Italy's historic city of Milan and the picturesque Alpine town of Cortina d'Ampezzo are poised to become the global sporting stage as they jointly host the prestigious 25th Winter Olympic Games. This spectacular event will see approximately 3,000 elite athletes representing 90 different nations competing fiercely across snow and ice disciplines. The sporting extravaganza is scheduled to run from Friday 6 February through to Sunday 22 February, promising nineteen days of thrilling action.
A Grand Sporting Festival
Across the competition period, spectators can anticipate 116 medal events spanning eight distinct winter sports. These contests will unfold across fifteen carefully selected venues scattered throughout northern and north-eastern Italy. The Games will officially commence with a spectacular opening ceremony on 6 February at Milan's legendary San Siro Stadium, featuring stellar performances from international superstars Mariah Carey and the renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.
Innovations and Viewing Advantages
This edition introduces exciting new elements to the Olympic programme. Ski mountaineering makes its highly anticipated Olympic debut, while eight fresh events will be incorporated across various established disciplines. For audiences across the United Kingdom, there is a particularly welcome development – this marks the first Winter Olympics in twelve years to occur within a similar time zone to Britain, with Italy being just one hour ahead, facilitating more convenient live viewing.
Team GB's Ambitious Campaign
Team Great Britain will be represented by a contingent of 53 talented athletes at the Milan Cortina Games, with official projections suggesting a medal haul of between four and eight. The British team's historical best performance stands at five medals, achieved at both the Sochi 2014 and Pyeongchang 2018 Games. Notably, Team GB has never secured more than a single gold medal at any single Winter Olympics, making the pursuit of multiple golds a clear and focused objective for this campaign.
Key Athletes to Watch
Here is a detailed look at some of Team GB's most promising medal hopefuls across various disciplines.
Skeleton: Matt Weston
If Team GB are to clinch that coveted gold medal in Italy, Matt Weston appears the most likely candidate to deliver. At 28 years old, he enters his second Olympic appearance as one of the standout performers on the global skeleton circuit and is arguably Britain's strongest gold medal prospect across all winter sports. Weston enjoyed a phenomenal 2025 season, securing back-to-back overall World Cup victories, reclaiming his world championship title, and earning a hat-trick of mixed team world silver medals. He arrives in Cortina as the reigning world, European, and overall World Cup champion, expressing confidence that he is as close to 'a sure thing' as winter sport allows.
When to watch:
- Thursday 12 Feb at 8:30 (Men's Heat 1)
- Thursday 12 Feb at 10:08 (Men's Heat 2)
- Friday 13 Feb at 18:30 (Men's Heat 3)
- Friday 13 Feb at 20:05 (Men's Heat 4 – medal event)
Skeleton: Marcus Wyatt
Alongside Weston, Marcus Wyatt provides Team GB with formidable strength and depth in the skeleton event. The 34-year-old competitor heads to his second Olympics following one of the most impressive seasons of his distinguished career. During 2025, Wyatt secured silver medals at the World Cup, World Championships, and European Championships, completing a remarkable hat-trick of second-place finishes before adding another continental medal just a month prior to the Games. With two British athletes firmly in contention, skeleton promises to be one of Team GB's most exciting medal narratives in Cortina.
When to watch:
- Thursday 12 Feb at 8:30 (Men's Heat 1)
- Thursday 12 Feb at 10:08 (Men's Heat 2)
- Friday 13 Feb at 18:30 (Men's Heat 3)
- Friday 13 Feb at 20:05 (Men's Heat 4 – medal event)
Freestyle Skiing (Halfpipe): Zoe Atkin
A reigning world champion and X Games gold medallist, Zoe Atkin has been shouldering British hopes in the halfpipe discipline for several years. At 23, she seems perfectly poised for her most significant Olympic moment to date. She finished a agonising fourth at the Beijing Olympics, missing a podium place by the narrowest of margins, but has remained a consistent presence on World Cup podiums ever since.
When to watch:
- Thursday 19 Feb at 18:30 (Women's Freeski Halfpipe Qualification)
- Saturday 21 Feb at 18:30 (Women's Freeski Halfpipe Final)
Freestyle Skiing (Slopestyle and Big Air): Kirsty Muir
At just 21 years old, Kirsty Muir already possesses the experience of an Olympic veteran. She made her debut in Beijing at the age of 17 before her career faced uncertainty due to a serious knee injury in 2023. Her subsequent comeback has been nothing short of extraordinary. Muir has successfully returned to the World Cup circuit, accumulated further podium finishes, and arrives in Cortina fresh from clinching gold at the 2026 X Games.
When to watch:
- Saturday 7 Feb at 09:30 (Women's Freeski Slopestyle Qualification)
- Monday 9 Feb at 11:30 (Women's Freeski Slopestyle Final)
- Saturday 14 Feb at 18:30 (Women's Freeski Big Air Qualification)
- Monday 16 Feb at 18:30 (Women's Freeski Big Air Final)
Snowboard (Slopestyle and Big Air): Mia Brookes
While Mia Brookes is preparing for her inaugural Olympic appearance, she is far from inexperienced. At merely 19, she already boasts a world title, having won World Championships gold at 16, alongside a growing collection of X Games and World Cup medals. She secured overall World Cup freestyle glory in the 2024–25 season and arrives in Italy in exceptional form, having won her fourth World Cup Big Air event in Beijing during December, followed by another X Games gold in 2026.
When to watch:
- Sunday 8 Feb at 18:30 (Women's Snowboard Big Air Qualification)
- Monday 9 Feb at 18:30 (Women's Snowboard Big Air Final)
- Monday 16 Feb at 09:30 (Women's Snowboard Slopestyle Qualification)
- Tuesday 17 Feb at 12:00 (Women's Snowboard Slopestyle Final)
Curling (Mixed Doubles): Jennifer Dodds and Bruce Mouat
In terms of proven Olympic pedigree, Jennifer Dodds and Bruce Mouat rank among the very top of Team GB's roster. The duo won silver at the Beijing Olympics in 2022 following an extraordinary campaign that captivated the public and helped reignite nationwide interest in British curling. Dodds is an Olympic and world champion in women's curling, while Mouat is a multiple-time world champion who also skips the men's team. Together, they have collected European and World Championship medals in mixed doubles and enter Cortina as serious contenders for the gold medal.
When to watch:
- Mixed doubles competition runs from 4–10 February.
- Tuesday 10 Feb at 13:05 (Bronze Medal Game)
- Tuesday 10 Feb at 17:05 (Gold Medal Game)
Figure Skating (Ice Dance): Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson
Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson return for their second Olympic adventure with significant momentum behind them. After finishing 10th in Beijing, this ice dance partnership has made substantial progress over the past year, earning World Championship bronze, another Grand Prix bronze, and their fourth consecutive European Championship medal in 2026. A podium finish would represent a monumental achievement for British figure skating, as they are widely regarded as Britain's strongest chance for an ice dance medal since the legendary Torvill and Dean.
When to watch:
- Monday 9 Feb at 18:20 (Ice Dance – Rhythm Dance)
- Wednesday 11 Feb at 18:30 (Ice Dance – Free Dance)
