The 2026 Winter Olympics are officially in full swing, beginning on February 6th and continuing to the 22nd. These Games are already making history by being the first Winter Olympics to be held by two prominent cities rather than one; Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. The dual lighting of cauldrons in the opening ceremony confirmed this historical precedent. If you’re anything like me, you either don’t have time to watch them or just can’t abandon your comfort show for the Games. Fortunately or unfortunately, they are far from over, so you might as well catch up!
Main Character Energy
Starting off strong with America’s first gold medal won in the 2026 Winter Games, we have to give Breezy Johnson her flowers. This was a first in her downhill skiing career, and the second time she has competed in the Games. Back in 2023, Johnson had been sentenced to a 14 month suspension for failing to provide her whereabouts regarding out-of-competition drug testing. Her suspension resulted in her missing parts of the World Cup circuit, but she returned in the 2024-2025 season. Reaching a maximum speed of 80 miles per hour and finishing with a time of 1:36:10 in this year’s Games, Johnson redefined her image after her 2023 mishap and ACL tear in 2022. Germany’s Emma Aicher seemed to be Johnson’s only real threat, receiving silver just ahead of Italy’s Sofia Goggia winning bronze.
Mr. Quad God
The Quad God, formally known as Ilia Malinin, certainly woke the judges up with his performance in the team figure skating event this year. Unless you’re a hermit, you have most likely seen the iconic videos of the American figure skater performing a backflip on the ice. This skill has not been performed legally at the Olympics in nearly 50 years, as it was banned by the International Skating Union for safety concerns. Yet, the rules were changed again two years ago in 2024, allowing “somersault type” jumps. Needless to say, Malinin took that and ran with it. The crowd went wild and fans grew loud after he whipped out the stunt, despite the flip not actually earning any technical points. Additionally, his performance in the men’s individual short program was near perfect, helping to guide Team USA towards gold in the team figure skating competition.
Retired Baddies
An iconic prodigy has taken the ice in this year’s Games, but this time, on her own terms. You know her name and maybe her hairstyle, Alysa Liu. The spunky 20-year-old American figure skater has undoubtedly made a striking name for herself throughout her career. She has set numerous precedents over her former years; she became the youngest U.S. women’s national champion at only age 13, and was the first ever U.S. woman to successfully land a triple Axel when competing. To everyone’s surprise, she retired after her performance in the 2022 Beijing Winter Games. Yet, this year, she emerged from her retirement and showed up and showed out with a new look. Her performance was much more self- expressive and her confidence was prominent, winning her second place in the women’s short program.
Girls Who Don’t Quit
Lindsey Vonn has been the talk of the town after her harrowing crash during her final run in Cortina. She pushed herself to her limits by competing with strenuous injuries; meniscus damage, a bone bruise and most notably, an ACL that had ruptured under two weeks prior to her competing. The 41 year old American alpine ski racer had clipped a slalom gate whilst mid-air, only 13 seconds into her run. This caused her to crash on the piste, resulting in a fracture to her left leg. Thankfully, she was immediately tended to and flown to Ca’ Foncello Hospital in Treviso where she had surgery and is now in stable condition. Vonn had shared a card made from a young fan on her official Instagram Story, reading “Lindsey, Don’t give up!”. On the post just below the card, the athlete responded strongly with a heartfelt message, “I never will”.
America’s Speed King
American speedskater Jordan Stolz is relatively new on the prowl, but he is on the hunt for significant gold. On Wednesday February 11th, Stolz won gold with his run in the men’s 1000 meters event, finishing with a time of 1:06:28. This marked his first ever medal, after his unsatisfactory performance in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games at age 17. Now at age 21, Stolz is craving more than just one medal. He is set to compete three more times, in the men’s 500 meters, men’s 1500 meters, and men’s mass start. In the event that he wins gold throughout all 3, he will become one of the most winningest and decorated speedskaters since 1980. When he’s done with all of that, he shared to People Magazine that he might treat himself to some steak or cheesecake.
These 2026 Winter Olympic Games are ramping up energy, and much more is to come. Stars are already making headway, both up and coming and established veterans. This year seems to be a bit different, more hopeful in a sense. We are seeing many more athletes expressing themselves and taking these Games into their own hands, rewriting their stories and pasts. An underlying notion of strength is present, as these athletes are pushing their own boundaries and limits. From new Olympic records being set, to underdogs powerfully arising, maybe these Games are actually worth turning on. So many precedents have already been set, leaving an exciting couple of weeks to come.