Key Athletes to Watch at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics

Alpine Skiing: Vonn’s Comeback and Shiffrin’s Form

One of the most anticipated moments at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics will be the women’s downhill race on February 8 in Cortina d’Ampezzo, where 41-year-old Lindsey Vonn, who returned to alpine skiing after retirement, aims to defend her title from Vancouver 2010.

Vonn’s journey has been marked by her struggles with injuries and a titanium prosthesis to alleviate knee pain. Fans were alarmed when she fell violently in Crans Montana, suffering a left knee injury that puts her participation in doubt. However, Vonn quickly clarified that her Olympic dream is far from over and confirmed she still plans to compete in the downhill.

Her compatriot, Mikaela Shiffrin, is expected to perform well. She secured her ninth slalom title in the Alpine Skiing World Cup earlier this year and has won seven out of eight slalom races. Shiffrin aims to erase the disappointment from Pekín 2022, where she left empty-handed.

Alpine Skiing: The Men’s Downhill and Franzoni vs. Odermatt

In men’s alpine skiing, one of the highlights will be watching Italian sensation Giovanni Franzoni challenge Swiss favorite Marco Odermatt in the downhill. Odermatt has won four consecutive World Cup generals, and Franzoni already upset him in Kitzbühel earlier this year.

Figure Skating: Ilia Malinin’s Dominance

Since his international debut in 2022, Ilia Malinin has emerged as a world figure skating phenomenon. The 21-year-old American is a two-time Grand Prix final champion and holds an impressive resume. As the son of high-level figure skaters, Malinin often emphasizes his desire to innovate and push boundaries in the sport.

Malinin has expressed confidence in his ability to execute a jump with five rotations. He began the season strongly, winning in Angers, France, mid-October and captivating audiences at the Grand Prix final in December in Nagoya, Japan.

Cross-Country Skiing: Klaebo’s Historical Pursuit

At 29, Norwegian Johannes Klaebo achieved an unprecedented feat in cross-country skiing in March: winning all seven titles at the Trondheim World Championships, across different disciplines and styles.

With five Olympic gold medals (two from Pekín 2022 and three from Pyeongchang 2018), Klaebo can aim to break the record of most gold medals in Winter Olympics history, currently shared by eight Norwegian athletes: Marit Björgen (cross-country skiing), Björn Daehlie (cross-country skiing), and Ole Einar Björndalen (biathlon).

Klaebo started his current season with a bang, surpassing the symbolic milestone of 100 individual victories in World Cup events by early December.

Freestyle Skiing: Chloe Kim and Eileen Gu’s Triple Threat

American snowboarder Chloe Kim aims for a third consecutive Olympic gold in halfpipe, following her victories in 2018 (at age 18) and 2022. Despite a shoulder injury earlier this year, she has maintained her intention to compete in Milan Cortina.

Chinese star Eileen Gu suffered a fall during training in New Zealand in August. Since then, she has improved steadily and won the halfpipe event in Secret Garden, China, and slopestyle in Laax, Switzerland, in January.