Let the Games Begin

The 2026 Winter Olympics are right around the corner. They begin on February 6. The Paralympics, which feature events for athletes with disabilities, start a month later. Both will take place across Northern Italy. More than 3,500 athletes from 93 countries are expected to compete.

There are 16 Olympic sports and six Paralympic sports at the Winter Games. The events take place on snow or ice. Skiing, snowboarding, and skating are favorites. Sliding sports, such as luge, are fast-paced and fun to watch. As fans everywhere count down the days until the action begins, read about three athletes to look for.

Three to Watch

In cross-country skiing, competitors use their skis and poles over long distances. Jessie Diggins (above) is the most decorated × decorated having won many awards (adjective) U.S. cross-country skier of all time. She went to the 2014, 2018, and 2022 Olympics, and medaled each time. At the 2026 Games, she’ll compete in all six cross-country events.

Para snowboarder Mike Schultz has three Olympic medals in the sport. After an injury in 2008 caused him to lose his left leg, he created the prosthetic × prosthetic artificial; man-made (adjective) limb he uses for competition. Now the entire U.S. Paralympic snowboard team uses his company’s products.

UP IN THE AIR Para snowboarder Mike Schultz competes at the 2022 Winter Paralympics, in Beijing, China.

In figure skating, athletes perform jumps and spins on the ice. If you see someone do a quadruple axel, it’s probably Ilia Malinin. In 2023, he became the first skater to land this move in international competition. Malinin already has three championship medals for skating, but this will be his first Olympics. Will he add a new medal to his collection? The world will be watching.