The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics officially begin February 6, 2026, and run through February 22 across multiple venues in northern Italy. (Olympics)
With the spotlight about to hit the ice and mountains, here are four names you’ll want on your radar the second the Games start.
Ilia Malinin: Figure Skating (United States)
It’s rare to see a 21 year old with a résumé that already reads like an all time great. Malinin is a two-time World Champion, a three-time Grand Prix Final champion, a four-time U.S. national champion and he’s still just getting started. His signature moment came in 2022 when he became the first skater to land a quadruple axel in competition, earning a Guinness World Record and the nickname “Quad God.”
He didn’t make the 2022 Olympic team (selected as an alternate), which makes 2026 even more compelling: this is the Olympic stage he’s been building toward for years, and he enters it as one of the sport’s biggest headliners.
Sarah Nurse: Ice Hockey (Canada)
Sarah Nurse already owns one of the most dominant Olympic performances in women’s hockey history. At Beijing 2022, she was named Best Forward and set records for most points (18) and most assists (13) in a single Olympic tournament. Beyond the Olympics, she’s been a consistent force for Canada at the IIHF Women’s World Championships, stacking medals and proving she’s not a one event star.
In 2026, Nurse isn’t just a player to watch, she’s a difference maker who can tilt an entire tournament.
Jordan Stolz: Speed Skating (United States)
Jordan Stolz is widely viewed as the fastest long-track speed skater in the world right now, and he’s built his dominance across the sport’s most demanding distances: 500m, 1,000m, and 1,500m. He’s collected world titles, stayed undefeated in key World Cup spots this season, and even has pathways to additional medals via team events depending on how the U.S. deploys him.
The “greatest ever” label still belongs to legends like Eric Heiden, but Stolz has something very few athletes have entering an Olympics: a real chance to chase a historic multi-gold run if everything breaks right.
Eileen Gu: Freestyle Skiing (China)
Eileen Gu is the definition of a modern Olympic superstar: athlete, student, model, global brand, and still one of the most feared competitors on snow. She’s 22, grew up in San Francisco, and competes internationally for China. At Beijing 2022, she made history by medaling in all three free ski disciplines (Gold in big air, Gold in halfpipe, Silver in slopestyle), becoming the first to win three freestyle skiing medals at a single Olympics.
When she’s healthy, her ceiling is basically unmatched. If she enters Milano Cortina at full strength and competes across multiple events again, another legacy defining Games is on the table.
What to Know Heading Into Milano Cortina 2026:
From record chasers to breakout debuts, the storylines at Milano Cortina are going to move fast once competition starts. Keep an eye on momentum swings as results stack up early, because confidence and pressure can reshape entire events overnight. If you are watching from the U.S., expect plenty of early starts and some must watch moments happening before most people are even fully awake.
Extra:
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