Italy will host the Winter Olympics 2026 (also known as Milano Cortina) this February, and several nations are out to make noise in the quadrennial event typically dominated by cold-weather nations.
The Norwegians are the all-time leaders in the all-time medal table, having specifically topped the group in each of the last three Games. However, the Olympic committee has made a concerted effort to promote the growth of winter sports in warmer-weather nations, which is why we have a bigger playing field this time around.
The Winter Olympics 2026 are scheduled to feature 116 medal events across 16 disciplines, including Alpine skiing (10), Biathlon (11), Bobsleigh (4), Cross-country skiing (12), Curling (3), Figure skating (5), Freestyle skiing (15), Ice hockey (2), Luge (5), Nordic combined (3), Short-track speed skating (9), Skeleton (3), Ski jumping (6), Ski mountaineering (3), Snowboarding (11), and Speed skating (14).
Here are some of the notable Winter Olympics 2026 updates, courtesy of SBOTOP.
Who are the participating nations?
There’s a total of 92 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and Independent Olympic Athletes competing in this year’s Winter Olympics. The United States have the largest delegation at 232, followed by Canada (207), Italy (196), Germany (185), Switzerland (170), and France (160). Norway, the all-time leaders in the medal table, only have 80. China have the highest delegation in Asia at 125.
American Samoa, Belarus, Ghana, Peru, Timor-Leste, Russia, and the Virgin Islands are some of the NOCs that competed in 2022, but not in 2026. On the other hand, Benin, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Singapore, South Africa, Uruguay, Venezuela, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have joined the playing field, with Benin, Guinea-Bissau, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) being the debutants.
The NOCs of Russia and Belarus remain suspended from competing in the Games for violating the Olympic Truce due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. As with the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, individual Russian and Belarusian athletes may compete as “Individual Neutral Athletes” without national identification, and they’re ineligible to compete in team events like ice hockey and curling. Overall, there are around 20 Individual Neutral Athletes participating in Italy.
Of the 10 most successful nations in the Winter Olympics, eight are European: Norway, Germany, Austria, the USSR, Finland, Switzerland, Sweden, and the Netherlands. As noted, the Norwegians are the most successful nation in the Games, which is surprising due to their 5.6 million population. The two outliers in the Top 10 are the United States and Canada, as both countries have been mainstays and have hosted the Games several times already.
Outside of Europe and North America, China, Japan, and South Korea have had success in the Games, as they are ranked inside the Top 25 and have hosted before. Meanwhile, Africa and Latin America are still seeking their first winter medals, and they’ve sent Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Morocco, and Nigeria to Milan in search of glory.
Which nations will make their debuts?
Benin, Guinea-Bissau, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are the new and debuting nations in the 2026 Games.
Benin will send alpine skier Nathan Tchibozo. The 21-year-old qualified to compete in the Milano Cortina after switching allegiances in October 2025. Competing under the Togolese flag, Tchibozo competed in the 2023 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships and the 2024 FIS Junior World Championships.
Guinea-Bissau will send alpine skier Winston Tang. The 19-year-old, who will participate in the men’s giant slalom event, made his international racing debut in February 2023, representing the Ski Federation of China, and also competed for the US Ski Federation in 2023-24 and 2024-25 before switching allegiances in preparation for the Milano Cortina.
The United Arab Emirates will also send alpine skiers Alexander Astridge and Piera Hudson (formerly of New Zealand).
Some of the top athletes to watch
Lindsey Vonn is one of the most accomplished athletes in the Winter Olympics, and she’s expected to represent the United States once again, despite her recent World Cup accident in Crans-Montana. At 41 years old, Vonn is participating in her fifth Winter Games after being retired for five years. She’s the only American woman to win a downhill skiing gold medal in Olympic competition, as well as earning two bronze medals (Downhill, Super-G).
The Winter Olympics 2026 odds have Stefania Constantini and Amos Mosaner as the heavy favourites in curling. The Italian pair has never lost in international competition, going 11-0 in Beijing during their first Winter Olympics. After a three-year hiatus, Constantini and Mosaner also went unbeaten in the 2025 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship.
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