The Winter Olympics are coming up in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, slated to be from Feb. 6–22 with over 116 events and eight sports. The storylines and hype before the Olympics always make them an incredible international competition to watch, regardless of who you support. Cheering on underdogs, hoping for old or new competitors to shine under the bright lights and witnessing greatness from the top athletes in the world is always a pleasure, especially knowing their preparation, competition and the challenges they’ve overcome.
Below are some of the storylines you need to know before the Olympics begin:
Return of the NHL
This year, NHL players will finally be back on Olympic ice for the first time since 2014. The greatest talents in hockey will make a return in Italy, where huge names such as the American Tkachuk brothers, Canadian Sidney Crosby and Canadian Connor McDavid will headline their respective teams, bringing a far higher level of play to the Winter Games. The top teams to watch are Canada, U.S., Sweden and Finland, all of which boast deep rosters with NHL talent.
Lindsey Vonn’s Comeback
Lindsey Vonn is an American alpine skier who retired in 2019.
Her career was illustrious, winning the downhill race in Vancouver in 2010 as the first American woman to do so and she holds a record high 82 World Cup wins. In late 2025, she came back at age 41 following a knee replacement the year before and is attempting to compete in Milan this year. With two downhill racing wins this season, she is a formidable contender for podium honors. The return of this champion is sure to be a fun watch.
However, Vonn will be working through an ACL tear after a crash at the end of January, so more perseverance for the former champion will be needed for this amazing Olympic dream to continue.
Carsten Vissering
American athlete Carsten Vissering was an NCAA champion in swimming in 2018. He graduated from swimming in 2020 and began bobsledding in 2022, where he has risen the ranks to compete for the U.S. in the two-man and four-man bobsled. His successful switch from swimming to bobsledding is an impressive achievement for any athlete.
Biathlon without Norwegian power family
Norwegian brothers Tarjei Boe and Johannes Thingnes Boe have eight Olympic golds and 14 medals between them both over a decade. They recently retired from the biathlon in 2024-2025, so the team relay medals and individual biathlon medals will be competitive. Teams like France, Germany and Italy have a chance to compete.
Other individuals to watch include Norway’s Sturla Holm Laegreid, France’s Quentin Filon Maillet and Italy’s Tommaso Giacomel, as the brothers’ absence has left a void opening up the podium for the next generation.
Equality within the Olympics
There are many steps taken toward gender equality that are extremely important to highlight. This year’s Olympics is the most gender-equal Winter Games, with 47% of athletes being women. Even off the field, 50% of the International Olympic Committee commission positions are held by women and 47% of the executive board are female.
New Events
This year, dual moguls (freestyle skiing), women’s large hill (ski jumping), men’s super-team (ski jumping), mixed team skeleton, women’s doubles (luge) and ski mountaineering events have been added to the Olympic lineup, bringing the total medal events to 116. These new events give competitors a chance at another medal and also open a whole new sport for international competition.
Kim Three-peat?
American snowboarder Chloe Kim is a heavy favorite for a three-peat in the women’s halfpipe. She’s added a 1260 and a frontside double cork 1080 to her routine, the only woman to do so. She’s a heavy favorite for the Olympics but dislocated her shoulder on Jan. 8. Though she has been battling to recover, this setback may create an opportunity for another snowboarder to achieve the gold. However, she seems well prepared for the adversity.
There are hundreds of individual and team stories to see and explore for these Winter Games. New sports, new and old competitors and a return to Italy will be an incredible spectacle to watch over the next few weeks. Overall, the Winter Games are quite fun and you should tune in! As always: expect the unexpected!