From steep slopes to shiny skating rinks, thousands of the world’s best athletes are getting ready to hit the snow and ice in Italy. They’ll show off their jaw-dropping skills at the 2026 Winter Olympics, from February 6 to 22.
Viewers from around the globe will tune in to watch the athletes go for the gold in cross-country skiing, speed skating, and 14 other sports. They’ll also get to see the newest Winter Olympic sport—ski mountaineering. Known as SkiMo, it’s an endurance race that involves climbing a mountain partway on skis and partway on foot, then speeding downhill on skis to the finish line.
The Games will have two official host sites: the city of Milan and the town of Cortina d’Ampezzo. Some of the 116 events will also take place in six other locations across northern Italy, making this the most spread-out Winter Olympics in history.
About 225 U.S. athletes are expected to compete—including snowboarder Chloe Kim (above), alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin, and figure skater Ilia Malinin. National Hockey League players will also return to the Olympics for the first time since 2014.
The United States does not historically top the medal count at the Winter Games, but new stars emerge at each Olympics. Who will dazzle us this time?
—Lisa M. Herrington