The Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics: A Quick Overview

The Winter Olympics can feel a bit enigmatic for many sports enthusiasts in the U.S. Sure, most people can relate to hockey, have an appreciation for figure skating, and have picked up some knowledge of extreme sports like snowboarding. But, you know, a lot of the events seem to cater more to a European audience.

So, let’s dive into the different events scheduled for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, including the various subcategories and how athletes will battle it out for medals.

• Men’s downhill
• Women’s downhill
• Men’s team joint
• Women’s team together
• Men’s Super G
• Women’s Super G
• Men’s giant slalom
• Women’s giant throw
• Men’s rotation
• Women’s rotation

All of these events revolve around speed. The skier who crosses the finish line first wins. In downhill skiing, skiers navigate through wide gates to maintain a nearly uniform path. Slalom involves weaving between poles, while Super-G pairs downhill speed with slalom elements, merging both styles into a single event.

• Men’s 20km individual
• Women’s 15km individual
• Men’s 15km mass start
• Women’s 12.5km mass start
• Men’s 10km sprint
• Women’s 7.5km sprint
• Men’s 4×7.5km relay
• Women’s 4×6km relay
• Men’s 12.5km Pursuit
• Women’s 10km Pursuit
• Mixed relay 4×6km

Biathlon combines cross-country skiing with air rifle shooting. Here, speed reigns, but every missed shot adds time to your race. Races can either start at staggered times or all at once for mass starts. In pursuits, competitors start on opposite sides aiming to pass each other.

• 2-person bobsled
• 4-person bobsled
• Women’s monobob

This event takes place on a sliding track where athletes travel in bobsleds (long sleds). The monobob is specifically designed for women and accommodates just one competitor.

• Men’s 10km interval start
• Women’s 10km interval start
• Men’s 50km Mass Start Classic
• Women’s 50km Mass Start Classic
• Men’s sprint classic
• Women’s Sprint Classic
• Men’s 10km+10km Skiathlon
• Women’s 10km+10km Skiathlon
• Men’s team sprint free
• Women’s team sprint free
• Men’s 4×7.5km relay
• Women’s 4×7.5km relay

This one seems straightforward enough. Athletes navigate a cross-country course with varying terrains—hills, flat stretches, and downhill segments. In a skiathlon, for instance, competitors utilize ski poles for half the race before switching techniques.

Curling

• Men’s
• Women’s
• Mixed doubles

In curling, teams slide a heavy stone across the ice, aiming to land it as near to a target as possible. The opposition’s goal is to place their stones more strategically or knock others out of play.

• Men’s single skating
• Women’s single skating
• Pair skating
• Team event
• Ice dance

Now, figure skating is the first event that relies on subjective scoring. Athletes craft unique routines that must include a set number of essential elements like spins and jumps. The execution, technical skill, and musicality all contribute to the final score.

Ice dancing is a slightly different flavor; it’s also pair skating but requires both skaters to maintain contact throughout their performance.

• Men’s moguls
• Women’s moguls
• Men’s dual moguls
• Women’s dual moguls
• Men’s aerials
• Women’s aerials
• Men’s ski cross
• Women’s ski cross
• Men’s freeski halfpipe
• Women’s freeski halfpipe
• Men’s freeski slopestyle
• Women’s freeski slopestyle
• Men’s Freeski Big Air
• Women’s Freeski Big Air

Often categorized as “trick” skiing, many of these events also involve judged elements. Moguls consist of snowy mounds that athletes must navigate while performing tricks. Aerials are high-flying tricks off steep ramps. In ski cross, racers combine speed and jumps, while in halfpipe and Big Air events, athletes perform tricks off ramps, often following it up with another trick after a landing. Slopestyle entails a downhill course with a mix of jumps and grind features.

Then we have ice hockey: teams compete by trying to score as many goals as possible within a set time frame. Olympic rinks are bigger than those used in the NHL and follow a three-period format.

• Men’s singles
• Women’s singles
• Men’s doubles
• Women’s doubles
• Team relay

Much like bobsledding, luge involves small, lightweight sleds that can accommodate up to two individuals. Instead of a running start, athletes push off with their hands.

• Individual Gundersen Normal Hill/10km
• Individual Gundersen Large Hill/10km
• Team sprint

This event combines cross-country skiing and ski jumping. The primary difference is whether the jumps occur on a normal or large hill.

Short Track Speed Skating

• Men’s 500 meters
• Women’s 500m
• Men’s 1000 meters
• Women’s 1000m
• Men’s 1500m
• Women’s 1500m
• Men’s 5000m relay
• Women’s 3000m relay
• Mixed team relay

In short track speed skating, races are held on a smaller rink. It’s more of a sprint compared to longer distance events, with competitors vying for positions while clocking their fastest times in various heats.

Skeleton is another sliding sport similar to luge, but athletes tackle it face down and headfirst on individual sleds.

• Men’s large hill individual
• Women’s Large Hill Individual
• Men’s normal hill individual
• Women’s normal hill individual
• Men’s super team
• Mixed team

In ski jumping, athletes soar off a large hill and are judged on landing style and distance flown. The specifications define a normal hill at about 85 meters and a large hill at 110 meters.

• Men’s sprint
• Women’s sprint
• Mixed relay

Ski mountaineering, or skimo, makes its Olympic debut this year. It involves a blend of cross-country skiing and hiking. Athletes ascend a hill while wearing specialized socks over their skis, which they remove at the summit before skiing back down to the finish. The fastest competitor wins.