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2026 Milano Cortina Olympics: Athletes to Watch
The Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games were held in northern Italy from February 6 to 22, 2026. The international athletic competition featured 116 events across 16 winter sports and drew some 2,900 athletes from 90 countries. Which competitors should be on your radar? Read on for our list of athletes who made news at the 2026 Winter Games.
Alpine skiing
Mikaela Shiffrin
Mikaela Shiffrin is one of the most dominant athletes in Alpine skiing. She is a five-time World Cup overall champion (2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, and 2023), and in 2023 she surpassed Swedish skier Ingemar Stenmarkâs record of 86 World Cup victories. Although Shiffrin won three Olympic medals (two gold and one silver) between the 2014 and 2018 Games, she came away empty-handed at the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022. After suffering a serious injury during competition in late 2024, she bounced back impressively during the fall 2025 season, winning four of four World Cup competitions. Shiffrin placed fourth in her first event at Milano Cortina, the team combined. She also did not medal in the giant slalom. However, she rebounded with a win in the slalom.
- Country: United States
- Birth date: March 13, 1995
- Olympic medals: 3 gold, 1 silver
Lindsey Vonn
Like Shiffrin, Lindsey Vonn is one of the best Alpine skiers of all time. She won four womenâs World Cup overall championships (2008â10 and 2012) and became, in 2019, the first woman to win 82 World Cup races. She also claimed three Olympic Winter Games medals and eight world championship medals during her international racing career. Vonn retired in 2019, but five years later she announced her return to the sport. In December 2024 she competed in her first World Cup race since her retirement, finishing 14th in the super-G. The 41-year-old Vonn made history in December 2025, when she became the oldest downhill skier to win a World Cup race. It was also her first World Cup win in some seven years, bringing her total to 83. Nine days before the start of the Milano Cortina Games, she crashed during a race and tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) but was determined to compete. However, she crashed 13 seconds into her downhill run and had to be airlifted off the course. She later had multiple surgeries for a leg fracture.
- Country: United States
- Birth date: October 18, 1984
- Olympic medals: 1 gold, 2 bronze
Bobsledding
Kaillie Humphries
Kaillie Humphries is a Canadian-American bobsled pilot who, with her brakewoman partner Heather Moyse, was the first Canadian to win an Olympic gold medal in the womenâs bobsled event; they won in 2010 and 2014. She won a bronze medal, with new partner Phylicia George, in 2018. Humphries later attained U.S. citizenship and in 2022 won gold in monobob as a member of the U.S. team. At the 2026 Games she won bronze medals in monobob and two-women bobsleigh.
- Country: Canadian-born, now representing the United States
- Birth date: September 4, 1985
- Olympic medals: 3 gold, 3 bronze
Cross-country skiing
Johannes HĂžsflot KlĂŠbo
Not yet 30 years old entering the Milano Cortina Games, Johannes HĂžsflot KlĂŠbo was well on his way to becoming one of the most decorated cross-country skiers in history, with more than 100 World Cup victories to his name. His auspicious Olympic debut came at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games, where he won three gold medals, tied for most individual victories at those Games. Those wins also made him, at 21 years old, the youngest Olympic champion in cross-country skiing. He added two more golds, a silver, and a bronze in Beijing in 2022. KlĂŠbo continued to set a high standard: At the 2025 world championships, he finished first in all six menâs events. KlĂŠbo began the 2026 Games with gold medal victories in the menâs skiathlon, sprint classic, and menâs 10-km cross-country skiing events. KlĂŠbo then helped Norway win the 4 Ă 7.5 relay race. It was his ninth career gold medal, the most for a winter Olympian. He extended the record by winning a gold medal in both the team sprint and the 50-km mass start. KlĂŠboâs six gold medals at the Milano Cortina Games set a record for most gold medals won at a single Winter Olympics.
- Country: Norway
- Birth date: October 22, 1996
- Olympic medals: 11 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze
Figure skating
Donovan Carrillo
Donovan Carrillo was introduced to international audiences during the 2022 Beijing Games, where he became the first figure skater to represent Mexico at the Winter Olympics since 1992. After serving as a flag bearer for his country during the opening ceremony, Carrillo skated a personal-best short program and qualified for the free skate competition, making him the first Mexican skater to advance that far in Olympic competition. He ultimately finished 22nd. Carrillo had a similar showing at the Milano Cortina Games. He qualified for the free skate competition, after finishing 23rd in the short program, and in the end again finished 22nd overall.
- Country: Mexico
- Birth date: November 17, 1999
- Olympic medals: 0
Yuma Kagiyama
Prior to the Milano Cortina Winter Games, Yuma Kagiyama was considered to be the figure skater with the best shot to challenge the heavy gold-medal favorite Ilia Malinin. Kagiyama was the silver medalist in the singles and team events at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games. He had injuries in his left leg that prevented him from competing for most of the 2022â23 season, but he successfully returned to competition after that. Kagiyama was the runner-up to Malinin at the world championships in 2024 and placed third at that event in 2025 (which Malinin won). In December 2025 Kagiyama finished second behind Malinin at the Grand Prix. At the 2026 Olympics, he led Japan to a silver medal in the team event, during which he bested Malininâs score in the menâs short program segment. Several days later, Kagiyama came in second to Malinin in the short program, the first part of the menâs singles competition. Kagiyamaâs free skate was shaky, but Malinin followed with a disastrous performance and finished out of medal contention. Kagiyama finished in second behind Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan, who took gold in an enormous Olympic upset.
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- Country: Japan
- Birth date: May 5, 2003
- Olympic medals: 4 silver
Alysa Liu
Alysa Liu was in the midst of a remarkable comeback leading up to the 2026 Games. In 2019 she made history when, at the age of 13, she became the youngest female to win the U.S. figure skating championships. That year she also became the first American female skater to land a quadruple lutz in competition. In 2022 she made her Olympic debut, finishing seventh. While seemingly on the brink of stardom, the 16-year-old Liu retired from the sport. After living the ânormal, teenage-girl, older-sister lifeâ for several years, she decided to return to figure skating in 2024. The following year she stunned the sports world by winning the world championships. In 2026 she captured a silver medal at the U.S. championships. Later that year at the 2026 Games, she helped the United States win a gold medal in the team event. In womenâs singles, Liu showcased her joyful, fluid skating style and took home the gold medal, making her the first American individual womenâs figure skating medalist since Sasha Cohen, who won silver in 2006.
- Country: United States
- Birth date: August 8, 2005
- Olympic medals: 2 gold
Ilia Malinin
Ilia Malinin is an American figure skater who in his short career has achieved athletic feats in his sport that many thought impossible. He was the first and, as of 2026, the only skater to land a quadruple axelâthe hardest jump in skatingâin competition (2022). He was also the first and again, as of 2026, the only skater to land seven quadruple jumps cleanly in competition (2025). He entered the Olympic games as the prohibitive favorite to win gold in the menâs competition. He made his Olympic debut at the 2026 Games, where he won a gold medal in the team event. But despite leading going into the free skate, he had a disastrous and uncharacteristic performance, falling twice and finishing eighth. âI blew it,â he said after the skate.
- Country: United States
- Birth date: December 2, 2004
- Olympic medals: 1 gold
Maxim Naumov
Maxim Naumov began skating at age five, encouraged by his parents, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who were former pair figure skaters. In 2013 he was named the U.S. juvenile champion, and seven years later he won the junior championships. In January 2025 his parents were killed after their passenger plane collided with a helicopter in the Washington, D.C., area. The following year Naumov placed third at the U.S. championships, earning a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. After his performance in the free skate, he held up a photo of his parents and later credited them for his success. At Milano Cortina, after skating a clean performance in the short program, he fell to his knees, looked skyward, and said âLook what we just did,â in tribute to his parents. Naumov advanced to the free skate portion of the menâs singles event and ultimately finished in 20th place.
- Country: United States
- Birth date: August 1, 2001
- Olympic medals: 0
Freestyle skiing
Eileen Gu
Eileen Gu is a Chinese American freestyle skier who won a trio of medals, including two golds, at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. Only 18 years old at the time, she became the youngest Olympic champion in freestyle skiing and the first competitor in her sport to capture three medals in one Winter Games. Although Gu was born and raised in the United States, since 2019 she has represented the Peopleâs Republic of China, where her mother was born, in international competition. Since the 2022 Games, Gu maintained a packed schedule: She is a full-time student at Stanford University, works as a model for major fashion brands and international corporations, and has continued to be a top-level skier, especially in the half-pipe event. Gu competed again for China at the 2026 Games. She won a silver medal in both of her first two events, slopestyle and Big Air, and later claimed a gold medal in the half-pipe.
- Country: American-born, competing for China
- Birth date: September 3, 2003
- Olympic medals: 3 gold, 3 silver
Ice hockey
Macklin Celebrini
Macklin Celebrini is an up-and-coming ice hockey player who made his Olympic debut in 2026 playing for the Canadian national team. He was just 17 years old when he entered Boston University in the fall of 2023. Following a standout season, he became the youngest-ever winner of the Hobey Baker Award, which honors the best collegiate hockey player. In 2024 Celebrini was drafted by the San Jose Sharks with the number one pick in the NHL draft. By his sophomore season in the NHL, Celebrini was already considered to be among the best players in the league. At Milano Cortina, Celebrini was one of Canadaâs best offensive players, finishing with 10 points (5 goals and 5 assists), and winning the silver medal.
- Country: Canada
- Birth date: June 13, 2006
- Olympic medals: 1 silver
Sidney Crosby
Sidney Crosby is a Canadian ice hockey player who has had an illustrious career both in the NHL and in Olympic competition. In 2005 he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins, and two years later he became the youngest captain of an NHL team, having broken numerous other records along the way. Crosby led the Penguins to three Stanley Cup championships (2009, 2016, and 2017). In addition, he was a key member of the Canadian menâs hockey team at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. Canada took the gold medal after Crosby scored the game-winning overtime goal in the final against the United States. He added a second Olympic gold medal at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. At the 2026 Games, Crosby was productive through the first several contests, contributing 6 points (2 goals and 4 assists). However, he was injured in the quarterfinals and missed both the semifinal and gold medal games. Canada finished with the silver medal.
- Country: Canada
- Birth date: August 7, 1987
- Olympic medals: 2 gold, 1 silver
Laila Edwards
Laila Edwards is a talented athlete who is the first Black player to be a part of the U.S. womenâs national ice hockey team. Edwards grew up in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, and started playing the sport as a young child. She began attending the University of Wisconsin in 2022 and quickly became a crucial member of the schoolâs hockey team, helping the Badgers win the NCAA championship in 2023 and 2025. Edwards first competed with the senior U.S. womenâs national team in November 2023 and later helped the squad earn a silver medal at the world championships in 2024 and a gold medal in 2025. At Milano Cortina, Edwards was a key contributor, registering 8 points (2 goals and 6 assists), as the U.S. team won the gold medal.
- Country: United States
- Birth date: January 25, 2004
- Olympic medals: 1 gold
Connor McDavid
Connor McDavid is widely considered one of the greatest ice hockey players of his generation. Known for his exceptional speed, vision, and playmaking abilities, McDavid was a first-round draft pick of the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL) in 2015 and became the teamâs captain the next year. He has won five scoring titles and the Hart Trophy for Most Valuable Player three times. NHL players did not compete at the Winter Olympics in 2018 and 2022, so the 2026 Games were McDavidâs first chance to represent Canada at the Olympics. McDavid was his countryâs best player, with 13 points (2 goals and 11 assists), but the team fell short in the gold medal game, losing to the United States.
- Country: Canada
- Birth date: January 13, 1997
- Olympic medals: 1 silver
Sarah Nurse
Sarah Nurse is a Canadian ice hockey forward who plays in the Professional Womenâs Hockey League (PWHL). She was a member of the Toronto Sceptres (2024â25) and joined the new expansion team the Vancouver Goldeneyes starting with the 2025â26 season. Nurse has also been a leading member of her countryâs national womenâs team, helping Canada take home the silver medal at the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Winter Games and the gold medal at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. During the latter tournament, she recorded 18 points (five goals and 13 assists), which set a single-tournament scoring record, and she became the first Black athlete to win an Olympic gold in womenâs hockey. Nurse had a subdued performance at Milano Cortina, contributing just two assists, as Canada took home the silver medal.
- Country: Canada
- Birth date: January 4, 1995
- Olympic medals: 1 gold, 2 silver
Luge
Julia Taubitz
Julia Taubitz is one of the most successful modern lugers, having been named overall World Cup champion five times, including every year from 2022 to 2025. That victory count is second only to that of Natalie Geisenberger, widely considered the best female luger in history. But for a while Olympic success eluded Taubitz: She was a favorite at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games but a crash took her out of the running, and she finished in seventh place. Taubitz had her redemption at Milano Cortina, where she won gold in womenâs singles and team relay.
- Country: Germany
- Birth date: March 1, 1996
- Olympic medals: 2 gold
Nordic combined
Jens LurÄs Oftebro
Jens LurĂ„s Oftebro is a leading competitor in the Nordic combined, which comprises ski jumping and cross-country skiing elements. Oftebro had a strong 2025â26 season leading up to the Milano Cortina Games, winning three events on the World Cup circuit. Those results earned him the number-two ranking in the World Cup standings. In the Gundersen normal hill/10-km event at Milano Cortina, Oftebro was in seventh place after the ski-jumping portion. He then overcame crashing into another competitor in the cross-country race to win the gold medal. Oftebro also took home gold in the Gundersen large hill/10-km and team sprint events.
- Country: Norway
- Birth date: July 21, 2000
- Olympic medals: 4 gold, 1 silver
Short-track speed skating
Choi Min-jeong
Choi Min-jeong ranked third in the world in the 1,500-meter short-track speed skating event, making her a favorite to reach the podium in 2026. She was the reigning two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 1,500-meter event, having won at Pyeongchang in 2018 and Beijing in 2022. Choi also was the overall world champion four times (2015, 2016, 2018, and 2022). In Choiâs first event at Milano Cortina, the mixed team relay, the South Korean team crashed in a semifinal race and did not advance to the final. She also failed to reach the final round in 500 meters and 1,000 meters. Choi then won gold in the womenâs 3,000-meter relay a silver in 1,500 meters, becoming the most decorated South Korean Olympian ever.
- Country: South Korea
- Birth date: September 9, 1998
- Olympic medals: 4 gold, 3 silver
Ski jumping
Nika Prevc
Entering the Milano Cortina Games before turning 21 years old, Nika Prevc was already a highly decorated ski jumper. She was the overall World Cup champion in the 2023â24 and 2024â25 seasons and won two gold medals at the 2025 world championships. In March 2025 she flew for 236 meters (774 feet), setting a new womenâs ski jumping distance world record. Prevc was joined at the 2026 Games by her brother Domen Prevc, who is also an elite ski jumper. Nika Prevc was upset in the normal-hill event at Milano Cortina, finishing in second place. She and her brother, along with two other Slovenian athletes, won the gold medal in the mixed-team normal-hill ski-jumping event. Prevc then took home the bronze medal in the large-hill event.
- Country: Slovenia
- Birth date: March 15, 2005
- Olympic medals: 1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze
Ski mountaineering
Oriol Cardona Coll
Heading into Milano Cortina, Oriol Cardona Coll was ranked number two in the World Cup standings in the sport of ski mountaineering, which made its Olympic debut in 2026. He won a gold medal in the sprint event at the world championships in both 2023 and 2025. His best event is the sprint, in which athletes ascend a slope with a maximum of 70 meters (230 feet) in elevation gain by first using skis with skins attached and then walking in boots before switching back to skis without skins at the top. The races are over quickly: Cardona Collâs winning time at the 2025 world championships was 2 min 45.4 sec. Cardona Coll fulfilled expectations at the 2026 Winter Games, taking home a gold medal in menâs sprint.
- Country: Spain
- Birth date: October 7, 1994
- Olympic medals: 1 gold
Snowboarding
Chloe Kim
Chloe Kim is an American snowboarder who won a gold medal in the half-pipe event at the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Winter Games. She won a second consecutive gold medal in the half-pipe four years later at the Beijing 2022 Winter Games, becoming the first woman to achieve that feat. After taking some time away from the sport following the 2022 Games, Kim entered the 2026 Games as a favorite, having earned her third gold medal in half-pipe at the snowboarding world championships in 2025. However, she fell in two of her three runs in the half-pipe finals and ended up with the silver medal.
- Country: United States
- Birth date: April 23, 2000
- Olympic medals: 2 gold, 1 silver
Speed skating
Jordan Stolz
Jordan Stolz is an American speed skater who in his young career has already toppled long-standing records in the sport. At the 2021 Olympic trials, held at the Pettit National Ice Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Stolz won the 500-meter and 1,000-meter races, setting records for the track that broke marks set by Shani Davis 16 years earlier. Although he did not medal at the subsequent Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022, he later broke numerous world records and won many titles on the international circuit. Perhaps most spectacularly, he racked up 18 consecutive World Cup victories between January 2024 and February 2025. Stolz began the Milano Cortina Games in spectacular fashion, winning the 1,000-meter event with an Olympic record time of 1 min 6.28 sec. He set another Olympic record in the 500-meter race, crossing the finish line in 33.77 sec. The heavy favorite in 1,500 meters, Stolz was upset and finished in second place. He did not medal in the mass start event.
- Country: United States
- Birth date: May 21, 2004
- Olympic medals: 2 gold, 1 silver