Every four years, as the weather starts to cool down, top athletes from various sports begin preparing to represent their countries, with the gold medal in mind for the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. 93 countries are gathering from all over the world this year in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, from Feb. 6, when the opening ceremony marks the official start. Feb. 22, which includes the closing ceremony, marks the end of the games. Marking the 26th annual Winter Olympics, which don’t occur every year, it is very exciting and special, and people cannot wait to cheer for their countries in person or on TV screens as they are represented.
The opening ceremony is taking place at the Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium and aims to add a new, more inclusive dimension to this global celebration. Many exciting performances are taking place this evening from well-known artists from around the world, including American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey, Italian singer Laura Pausini, and the renowned Italian singer Andrea Bocelli. The goal is to gain lots of Olympic spirit beyond the stadium, engaging the public and athletes for this major celebration. These performances establish new traditions that will likely become part of future Olympic opening ceremonies. The Parade of Nations and the lighting of the Olympic cauldron will be the highlights of this year’s opening ceremony, feeding into the excitement. In the Parade of Nations, athletes from each country will walk together behind their national flag, which is carried by a flag bearer chosen by that country’s National Olympic Committee. Greece will enter first to honor the origins of the Olympics, followed by the other countries in alphabetical order, with Italy entering last as the host nation. Leading up to the lighting of the cauldron, there is a 63-day torch relay that started in Olympia, Greece, on Nov. 25. Every torch is always lit here because a ceremony is organised on the ancient site of the Olympic Games. The flame is lit in front of the ruins of the Temple of Hera by actresses playing the part of priestesses. After that, the torch traveled on a plane to the first stage of the relay in Rome, Italy. Each stage is a different location in Italy, moving closer to the Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium. The Olympic torch is moved from one flame to another, to each location during the relay. Primarily by thousands of individual torchbearers that include many athletes, celebrities, and community members who run or walk with the flame. Yet we do not know who will be lighting the cauldron to end the relay. We will discover who lights it on Feb. 6 while the opening ceremony comes to a close.
Even though some qualification events for the sports take place before the opening ceremony, after the ceremony is when things officially begin to kick off. There are a total of sixteen sports that female and male athletes get the chance to compete in. Including Alpine skiing, Biathlon, bobsleigh, cross-country skiing, curling, figure skating, freestyle skiing, ice hockey, luge, Nordic combined, short-track speed skating, skeleton, ski jumping, ski-mountaineering, snowboarding, and finally speed skating. Some of these sports you might be familiar with, such as figure skating and ice hockey, feature very well-known athletes. Bobsled, Luge, and Skeleton are all sliding events, in which Germany is the strong favorite to win, having nearly swept the gold medals in these events in 2022, earning 12 total. Francesco Friedrich is a key athlete for the men’s team. Norway is expected to win many gold medals from its very talented athletes like Johannes Hosflot Klaebo and Sturla Holm Laegreid in cross-country skiing, biathlon, and Nordic combined. Canada is the early favorite for the men’s gold medal in ice hockey, considering their team is filled with many talented players that also play in the NHL, while theUnited States is favored in the women’s tournament. The United States typically performs very well in Freestyle Skiing and Snowboarding. Top athletes include snowboarder Chloe Kim, even though she recently tore her labrum, she will be good to go, and Alex Hall, who is a freestyle skier. In figure skating, the U.S also has a strong team, as Ilia Malinin is favored to take the men’s gold, and Madison Chock and Evan Bates for ice dancing. They will have to go against lots of strong competitors from Japan to reach the top of the podium. American Jordan Stolz is a top male speed skater, while Erin Jackson will defend her 500-meter gold. Alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin is a key medal hope for the United States. Italy’s Miro and Flora Tabanelli are also strong contenders for gold in snowboarding. In speed skating, the Netherlands is a top contender in many speed skating distances.
Norway is heavily predicted to win the most total medals at the 2026 Winter Olympics due to its dominance in recent years, particularly in cross-country skiing and biathlon. The USA, Germany, Canada, and Italy are also expected to perform strongly.
The excitement will come to an end officially at the closing ceremony on Feb. 22. They plan on taking place at the Arena di Verona, a Roman amphitheater. Focusing on Italian creativity, there will be all kinds of performances, including a blend of opera, music, and dance, featuring ballet star Roberto Bolle. Traditional Olympic closing elements like the parade of athletes, lowering the Olympic flag, and the handover to the next host city will also occur. The closing ceremony will be a celebration of Italian culture and spirit, turning the ancient arena into a spectacular stage for the final moments, wrapping up the two and a half weeks that millions of people have been watching.
