Buon appetito!
Before the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, Italy, the Canadian women’s hockey team shared a look at the food they’ve been enjoying. Surprisingly, their favorite meal wasn’t one of Italy’s most famous dishes, like pasta or pizza!
Sophie Jaques shared a quick look at her meal in a TikTok video posted by her teammate, Julia Gosling, on February 3rd. She said she was having pasta with a classic meat sauce, and added some fresh mozzarella and focaccia bread because they looked good.
Daryl Watts playfully pointed out the absence of vegetables in her meal, saying to the camera, “All I have here is beef, veal, Brie, focaccia, parmesan, pasta, and burrata. Don’t worry, the veggies are on their way!”
Julia and her teammate Jenn Gardiner happily showed everyone how much food they had taken – and confirmed that the focaccia bread was the most popular dish.
Julia told me she had pasta with meat sauce, along with zucchini, focaccia bread – she’d already had a bite – and beef.
After showing off her pasta, focaccia, and salad, Jenn said she was still very hungry and would need to get more food.
Julia shared a video celebrating her first meal in the village, praising the focaccia bread. She wrote in the caption, “FOCACCIA IS A HIT!! I’m already hooked!”
Everyone seemed to love the bread, but Julia’s followers didn’t feel the same way about the rest of the food.
“Why is it all so dry?” asked one user, while another wrote, “It looks like hospital food.”
Some viewers noted the different ways Italians approach meals, with one commenting that it was amusing to see everything combined on a single plate. In Italy, each course is traditionally served on a separate plate and in a particular order, though they joked that ultimately, everything ends up being digested the same way.
Another added, “no no no. we Italians don’t stuff everything in one plate.”
The food at the event received some mixed reviews, but the gift bags for Team USA athletes were a big hit. Filled with clothing and accessories from brands like Nike, SKIMS, and Ralph Lauren, the athletes loved their new gear and shared videos of it all on social media this week.
Ice hockey player Taylor Heise shared her excitement on TikTok, calling the upcoming opening and closing ceremonies “AMAZING!” Snowboarder Hahna Norman echoed the enthusiasm, saying she was “in love with this” and calling it “so awesome.”
Taylor and Hahna are among the athletes who will compete for the United States when the 2026 Winter Olympics begin on February 6th. Find out more about the other Americans who will be participating in the games…
Mikaela Shiffrin, a three-time Olympic medalist, is determined to perform better at her fourth Olympics. She’s hoping to bounce back from a disappointing showing at the 2022 Beijing Games and a frightening crash in November 2024, which caused an abdominal injury that needed surgery.
In a recent interview with TIME, Mikaela Shiffrin explained she’s acutely aware of the unpredictable nature of competition. She understands that even with perfect preparation, success isn’t guaranteed. However, she feels a strong connection with her team and believes that together, they can overcome any challenges. She feels that’s all she can do to prepare.
Mikaela Shiffrin has been supported for years by Norwegian skier Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, and they are now engaged to be married.
Oh my gosh, he’s just… incredible. He keeps telling me, ‘You’ve got this, it’s going to be okay,’ and honestly, I needed to hear that. Last season was so rough, I seriously doubted myself so many times, wondering if I was pushing too hard, too fast, if I’d ever get back to where I wanted to be. But he just looked at me and said, ‘You know your body and your limits better than anyone. You’re giving it everything you’ve got, and if it doesn’t work out, that’s okay too.’ It just… it meant the world to me, you know?
After struggling with repeated knee injuries, Lindsey Vonn retired from competitive skiing in 2019. She had competed in five Winter Olympics, earning a gold medal in downhill and a bronze in Super-G at the 2010 games, followed by another bronze in downhill at the 2018 Olympics.
After a successful partial knee replacement in 2024 finally relieved the pain she’d lived with since her initial surgery in 2013, she rediscovered her love for speed.
While he enjoys other things like board meetings and investing, the 41-year-old skier told NBC News in December that nothing compares to the thrill of downhill skiing. He’s built a good life outside of the sport, and accepts he’ll never recapture that feeling, but he’s determined to savor this final burst of adrenaline while he can.
Vonn’s crash during a World Cup race in Switzerland on January 30th was serious enough to require a helicopter rescue, and it threatened to end her attempt to return to competition.
Despite tearing the ACL in her left knee, the experienced athlete announced she’s healthy enough to compete in the women’s downhill race on February 8th in Cortina d’Ampezzo. Cortina is hosting the skiing, snowboarding, and sliding events, while Milan will host skating and curling.
At a press conference on February 3rd, she firmly stated she wouldn’t give up. Despite the challenges, she emphasized her strength and determination, saying, ‘I’m not crying, I’m holding my head high, and I’m going to give it my all.’
Jessie Diggins, the most accomplished American cross-country skier ever, is competing in what will be her last Olympic Games.
And the Afton, Minn., native is headed to Italy with a purpose.
In a recent Instagram post on January 31st, the 34-year-old shared that they have the freedom to choose who they compete for and live according to their beliefs. They dedicated their efforts to those who show compassion and care for others, stating that these individuals inspire them and make them proud to represent their country. They hope to bring happiness to these supporters in the coming weeks.
After she retires, she shared with NPR’s All Things Considered that she’s looking forward to spending time gardening and, most importantly, being home with her husband.
At just 17, Stolz first competed in the Olympics in Beijing. Though he didn’t medal then, he’s now a strong contender to win gold in several speed skating events at the Milan Cortina Games, including the 500, 1,000, and 1,500 meters, plus the longer mass start race (which is 16 laps or 6,400 meters).
The 21-year-old athlete believes he has a strong chance of winning gold if he performs flawlessly. Speaking to the Associated Press in January, he said he feels prepared to handle the pressure, explaining that he’s experienced many high-stakes races before and doesn’t anticipate expectations being a problem, as long as everything goes smoothly.
Four years after making history at the Beijing Olympics – becoming the first Black American woman to medal in speed skating and the first Black woman to win an individual gold medal at the Winter Games – 500-meter champion Erin Jackson is returning to the 2026 Games as a flag bearer. She will share the honor with bobsledder Frank Del Duca during the Opening Ceremony on February 6th.
The 33-year-old from Ocala, Florida, said it was a huge honor to represent the United States internationally. She explained that this moment wasn’t just about her, but also about her family, teammates, hometown, and all Americans who believe in the power of sports.
Although she’s not retiring immediately, Jackson plans to launch an organization dedicated to helping young Black athletes achieve their goals in speed skating.
She emphasized the importance of seeing people like yourself succeed, something that has often been missing in winter sports, especially speed skating. She feels a strong sense of responsibility and pride in being a role model, hoping to inspire others to try the sport and help them achieve their own goals. She’s committed to making that happen for the next generation.
I’m so impressed with Kim! Even though she tore her labrum and dislocated her shoulder back in January while training in Switzerland, she’s still heading to her fourth Olympics! It’s amazing – she’s got a real shot at winning her third gold medal in the women’s halfpipe, and I’ll be cheering her on every step of the way.
In a video posted on January 13th, the 25-year-old athlete from Torrance, California, expressed disappointment about not being able to snowboard again until just before the Olympics, acknowledging it will be a challenge. They also said they haven’t had as much practice as they’d hoped, but are staying positive about it.
She expects a relaxed period leading up to the 2026 Games. In an interview with NBC Olympics on January 22nd, she explained she was currently at home and planned to travel to Europe early the following week for some training before heading to Milan for the event.
And once she was there, she’d be fired up and ready to go—just like everyone else.
It’s hard to put into words what it’s like,” said Kim, who has been snowboarding since she was a child, “but it feels like everyone becomes the best version of themselves.
Gerard first won an Olympic gold medal in slopestyle at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games when he was 17 years old. Now, as a two-time X Games champion, he’s aiming to achieve the same success at his third Olympics.
The 25-year-old, originally from Ohio and now living in Colorado, told People magazine in January that she still feels young and healthy. She also expressed how rewarding it is to be a veteran on Team USA, having been a member since age 13, and to now be able to mentor the newer athletes with her experience.
Gerard explained how he handles the pressure of the Olympics by reminding himself it’s still just snowboarding, like any other competition. He acknowledges it’s a much larger event with a bigger audience, but focuses on treating it the same way he always has – concentrating on his own performance and blocking out distractions. That’s his strategy for staying focused and performing his best.
The 31-year-old snowboarder is competing in his third Olympic Games, hoping to add a gold medal to his collection after winning silver in 2018 and bronze in 2022.
As a seasoned athlete, I really feel like this is my year to take home the gold. Honestly, it’s a game-changer being able to enter the competition fully healthy for the first time! My previous attempts were hampered by injuries – a broken collarbone just weeks before one games, and a sprained ankle before the other. It makes a huge difference! I’m also a bit more mature now, and incredibly focused – I’m laser-focused on achieving my best. Growing up, I learned to ski at the local club in Aspen, Colorado, even starting with secondhand gear, so I’ve always had to work hard, and that’s really prepared me for this moment.
Let me tell you, this guy comes from a seriously active family! Not only does he have a sister, Lourdes, but both his parents are athletes – his dad, Marcelo, actually played professional soccer in Argentina, and his mom, Colleen, was a fantastic relay racer. And it doesn’t stop there! He’s also got a sweet rescue dog named Brandy who’s a huge part of his life. It’s a family that clearly loves being active and supportive of one another.
What I love most about my dog, Brandy, is her unconditional love. She doesn’t care about accomplishments or rewards; she just greets me with a wagging tail and is always there for me, through thick and thin. I truly rely on her companionship,” said Ferreira, who partners with Nulo pet food.
I’m so excited to watch Hall compete in his third Olympics! It’s amazing to think that after placing 16th in slopestyle back in 2018, he’s now the defending gold medalist. He’s really pushed his limits and is always striving for bigger and better things – it’s inspiring to see!
Besides potentially winning another slopestyle gold—a medal he famously keeps in his sock drawer—the laid-back 27-year-old is also hoping to do better than his eighth-place finish in Big Air at the 2022 competition. He said winning once was incredible, and a repeat would be amazing.
In an interview with POWDER magazine in October 2025, Hall expressed his excitement about the Olympics returning to Europe, anticipating excellent skiing conditions and a mountainous backdrop – something the last two Olympics lacked. He also shared a personal connection to the event, explaining that his mother is from Bologna, Italy, and many of his family members who still live there will be attending the games, which he described as ‘pretty sweet.’ Hall, currently based in Utah, was born in Alaska and spent his childhood in Zurich, where his parents teach at the college level.
The 29-year-old freestyle skier is competing in her third Olympic Games and hopes to build on the silver medal she won in Beijing.
As someone who’s been in the lifestyle and wellness space for years, I often get asked about navigating challenges, both in personal growth and high-stakes environments. I’m a go-to resource for everything from perfecting your training regimen to managing the stress that comes with competing on a global stage. People trust me to provide guidance they can really use.
Patti Sherman-Kauf is a decorated athlete: she won two championships on the World Pro Moguls Tour, even while pregnant with her daughter, and her husband, Scott Kauf, won five. After retiring from mogul skiing, Patti excelled in skicross, earning three bronze medals at the X Games.
Jaelin wasn’t like most babies – she preferred being bounced instead of rocked, according to her mother, Patti, in an interview with NBC Olympics.
Jaelin confessed that she didn’t initially love mogul skiing. “I’d always choose a powder day over bumps,” she told Teton Gravity Research in November 2025. However, watching her parents build careers as professional skiers showed her it was possible for her too. She explained that not everyone has that example or support, but she always felt confident she could pursue it.
Team Jaelin also includes her boyfriend, Bradley Wilson, a two-time Olympic skier who is now retired, and his brother Bryon Wilson, a bronze medalist who coaches Kauf.
Humphries’ journey has had more twists than a bobsled run.
Originally from Calgary, this 40-year-old athlete represented Team Canada in two-woman bobsled and achieved Olympic success with gold medals in 2010 and 2014, followed by a bronze in 2018.
In 2019, she surprised everyone in the sports world by announcing her departure from the Canadian national team after 16 years. She explained that she was concerned for her safety due to a harmful atmosphere within the team, particularly leading up to the 2018 Olympics.
Humphries started competing for the U.S. team in 2019, but she told the Associated Press that she still considered herself Canadian and didn’t intend to choose between the two nationalities.
She clarified that her love for Canada hasn’t diminished, but she’s capable of loving someone and something new just as deeply. Having lived in the U.S. for four years, she found love with an American, whom she married. Now, life has presented them with new possibilities, and they’re navigating the choices that come with those changes.
In 2021, Kaillie Humphries became a U.S. citizen and then, in 2022, she won a gold medal in the first-ever Olympic monobob competition – a one-person bobsled event – at the Beijing Olympics.
This will be her fifth Olympic Games, and the first since becoming a mother. She and her husband, Travis Armbruster, welcomed their son, Aulden, in June 2024.
For years, people have said that having a baby means the end of an athlete’s career – that your body will change too much, and you’ll never be able to compete at a high level again. Kaillie Humphries told The Athletic that this used to be accepted as truth, but she and other athletes are now showing that it’s possible to be both a parent and a successful athlete.
For five-time Olympian, bobsledding has become a personal escape since becoming a mother. She and her husband, Nic Taylor, welcomed their son Nico in 2020, followed by son Noah in 2022. Nico has Down syndrome, and both boys are deaf – a condition caused by a genetic trait both parents unknowingly carried until Nico’s birth.
Even though things were incredibly hectic at home, Meyers Taylor really wanted her children to witness her professional life.
“The challenges they’ll face are beyond what I can imagine,” the 41-year-old explained to The Athletic. “I hope they learn that even when things are difficult, you can still chase your goals. I want them to see my success – the medals I’ve earned – but also to witness my struggles, how I overcome setbacks, and keep fighting.”
Although Kaillie Meyers Taylor has won five Olympic medals – four in two-woman bobsled and a silver in monobob in 2022 – she’s still hoping to earn her first gold medal.
Skeleton racing is undeniably cool – it’s a sport where athletes slide headfirst down an icy, winding track, reaching speeds as high as 90 miles per hour.
Ro, who became the first American to win a medal in skeleton at the IBSF World Championships in 12 years (in 2025), initially didn’t believe she’d actually won.
She remembers her first time trying skeleton in 2016 vividly. After being told she was too small for bobsled, the coach guided her to the starting line, and then everything happened incredibly fast. ‘I couldn’t see or think,’ she told The Athletic. ‘When I reached the bottom, I was finished – I knew I wasn’t doing that again!’
But after listening to enough people rave about how cool it was, she tried it again.
Ten years after starting her journey, the athlete from Virginia is now competing in her first Olympics. She’ll be participating in both individual events and the new mixed team event, which is being introduced at the 2026 Games.
Outside of training and competition, Ro works as a tour guide at the Lake Placid Olympic Center. She’s one of many athletes who takes on a second job to earn extra income. Ro is the second oldest of eleven children, and has a twin sister who is fourteen minutes younger.
As a professional athlete, my training facility isn’t just where I work – it’s a huge part of my life! I’m there constantly, completely immersed in that environment. We’ve started offering tours, and honestly, it’s a hit! People love getting a behind-the-scenes look with me as their guide, hearing things from an athlete’s point of view. It’s a fantastic experience, but those tours alone won’t cover all the costs of competing at this level. There’s still a lot of financial support I need to make my dreams a reality.
Illya Malinin comes from a figure skating family—both his parents were champions in Uzbekistan. He started skating at age six, but as a young boy growing up in Virginia, he actually preferred playing soccer outdoors to practicing in the chilly rink.
At age 17, he made history as the first—and so far, only—skater to land a complete quadruple axel during an international competition, achieving this at the 2022 CS U.S. International Classic.
Ilia Malinin, known as the “Quad God,” has landed quadruple jumps consistently and is currently the strongest U.S. male contender to win gold in the individual event at the 2026 Winter Olympics. This is especially true now that Nathan Chen, previously called the “Quad King,” has decided not to compete in the Milan Cortina Games.
Four years after not making Team USA, the 20-year-old is now concentrating on preparing himself to perform well.
Illya Malinin shared in an interview with USA Today‘s Milan Magic podcast that he focuses on delivering a strong performance at competitions, rather than winning medals. He emphasizes preparing thoroughly so he can skate to the best of his ability, believing that good results and medals will naturally follow a clean and well-executed routine.
After competing in the Beijing Olympics and World Championships – where she earned a bronze medal – Liu retired from competitive skating in 2022.
Liu explained to NBC News that she began her training at age five and continued until she was sixteen. Because she was homeschooled her entire life, and she’s a very social person who needs connection with others, she found it difficult to live for many years without family or friends while dedicating herself to training. She reflected on this when discussing her decision to retire at seventeen.
She explained that she had very little control over her own choices, like what she wore or what events she competed in. She felt she was treated like a doll, forced to participate in the Olympics, not for herself, but because she felt obligated to fulfill a responsibility to her younger self.
After starting classes at UCLA in the fall of 2023 and enjoying a typical college experience, she rediscovered her competitive spirit during a January ski trip. By March 2024, she was officially competing again. The 20-year-old from Clovis, California, then went on to win gold at the 2025 World Championships and is now aiming to win a medal – and ideally more gold – for the U.S. women’s team at the 2026 Games, ending a 20-year drought.
When she takes the ice now, “it’s fully for myself,” Liu explained. “Yeah, it’s pretty cool.”
This Olympic Games marks the fourth time these partners have competed together, and it’s their first time competing as a married couple since tying the knot in June 2024.
Chock explained to TopMob News in December that getting married strengthened their partnership both personally and professionally. They already had a strong connection through skating, but marriage has allowed them to fully support each other as true partners, in all aspects of life and their careers.
Although they helped the U.S. figure skating team win gold at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, the three-time world champion pair haven’t yet earned an Olympic medal for themselves.
We’ve been working really hard and dedicating a lot of time and effort,” Bates shared with TopMob, “but we truly appreciate every day and the chance we’ve been given.
While both the 36-year-old skater and his 33-year-old partner haven’t confirmed if they’ll retire after these Olympics, they recognize they’re nearing the end of their competitive careers.
At the 2026 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Bates told NBC Olympics that they were trying to stay focused and not get overwhelmed by the emotions of the event and their 15-year partnership. They said their biggest reward would be a strong performance, but they also wanted to savor the moment, recognizing it might be their last competition. They ultimately won gold at the event.
The veteran U.S. women’s national team player, a gold medalist in 2018, has announced that the upcoming Milan Cortina Olympics will be her last. At 36 years old, this will be her fifth Olympic Games, making her the American hockey player—male or female—with the most Olympic appearances.
Although she’d love to win another gold medal, Knight emphasized to Today.com that a large portion of the team – possibly more than half – are Olympic first-timers. She said a key focus is ensuring all players feel comfortable and can perform at their best. With so many talented athletes, helping them reach their full potential will be crucial for the team’s success.
A University of Wisconsin graduate, she currently plays hockey for the Seattle Torrent in Washington. However, she and her partner, Brittany Bowe – a veteran speed skater competing in her fourth and final Olympics shortly before turning 38 on February 24th – have made Salt Lake City their home, where they recently purchased a house.
As elite athletes, you develop a strong sense of what someone else needs – whether it’s encouragement or time to themselves,” Knight explained to NBC Olympics in June 2025. “Having both competed at a high level for so long helps us understand each other well.
This mixed doubles curling team, who started playing together after the 2022 Beijing Olympics, will be making their Olympic debut as a pair. They recently placed fifth at the 2025 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship and previously won a world championship in 2023. They believe their success comes not only from their skills and dedication, but also from how well their personalities mesh.
Ahead of the Milan Cortina Games, figure skater Dropkin, 30, explained how well she and her partner, Cory, work together. “We’re able to stay relaxed and focused on the present,” she said. “We also just have really compatible personalities. Someone recently described us as ‘the calm and the fire’ – Cory is calm and confident on the ice, while I bring a lot of energy and passion. It’s a great combination.”
He and his wife, Thiesse, who married Sam Thiesse in June 2022, live in Duluth, Minnesota. They both work regular jobs to support their passion for curling.
Dropkin works in real estate, and Thiesse is a lab technician who tests wastewater for mercury. Thiesse shared with Duluth’s ABC 10 that she’s thankful to have a stable job while pursuing her passion for curling, something she and her teammates have dreamed of since childhood.
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2026-02-06 04:21