The Winter Olympics 2026 kick off February 6 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, and the stakes have never been higher. Over 3,500 athletes from 93 countries will compete for 195 medals across 116 events—including the debut of ski mountaineering and new competitions like women’s doubles luge and women’s large-hill ski jumping.
But here’s what makes these Games extraordinary: we’re witnessing a generational collision of veterans chasing legacy-defining moments and prodigies rewriting what’s possible in their sports.
Chloe Kim is hunting a historic three-peat in snowboard halfpipe. Mikaela Shiffrin returns after her Beijing heartbreak. Ilia Malinin—the “Quad God” who landed figure skating’s impossible quadruple axel—makes his Olympic debut as the overwhelming favorite.
Meanwhile, Norway enters as the odds-on favorite to win both overall medals (-280) and gold medals (-195), threatening to dominate for the third consecutive Olympics. Germany’s sliding sports dynasty aims to challenge. Team USA? They’re banking on figure skating brilliance and a diverse medal portfolio to potentially upset the Nordic powerhouse.
This isn’t just another Olympics—it’s a referendum on who defines winter sports excellence in 2026. Let’s break down the athletes who will determine which countries stand atop the podium when the flame extinguishes on February 22.
Team USA’s Gold Medal Locks
Ilia Malinin: The Quad God Redefining Figure Skating
At just 21 years old, Ilia Malinin has accomplished what was considered impossible: he’s the first and only skater to land a quadruple axel in competition. He’s also the only athlete to complete seven quadruple jumps in a single program.
The Resume:
- Two-time world champion (2024, 2025)
- Four-time U.S. national champion
- Won 2025 world championship by 31 points
- Outscored competition by 10+ points in both short and free skate
Anything outside of gold would be viewed as a disappointment given his dominance. If Malinin wins, he’d give Team USA back-to-back men’s figure skating golds for the first time since Scott Hamilton (1984) and Brian Boitano (1988).
Medal Prediction: Gold (99% confidence)
Jordan Stolz: Speed Skating’s Multi-Medal Machine
The 21-year-old from Wisconsin captured six world championship gold medals over the past three years in the 500m, 1000m, and 1500m events.
Stolz isn’t chasing one gold—he’s hunting four: the 500m, 1000m, 1500m, and mass start.
After dominating the 1000m and 1500m last season (plus three World Cup wins in the 500m), Stolz enters Milano Cortina as the favorite to medal in his second Olympics.
Medal Prediction: 3 golds (1000m, 1500m, mass start), 1 silver (500m)
Chloe Kim: Chasing Snowboard History
Chloe Kim won gold in the halfpipe at both Pyeongchang 2018 and Beijing 2022. At 25, she’s attempting something no Olympic snowboarder has ever accomplished: a three-peat.
Last year, Kim became the first woman to land a double-cork 1080 (two forward flips while spinning 360 degrees) in competition—a move that cemented her as the sport’s most innovative athlete.
She’ll face stiff competition from fellow American Maddie Mastro and Japan’s Sara Shimizu, but Kim’s technical superiority and competitive experience make her the clear favorite.
Medal Prediction: Gold (Kim), Silver (Mastro or Shimizu)
The United States has dominated Olympic snowboarding with 35 overall medals including 17 golds—more than Switzerland (14 total medals) by a massive margin.
Figure Skating: America’s Path to Dominance
Madison Chock & Evan Bates: The Ice Dance Champions Without Olympic Gold
Chock and Bates are the most dominant ice dance pair in the world right now, yet the one prize eluding them is Olympic gold in ice dance.
Their credentials:
- Five consecutive U.S. championships (seven overall, surpassing Meryl Davis/Charlie White’s record)
- Last two Grand Prix Finals
- Three world championships
- Gold in Beijing team event (but not ice dance)
Competing in their fourth Winter Games together, this husband-and-wife team has one last shot at completing their legacy.
Medal Prediction: Gold
The Women’s Event Wild Card
Alysa Liu and Amber Glenn will contend in the women’s event, though they face fierce international competition. Both are medal contenders, not favorites.
Medal Prediction: Glenn bronze, Liu 4th
Team Event Repeat
Team USA is the reigning winner in the figure skating team event. With Malinin, Chock/Bates, and strong depth across all disciplines, they’re nearly guaranteed to defend that title.
Medal Prediction: Gold
If everything aligns, the Americans could win four figure skating golds—an unprecedented haul that would single-handedly shift the medal count.
Alpine Skiing: Shiffrin’s Redemption Tour
Mikaela Shiffrin: Focused on What She Does Best
Mikaela Shiffrin will compete in her fourth consecutive Olympics since Sochi 2014, where she won slalom gold at just 18.
Olympic history:
- Sochi 2014: Slalom gold
- Pyeongchang 2018: Giant slalom gold, super combined silver
- Beijing 2022: Competed in six events, zero podiums (devastating)
The Beijing disaster changed Shiffrin’s approach. With a new mindset and focus on her best events, she’ll be the gold medal favorite in slalom heading into Cortina.
The key? She’s not overextending. Shiffrin learned that trying to compete in everything can backfire spectacularly.
Medal Prediction: Slalom gold, Giant slalom silver
Men’s Downhill: Switzerland vs. Italy
Sports Illustrated predicts Marco Odermatt (Switzerland) for gold, with Italy’s Dominik Paris taking silver on home snow. Ryan Cochran-Siegle (USA) could contend for bronze.
The Nordic Dominance: Why Norway Keeps Winning
Norway topped the 2022 medal table with 37 medals—10 more than Germany and 12 more than Team USA.
The Biathlon & Cross-Country Machine
Norway banked 11 golds across biathlon and cross-country skiing in Beijing. A similar haul is expected in 2026.
Key Athletes:
Women’s Cross-Country:
- Astrid Øyre Slind (Norway): Will turn 38 during the Games, never competed at Olympics before, favored for multiple golds
- Ebba Andersson (Sweden): Former track athlete, strong medal contender
- Jessie Diggins (USA): America’s most decorated cross-country skier ever with three Olympic medals, contending for 10km freestyle gold
European athletes have won 178 of 182 Olympic golds in cross-country skiing—a dominance unmatched in any other sport.
Ski Jumping: Slovenia’s Rising Star
Nika Prevc (Slovenia) finished the 2024-25 season with ten consecutive individual World Cup victories. She’s favored to win multiple golds, including the new women’s large-hill event.
Germany’s Sliding Sports Dynasty
Germany earned 9 of its 12 golds in Beijing on the sliding track. They’re expected to dominate again.
Francesco Friedrich: Chasing History
In three previous Olympics, Friedrich has earned four gold medals. The 35-year-old bobsled legend has also amassed 18 world titles.
If Friedrich wins gold in either two-man or four-man bobsled, he’ll become the first athlete in his sport to win five Olympic gold medals. Then he could win six.
Medal Prediction: Gold in both two-man and four-man (historic achievement)
Kaillie Humphries: Dual Citizenship Dominance
Humphries is the first athlete to win gold medals for both Canada and the USA, where she became a citizen in 2021.
Olympic medals:
- Vancouver 2010: Two-woman bobsled gold (Canada)
- Sochi 2014: Two-woman bobsled gold (Canada)
- Pyeongchang 2018: Two-woman bobsled bronze (Canada)
- Beijing 2022: Monobob gold (USA)
She’s favored to defend her monobob title and contend in two-woman.
Medal Prediction: Monobob gold, Two-woman silver
The Wildcards & Dark Horses
Eileen Gu: Multi-Discipline Phenomenon
It’s extremely rare for a freestyle skier to excel at both halfpipe and slopestyle, but Eileen Gu is an extreme talent.
At Beijing 2022, she made history as the first freestyle skier to win three medals at a single Games: gold in big air and halfpipe, silver in slopestyle.
She’ll attempt to repeat that feat for China.
Medal Prediction: 2 golds (big air, halfpipe), 1 silver (slopestyle)
Nick Hall: Italian-American Homecoming
Hall, 27, is pursuing his second consecutive Olympic gold in slopestyle. His mother is from Bologna, giving him dual citizenship and making Milano Cortina a homecoming.
A gold would give the U.S. slopestyle gold for the third time in four Winter Olympics.
Medal Prediction: Gold
Erin Jackson: Speed Skating Trailblazer
Jackson made history in Beijing as the first Black American woman to win a medal in speed skating—and the first to win an individual medal at a Winter Olympics.
The 33-year-old didn’t start speed skating until 2016, previously competing in figure skating, inline skating, and roller derby. She’s attempting to defend her 500m gold.
Medal Prediction: 500m silver (Stolz or international skater takes gold)
Ice Hockey: The NHL Factor
For the first time since 2014, NHL players will compete at the Winter Olympics. This gives the U.S. a strong chance to challenge Canada for gold.
Men’s Hockey Prediction: Canada gold, USA silver
Women’s Hockey Prediction: USA gold (dominant program), Canada silver
If both American hockey teams reach the finals as expected, those two events could swing the overall medal count significantly.
The New Sport: Ski Mountaineering (Skimo)
Ski mountaineering makes its Olympic debut at Milano Cortina 2026. Athletes race up and down courses, alternating between being on skis and on foot.
Medals will be awarded in men’s and women’s sprints and a mixed-gender relay.
- Men’s Sprint Gold: Thibault Anselmet (France)
- Women’s Sprint Gold: Emily Harrop (France)
European athletes, particularly from France, Italy, and Spain, dominate this emerging sport.
Final Medal Count Predictions
Based on athlete form, historical performance, and event distribution, here’s how the Winter Olympics 2026 medal table will shake out:
| Rank | Country | Total Medals | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norway | 37 | 16 | 11 | 10 |
| 2 | USA | 32 | 12 | 11 | 9 |
| 3 | Germany | 29 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
| 4 | Canada | 24 | 7 | 9 | 8 |
| 5 | Switzerland | 18 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
Why Norway Wins Again
SportsLine expert Mike Tierney predicts Norway wins the most Olympic gold medals: “They have topped the gold table at the three previous Games. In world championship events across all sports last year, they accumulated 17 golds, two more than runner-up United States.”
Norway’s depth in biathlon and cross-country skiing creates an insurmountable advantage in overall medal count.
Why Team USA Could Pull the Upset
The United States has potential to chase down Norway, dependent on figure skating improvements.
If the Americans sweep four figure skating golds (Malinin, Chock/Bates, team event, plus one women’s medal) and both hockey teams win gold, they could hit 35+ medals and challenge for #1.
The target number to win the overall table is 35 medals—exactly what Norway posted in Beijing.
Germany’s Consistency
Germany specializes in sports that produce large medal hauls—particularly the sliding sports where they’re nearly unbeatable.
They also medal consistently in biathlon, cross-country, Nordic combined, and ski jumping. Solid across the board means a guaranteed top-3 finish.
The Storylines That Will Define These Games
1. Can Anyone Stop Norway?
Norway has won the medal count at the last two Winter Olympics. A three-peat would cement their status as the most dominant winter sports nation in history.
2. Malinin’s Coronation
The Quad God’s Olympic debut is the most anticipated individual event. Anything less than gold would be shocking—and his performance could redefine what’s possible in men’s figure skating.
3. Shiffrin’s Redemption
After the Beijing heartbreak, Mikaela Shiffrin returns with a clear mission: win slalom gold on Italian snow. A victory would be one of the Games’ most emotional moments.
4. Team USA’s Figure Skating Sweep
If Malinin, Chock/Bates, Glenn, and the team event all deliver gold, it would mark America’s most dominant figure skating performance in Olympic history.
5. Chloe Kim’s Historic Three-Peat
No Olympic snowboarder has ever won the same event three consecutive times. Kim has the talent to make history.
How to Watch & Follow
The Winter Olympics 2026 run February 6-22, 2026, with the Paralympic Games following March 6-15.
Events will be held across 15 venues in northern Italy, spread across five clusters around Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Key Dates:
- Opening Ceremony: February 6
- Figure Skating (Men’s): February 11-13
- Alpine Skiing (Slalom): February 20-21
- Ice Hockey Finals: February 21-22
- Closing Ceremony: February 22
The Bottom Line
The Winter Olympics 2026 promise to deliver once-in-a-generation performances across multiple sports.
Norway enters as the favorite, but Team USA has legitimate upset potential if figure skating and hockey deliver. Germany’s sliding dominance ensures a top-3 finish. And individual athletes like Malinin, Kim, Stolz, and Shiffrin will create legacy-defining moments.
This isn’t just another Olympics—it’s a crossroads where veterans chase history and prodigies redefine what’s possible.
The question isn’t whether we’ll see greatness. It’s how many records will fall before the flame goes out on February 22.
Take Action Now
The Winter Olympics 2026 start in days. Share this guide with fellow sports fans and track your favorite athletes’ journeys to glory.
Which athletes are you most excited to watch? Drop your medal predictions in the comments—let’s see who calls the upsets correctly.
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