Antholz-Anterselva. Bormio. Livigno. Predazzo. Tesero. Verona. Milano. Cortina d’Ampezzo. These territories across northern Italy host the events of the XXV Winter Olympic Games, Milano Cortina 2026. The best in the world skate, ski, and slide for personal and national glory. All sixteen sports require effortless glide, command of aerodynamics, and the ability to absorb an icy impact, if needed.
While everyone arrives with dreams of ascending the podium to receive an Olympic medal, the best moments don’t solely live in ceremonies. If you haven’t tuned in here’s a sampling of the last 14 days:
Enthusiastic Celebration
Following speed skater Francesca Lollobrigida’s victory in the Women’s 3000m, the camera flipped to her husband. He joyously bounced their 2-year-old son in celebration, as if to say “Look at your mother! Look at her! She won gold!”
Good Line
For some of us, curling is a once in every four-year event. You don’t need to understand the scoring or the stone scattering strategy to enjoy Mixed Doubles with the United States and Italy. Has anyone else adopted Stefania Constantini’s “buona linea”?
Fly Gear
Staying safe looked cool at the Short Track Speed Skating arena and in the mountains. Team South Korea donned blue, gold, and red helmets with a fierce white tiger in the middle. Some members of Team China sported gorgeous gold helmets with a red dragon encasing the top. Several Snowboard and Freestyle Skiing teams wore Oakley’s AURA Collection. The highlight is the MOD1 helmet in a color shifting chrome finish mixing purple, green, red and gold.
Music Notes
Figure skating is the gift of artistry and athleticism. United States Ice Dancing pair Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik set their Rhythm Dance to Bell Biv Devoe’s “Poison” in their first Olympics. In the Women’s Single Skating Short Program, two legendary voices filled the venue. Livia Kaiser of Switzerland competed to Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” and Mone Chiba of Japan was pure joy to Donna Summer’s “Last Dance”.
The Men’s Single Skating Short Program overflowed with delights! Yuma Kagiyama of Japan skated to a mix of Stevie Wonder’s “I Wish”. Aleksandr Selevko of Estonia donned purple for his performance to Prince’s “Kiss”. Tomas Guarino Sabate of Spain delighted the crowd with “The Minions”, overalls, yellow shirt and all.
Wild Rides
Freestyle Skiing has every flavor in the ice cream shop. Slopestyle drops skate park rails, boxes and jumps down the side of a mountain. Big Air competitors ride down a 55 meter (180 feet) high ramp to hit a quaint 720 or a Forward Double Cork 1440. Moguls combine skiing between bumps, the moguls, into jumps for a Loop Grab Full or a 1080 spin. In Men’s Dual Moguls, Nick Page and Ikuma Horishima raised a ruckus down the course. Short Track Speed Skating relays are a lesson in well organized chaos. Alessandro Haemmerle of Austria trusted his experience to rally from third position to win gold in Men’s Snowboard Cross.
History & Host Country Heroes
Dedication and sacrifice pay off for Olympians. Laila Edwards is the first Black woman to play for the United States’ Women’s Hockey Team. She’s a gold medalist following the United States overtime victory over Canada. Elana Myers Taylor won her first gold medal in Women’s Monobob. Her Olympic medal total is now six and she is the most decorated female bobsledder in history. Team Japan dominated Snowboarding earning nine medals across six disciplines.
Francesa Lollobrigida matched her Speed Skating 3000m result with another gold medal in the 5000m, winning by 0.10 seconds. Federica Brignone skied to gold in the Women’s Super G and Giant Slalom. In April 2025 she suffered a crash that resulted in multiple leg fractures. She started walking in the summer and returned to the slopes last month.
Heartstrings
Maxim Naumov of the United States held a photo of he and his parents in the “kiss and cry” following his short program and free skate. His parents were tragically killed in the collision of American Airlines Flight 5342 and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter in January of 2025. Adam Siao Him Fa of France delivered on artistry and technique eliciting elation from his coaches. One kept it cool, the other channeled game clenching touchdown energy.
Shaun White took a ride on the snowboard half pipe for an NBC Primetime segment. He misses it as much as we miss seeing him compete. Nick Baumgartner of the United States is the oldest Snowboard competitor at 44 years old. He said that he’ll go until he’s not having fun or the body says enough. The joy is the point! Another joy ambassador is Alysa Liu. Figure skating is her art and she’s here to share it with us. Her abundant and balanced mindset earned her Olympic gold in Women’s Single Skating.
World class competition is not over. The Winter Paralympic Games are March 6-15.
