With the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris being such a success, let’s look to the 2026 Winter Olympics next, but what kind of things should we expect? In this article, it will be revealed : the chosen place the games will be held in, new sports added, and any other exciting things we should look forward to seeing!

Where Will They Take Place?

So without further-a-do, the 2026 Winter Olympic Games will be held in… 

drumroll please…

MILAN! 🇮🇹

Milan is a beautiful city located in Northern Italy known for being home to some of the most famous fashion brands worldwide including : Gucci, Prada, Armani and so much more!

However, why Milan? Well, Milan is simply a city known for amazing cultural experiences, a blend of modern infrastructure with Italy’s artistic heritage, furthermore they have a bid to focus on sustainability. 

However, other cities will be taking part alongside Milan. Here is what the schedule looks like…

• Milan - Will host all major ceremonies and ice sports such as Figure Skating, Ice- Hockey and Speed Skating.

• Cortina d’Ampezzo - Will host Alpine Skiing, Bobsleigh, Luge and Skeleton- Events.

• Bormio - Will also host some Alpine Skiing and Ski Mountaineering Events.

• Livingno - Will be a venue for Freestyle Skiing and Snowboarding Events.

• Anterselva - Will host the Biathlon Events.

• Tesero - Will be a venue for Cross-Country Skiing and Nordic Combined Events.

• Predazzo - Will host Ski-Jumping and other Nordic Combined Events.

• Verona - Will host the Olympic Closing Ceremony, but also the Paralympic- Opening Ceremony.

Should We Be Expecting To See Any New Sports?

The 2026 Winter Olympics will be introducing us to one entirely new sport which is…

Ski Mountaineering! ⛷️⛰️

Ski Mountaineering is a new sport designed to combine three different aspects of skiing : 

• Cross-Country Skiing

• Alpine Skiing

• The Technical Aspects of Mountaineering Challenges

A typical course would include mainly lots of different ascents and descents, to test the athlete’s ability to transition quickly between skiing and hiking. Some aspects of the course may even require them to carry their ski’s on their backs making their body weight much heavier when attempting extremely tricky foot sections. This unbelievably enduring new sport will not only take physical strength, but a strong mindset too (especially throughout the freezing temperatures)! We can’t wait to see how the athletes do! 

There are 2 separate medal events : 

• Sprint : A very fast event for individuals to race over one short uphill section, one also short on-foot section and finally one downhill section.

• Mixed Relay : Male and Female pairs will work together, in-order to complete multiple laps of a longer course.

Other Exciting News!

The games will be broadcast live on the BBC Channels, but you can also catch-up afterwards on BBC Iplayer!

The Olympics is a worldwide phenomenon that brings everybody together, no matter where you are, how you are feeling, what is going on in your life, who you are with, or when you are watching, everybody is welcome! 

The Winter Olympics have “core” morals that consist of : Excellence, Respect and Friendship aiming to promote Sport, Culture and Education for a better world.

I hope this article has got you just as excited as the rest of the world for the very exciting Winter Olympic Games 2026!

“With Glowing Hearts”

~ Winter Olympics 2010 💓

Article by Caera Neeson (S3)

If you are bored and wanting to try something new  then listen in. Here are some sports that you can practice. 

First up Dance !!!

In dance there are lots of different styles of dance such as street dancing,tap dancing,jazz dancing and although all of these styles sound exciting there is also free style (which is when you make up your own dance). I know that I didn’t name every single style of dance but that’s almost impossible. 

Next is Football 

Although football isn’t as creative as dance it is still really fun and interesting. There are some rules that you have to follow if you want to play. In football you have one ball and you have two goals on each side and you have to get the ball into the opposite goal to score a point. Each team has eleven players and you have to work together to score a goal. Team work is needed in order to win.

Another good sport is basketball 

Basketball like football requires teamwork and hand and eye coordination. There are five players on a team. Each team has to run to the other side of the court while keeping the ball in their own team's possession. You have to dribble the ball as you can’t run while holding the ball. 

The next sport I will tell you about is taekwondo 

In taekwondo you need to spend lots of time perfecting your techniques. There are a few levels you need to know how to do if you are going to perform. Some techniques are front kick ,roundhouse kick ,back kick and there is also side kick. 

Last but certainly not least gymnastics

Personally I love gymnastics because I’ve been doing it since I was five years old. In gymnastics you get to be creative and make routines. Like most of the sports I’ve already listed there are different levels and classes. Some of them being display,acro and development the names of all these classes may differ depending on which club you go to. 

There is a sport for everyone so try some of these out. I did list a few but there are so many more that I didn’t but I don’t think anyone could name them all. But here are a few more pickleball , netball , volleyball , kayaking and tennis. So go try one !!!

Article by Eva Friel (S1)