By Nicole Miller on SwimSwam
2026 Winter Olympic Games
February 4 – February 22, 2026 Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy Event Website ScheduleWhile the 2026 Winter Olympics won’t feature any events in the pool, the event is still sure to bring plenty of excitement across host cities Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. SwimSwam will be bringing you updates of some of the major moments throughout the Olympics as we gear up in anticipation for 2028.
Competition kicked-off February 4 with preliminary rounds of the curling and ice hockey events. However, the Opening Ceremonies officially signaled the start of Olympic competition yesterday, with the first medals of the Games awarded today. After two official days of competition, Italy, Japan, and Norway sit atop of the medal table, tied at 3 medals each (1 of each color). So far, 7 different countries have brought home a medal at these Olympics.
Medal Table After Day 2
Rank Country Gold Silver Bronze Total 1 Italy 1 1 1 3 1 Japan 1 1 1 3 1 Norway 1 1 1 3 4 Sweden 1 1 0 2 5 Switzerland 1 0 0 1 6 Slovenia 0 1 0 1 7 Canada 0 0 1 1 7 China 0 0 1 1Event Highlights
Italy Wins First Speed Skating Gold
In her 4th Olympic appearance, Italian Francesca Lollobrigida won the women’s 3,000m speed skating event in Olympic-record time (3:54.28) in front of a home crowd. Lollbrigida, who won the silver medal in this same event at the 2022 Olympics, was dominant in her performance to claim gold by over 2.5 seconds. This not only marks her first Olympic gold medal performance in this event, but also marks the first time Italy has ever claimed a gold in the 3,000 meter distance. Notably, Lollobrigida also claimed gold on her 35th birthday, with her son Tommaso watching.Japan Sweeps Big Air Events
Japan picked-up its first two medals of these Olympics with a 1-2 finish in the men’s big air snowboarding event behind the duo of Kira Kimura and Ryoma Kimata. For Kimura, the gold marks only his 2nd major international medal after winning a bronze at the 2025 X Games. Like Lollobrigida for Italy, Kimura’s gold is also the first in Japan’s history in this event, a huge milestone for the country.Switzerland’s Franjo von Allmen Takes Home First Gold
The first gold medal of the Games was awarded to Switzerland’s Franjo von Allmen as he topped the men’s downhill event in alpine skiing. Von Allmen’s story stems far beyond that medal though as his journey started years ago when the star lost his father at 17-years-old, placing his family in a strained financial situation. With his community crowd-funding his competitive efforts, Von Allmen was able to continue competing, with the now 21-year-old achieving the pinnacle of his sport. Notably, the Italian duo of Giovanni Franzoni and Dominik Paris took home the silver and bronze medals. It was also an emotional race for Franzoni in front of a home crowd, as he dedicated his performance to teammate Matteo Franzoso, who passed away in a tragic skiing accident last September.Sweden Goes 1-2 In Cross Country Skiing
Behind the duo of Frida Karlsson and Ebba Andersson, Sweden went 1-2 in the women’s cross country skiing event. Across the 20km distance, Karlsson led all competitors by nearly 40 seconds as she finished in a time of 53:45.2. An extremely decorated athlete in her sport, this marks Karlsson’s first individual Olympic medal, as she won a bronze in the 4×5 km team relay back in 2022.U.S. Off to a Strong Start in Skating
Team USA is off to a strong start in the team figure skating event, leading the field through the qualifying round. The first event of the finals, ice dance, was held today with the American duo of Madison Chock and Evan Bates leading the field to contribute 10 points to the team total. The US will face a tough opponent in Japan though as it looks to wrap-up with medals tomorrow.Viral Moments
Of course, in the age of social media, there are always viral moments across any major competition. While the competition just kicked-off, there are already some stand-out moments of these Olympics.
Maddie Schizas Highlights the Student-Athlete Struggle
Canadian figure skater Maddie Schizas is competing at these Olympics, but in a struggle that many student-athletes know, she isn’t exempt from homework because of that. In an Instagram story that has now gone viral, Schizas had to email one of her professors asking for an extension on homework due to the competition. Today, she clarified that she still has not heard back from the professor and is hoping that extension gets granted. Schizas will be representing Canada in the final for the team event as she competes in the free skate portion of that event. View this post on Instagram
“Curling Baby” Steals Hearts
While there isn’t a baby competing in these Olympics, one still managed to steal the hearts of people. Switzerland’s Briar Schwaller-Hurlimann and Yannick Schwaller aren’t just mixed-doubles partners on the ice, they’re also married and have a child together. Following their victory in their preliminary round, their baby, River Schwaller, joined them on the ice and showed an affinity towards his mom’s broom. While it will likely be many years until baby River is old enough to compete, he seems keen on carrying-on the family legacy. View this post on Instagram
The New Muffins?
At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, athletes across the Olympic Village were drawn to trying viral chocolate muffins, thanks to the promoting of swimmer Henrik Christiansen, who came to be known as the “Muffin Man” due to his TikToks. While the muffins aren’t available at the Olympic Village this year, athletes are trying their hardest to identify a new treat. So far, a chocolate lava cake appears to be the front-runner for the position. View this post on Instagram
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