The 2026 Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, brought athletes from around the world together to compete for gold in winter competitions. The events spanned across 18 days, from February 4 to February 22. Ninety-two countries competed, along with over 3,500 athletes. The games brought together not only the best athletes but also fans from all over the world, creating an electric atmosphere in Milan Cortina. Spectators filled the venues, celebrating the winter sports and international unity.
For over 1000 years, the sport of ski mountaineering has captivated audiences from all around the world. It originated in the European Alps, with its original purpose being for navigating, patrolling, and fighting in high alpine terrain during winter. Over time, with technology and alpine racing, ski mountaineering made its official Olympic debut at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games. There were a total of 36 participants for ski mountaineering, with 18 Men and 18 Women in this year’s Olympics. There were 3 different types of races, which varied from the men’s sprint, women’s sprint, and mixed relay. These events debuted on February 19th at the Stelvio Ski Centre. This sport focuses mainly on racing up and down snowy terrain, combining endurance and speed. It tests athletes through vertical ascents, transitions to hiking with skis on their backs, and fast descents, with a high emphasis on speed during rapid equipment changes. After a hard-fought race, Emily Harrop and Thibault Anselmet barely came out with the gold medal for France, followed by Switzerland and Spain.
One of the most well-known winter Olympic sports is curling. Curling is a tactical team sport that consists of four players per team. The goal of the game is to slide a 44 lb stone towards a circular target called the house. A key aspect of this sport is “sweeping.” Players sweep the ice in front of the moving stone to melt the ice, which makes the stone travel further and straighter. Similar to ski mountaineering, there was a men’s bracket, a women’s bracket, and a mixed bracket at this year’s Olympics. Sweden beat the U.S for gold in the mixed doubles. In the Women’s bracket, Sweden also won gold over Canada. In the men’s bracket, Canada took home the gold medal, beating Great Britain.
Figure skating at this year’s Olympics caught many people’s attention. The competition featured both individual and pair events, where skaters performed cool routines with jumps, spins, and lifts on the ice. In the single events, the Men’s and Women’s categories were very competitive. Skaters were executing perfect performances, leaving the crowd shocked. The mixed events were equally as entertaining. In the end, Russia took home the gold in both the men’s and women’s singles, while China won the paired competition.
Freestyle skiing was also a jaw-dropping event in this year’s Olympics that had people on the edge of their seats. These athletes showcased their high, daring jumps while doing tricks in the air. The competition included moguls, aerials, slopestyle, and halfpipe, each testing the skier’s true skill and bravery. In the mogul event, the skiers raced down a steep, bumpy slope while doing tricks to earn points. Aerials is where the skiers are launched off massive jumps to perform flips and spins, shocking the crowd with their skills. The Slopestyle and halfpipe events had skiers perform a variety of flips, spins, and grinds on the rails. The competition was very competitive, with countries like Canada, the U.S., and France dominating the podium. In the end, Canada’s Mikaël Kingsbury clinched gold in moguls, while the U.S. and France took home medals in other events.
Hockey at this year’s Olympics drew lots of attention. The games showcased the intensity and skill of the world’s best hockey players. Both the men’s and women’s tournaments showcased fast-paced, physical games with countries like Canada, the U.S., Sweden, and Russia dominating. The games were filled with thrilling plays, last-minute goals, and intense penalty shootouts. In the men’s competition, the U.S. claimed the gold medal after a very tight game. In the women’s game, the U.S. also won gold. Ethan Fishbein watched the U.S. vs Canada men’s golf medal game and said, “I really enjoyed watching the gold medal game. It was a very back-and-forth game, and I am very happy with the outcome being from the U.S. I am also a huge fan of the Panthers, so that made me root for one of my favorite players, Mathew Tkachuck.”
Overall, the 2026 Winter Olympics showed more than just great athletic performances. It showed how sports can bring people from around the world together. Athletes competed with determination while fans celebrated their countries and the spirit of competition. The games created exciting and memorable moments that highlighted the unity and inspiration the Olympics brought to the world.
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