Audrey Shaud ’28
This winter, the world’s premier athletes in disciplines ranging from ski mountaineering to curling will head to the snow-capped peaks of Milan-Cortina, Italy, to compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics. The competitions will take place from February 6 to February 22, featuring 8 sports and 116 medal events. This year, the United States is sending its largest team in history—232 athletes in total—to the games. Here’s what to be on the lookout for in 3 of the most highly anticipated events: ice hockey, snowboarding, and figure skating.
Ice Hockey
This year, the attention of ice hockey fans around the world will be fixated on two teams in particular: the United States and Canada. Earlier this year, old rivalries and tensions between the two nations reached a fever pitch in the 4 Nations Tournament. Before the championship match began, boos echoed throughout the stadium during the U.S. national anthem in response to recent American threats of tariffs and annexation. After the game began, 3 fights immediately broke out between players from opposing teams within the first 9 seconds. Ultimately, Canada would emerge victorious, beating the Americans in a 3-2 overtime thriller. Reflecting on the event, head coach of the Upper School ice hockey team, Steve Schuh, remarks, “It was great hockey, it was great theater, it really showed the rivalry between the two countries, and also showed how far American hockey has come. The Canadians are a little bit more skilled at this point, but it’s very close.” Luke Godshall ’26, co-captain of the EA ice hockey team, states, “There’s always a lot of hype around it when the teams play each other and a lot of fights; it’s a great sports rivalry.” With such animosity still fresh in the minds of coaches and players alike, fans expect to see the same level of intensity in this year’s Winter Olympics.
Photo courtesy of theguardian.com
Snowboarding
Snowboarding is another widely anticipated event for the United States, largely thanks to the recent popularity of athlete Chloe Kim. At 25 years old, Kim, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, has revolutionized the sport. As a teenager, she became the first female athlete in history to land back-to-back 1080-degree spins, while also becoming the first woman to land a frontside double cork in 2018. Currently, Kim’s dominance in the sport is simply staggering; she is the first woman to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals in the halfpipe and hold all four major titles in snowboarding simultaneously: the Olympics, X Games, World Championships, and Youth Olympics. Furthermore, due to her advocacy for mental health, Kim has amassed a large following on her social media accounts, boasting over 1 million followers on her Instagram account, establishing herself as a recognizable public figure even outside snowboarding circles. Though Kim did recently dislocate her shoulder, she is still expected to compete in the games and defend her status as reigning world champion.
Figure Skating
As with snowboarding, the figure skating scene is similarly centered around one athlete known for their groundbreaking technical prowess: Ilia Malinin. Also known as the “Quad God,” Malinin is a two-time world champion and four-time US champion. His nickname, “The Quad God,” comes from his status as the first and only individual in history to land a quadruple axel—the most difficult jump in figure skating. Additionally, he was the first competitor to land all six different types of quadruple jumps in one routine. Since 2023, Malinin has experienced an unprecedented streak of success, winning his last 14 competitions—the longest winning streak ever recorded since the current scoring system was implemented in 2004. With his breathtaking blend of power, speed, and elegance, Malinin has inspired innumerable young skaters across the country. As the heavy gold medal favorite for the 2026 Winter Olympics, Malinin will aim to continue pushing the limits of human ability while keeping his perfect winning streak alive.
