The Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games will take place from 6 to 22 February 2026 and are expected to be one of the most exciting editions in recent years, thanks to a strong field of athletes arriving in top competitive form. Established stars aiming to strengthen their Olympic legacy will share the spotlight with emerging talents ready to make an impact on the snow and ice in Italy.

In traditional disciplines such as alpine skiing, athletes like Mikaela Shiffrin arrive as clear favourites after strong World Cup seasons, while in snow sports such as snowboard, riders with a proven medal record add both spectacle and international appeal. On the ice, ice hockey and figure skating feature world-class names, and in technical events such as short track or combined disciplines like biathlon, competition is expected to be particularly intense.

This article brings together a selection of leading stars and medal contenders by sport who could play a decisive role at Milano-Cortina 2026.

List of athletes to watch at Milano-Cortina 2026

Alpine skiing

• Mikaela Shiffrin — United States

• Lindsey Vonn — United States

• Sofia Goggia — Italy

• Federica Brignone — Italy

Snowboard and freestyle snow sports

• Chloe Kim — Snowboard halfpipe, United States

• Queralt Castellet — Snowboard, Spain

• Lucas Eguibar — Snowboard cross, Spain

• Nora Cornell — Snowboard slopestyle and big air, Spain

• Eileen Gu — Freestyle skiing, China

Ice sports: ice hockey and figure skating

• Sidney Crosby — Ice hockey, Canada

• Connor McDavid — Ice hockey, Canada

• Madison Chock and Evan Bates — Ice dance, United States

• Ilia Malinin — Figure skating, United States

• Tomás Guarino — Figure skating, Spain

Short track and speed skating

• William Dandjinou — Short track, Canada

• Arianna Fontana — Short track, Italy

• Nil Llop — Speed skating, Spain

• Daniel Milagros — Speed skating, Spain

• Jenning de Boo — Speed skating, Netherlands

Biathlon and combined events

• Quentin Fillon Maillet — Biathlon, France

Bobsleigh and sliding sports

• Kaillie Humphries — Bobsleigh, United States

Ski mountaineering

• Ana Alonso — Spain

• Oriol Cardona — Spain

• Ot Ferrer — Spain

Curling

• Stefania Constantini and Amos Mosaner — Italy