MILAN, Italy 一 February 2026 marks the 25th Winter Olympic Games in history. Avid viewers from around the globe are eagerly awaiting the moment these incredibly talented athletes appear again on their screens. All the nations participating in this grand event are currently deciding or have already decided the individuals who will represent their countries as model athletes.
Team United States of America is notorious for bringing home gold medals and showcasing their American ambition. Team Canada is also home to many decorated athletes, especially for the Winter Games, due to their cold climate and surplus training programs available.
The most watched events for the Winter Olympics are ice hockey, figure skating, skiing (both alpine and freestyle), and bobsleigh.
Ice Hockey
Team USA has already decided the players that will represent them in the men and women’s ice hockey categories. 48 total hockey players qualified for Team USA, and both the men’s and women’s ice hockey have proven to be popular categories among viewers.
Laila Edwards, 28, is a student at the University of Wisconsin and she is one of the players representing the United States at the Olympics for women’s hockey. She is the first black woman to compete on the USA’s women’s ice hockey Olympic team.
“I think it’s a really big deal, you know, representation matters. So, in terms of processing it, I think just trying to use it as something that motivates me to be the best role model, teammate, and person I can be,” Edwards said in an interview with NBC News.
Figure Skating
During the weekend of Jan. 9-11, the Figure Skating Team representing the USA was announced. The women’s singles qualifiers are Amber Glenn, Alysa Liu and Isabeau Levito. The men’s singles qualifiers are Ilia Malinin, Andrew Torgoshev and Maxim Naumov.
Alysa Liu, one of the three American female figure skaters who qualified for the single category, is returning for her second Olympics. She competed in the 2022 Olympics at just 16-years-old, only to announce her premature retirement shortly after.
When asked for the reason behind hanging up her skates, Liu stated she wanted to live a normal childhood and have a break from the pressure of training as an Olympic athlete. Despite her coach’s warning that her return would not be easy and that she would not skate at the same level she did before her retirement, Liu pursued with a strong, determined mindset and beat the odds. Liu has since been skating better and better, breaking a record at the Olympic Qualifiers with her program.
“I’m stoked. Like, I’m going to… squeeze every little drop out of it,” Liu said, when asked about how she felt about qualifying for the 2026 Olympics in an interview with KSDK News.
Many other figure skaters are competing in the 2026 Olympics for Team USA, among them is the talented Amber Glenn.
Amber Glenn came in first, beating her teammate, Alysa Liu’s who just broke a record with a groundbreaking score of her own only minutes later. Amber Glenn qualified for her very first Olympics this year, at 26 years old, disproving the widespread notion in women’s figure skating that athletes past college age are too ‘old’ to compete and show off their talent.
Skiing
According to the Team USA official website, the U.S. is sending six athletes to compete in the Alpine Skiing category, the youngest being 27-year-old River Radamus from Colorado, and the oldest being 41-year-old Lindsey Vonn, a four-time Olympian and three-time medalist. Vonn has announced that she is coming out of her retirement in 2019, and is excited to compete in her fifth games this February.
Mikaela Shiffrin is another returning Olympian set to compete this February. She is most known for breaking the FIS (International Ski Federation) record of most victories (17) in a single season. Shiffrin is also the first athlete in history to win in all six disciplines.
“Just because it’s hurt me a few too many times doesn’t take away from the fact that I love it and I want to enjoy it,” Vonn said in an interview with TIME. “Right now I’m on a nice, upward trajectory. I’m happy in my life and I don’t need skiing. I just love to ski.”
Team USA has set a great example for young athletes globally, proving that perseverance and hard work pays off and despite catastrophic injuries and age setbacks, doing what you love is always possible. The Winter Olympics begin on Feb. 6, so make sure to cheer on your favorite Olympic athletes and go for the gold.
Source link
