Emilia Farrall ‘28

by Emilia Farrall ‘28 on January 22, 2026

Opening ceremonies for the 2026 Winter Olympics will begin on Feb. 6 in Milan and Cortina, Italy. People around the world will be tuning in to watch their team compete on a global stage. Unlike the Summer Games, the Winter Olympics feature some events that I find to be rather niche. Events such as figure skating, snowboarding, and ice hockey are definitely well known events, but have you ever heard of ski mountaineering or nordic combined?

 Ski mountaineering, or “skimo” for short, will make its Olympic debut during the 2026 games. The race begins with athletes ascending the mountain on skis. Towards the top of the mountain, the skis are removed and carried on athletes’ backs for the “portage” section of the race. Then it’s all downhill, reattaching their skis for the end of the race. The most competitive races last between 2.5 to three minutes, making it an exciting event for viewers at home. Participants for Team USA include Cameron Smith from Colorado and Anna Gibson from Wyoming.

Nordic combined has been an event at the Winter Games since 1924. It features three events: individual normal hill, individual large hill, and the team sprint large hill. Athletes jump from the hill and receive points based on style and then race to the finish. Essentially it combines who can jump the farthest with who can race the fastest. Nordic combined is only a men’s event, as the International Olympic Committee refused to add a women’s competition to this year’s program. Nordic combined is the only sport reserved only for men in this year’s Olympic Games.

My personal favorite winter sport to watch is skeleton, which made its debut in 1928. It is an individual sport where athletes start with a 30 second sprint before diving headfirst onto their sled down the icy track. Athletes control the sled through slight shifts in their body. Athletes will complete four “runs” usually over the course of a few days, and the athlete with the fastest combined time for the four races is the winner. The United States and Great Britain should lead the way this winter, with three Olympic gold medals apiece in skeleton. Notable members from Team USA include Kelly Curtis who won the silver medal in the 2026 World Cup in St. Moritz with a time of 2:22.12. 

The 2026 Winter Games will be the first to be cohosted by two respective cities, Milan and Cortina. The two cities are 255 miles from each other and are roughly five hours apart by car. All events that take place on ice (except curling) will take place in Milan while the remaining will be held in  Cortina. The opening ceremonies will also be held in Milan. It will be the third Winter Olympics and fourth overall Olympics to be hosted in Italy.