town in Northern Italy.

More familiar disciplines such as snowboarding, figure skating, and bobsled have returned as well, but not without their own fair share of Milano Cortina 2026 specific changes. One major headline is that, for the first time since Sochi 2014, NHL players will be allowed to compete in hockey events, generating much greater competition and excitement around these events than in prior years. Additionally and impressively, this year’s games will be the most gender-balanced in history, with a record number of 50 events being women’s, not including those that are mixed-gender. This change, a result of adding various events to and increasing gender quotas within certain disciplines, along with others, like the equalising of distances between genders in cross-country ski events, have all contributed in making this Olympics the most fair and inclusive yet.

Nevertheless, the path to Milano Cortina 2026 has not been without its challenges. The ever-developing issue of climate change has caused an increasing reliance on artificially-produced snow, which was produced in large quantities in areas with skiing and other snow-reliant events in order to meet specific Olympic conditions. Additionally, the athletes have endured four long years of training, many overcoming injury or other personal obstacles. Olympic athletes are the embodiment of dedication, a feature that is sure to be shown in their performances.

The Winter Olympic Games began on February 6 and will run until February 22. Tune into your favorite athletes, events, and countries in order to show support and keep in touch with the games!