Olympics 2026: Meet the Athletes Who Made History During Winter Games

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This year’s Winter Games had no shortage of game changers.

When the world’s best athletes came together in Milan and Cortina, Italy, for the 2026 Olympics, many existing records were challenged. However, several new athletes also achieved remarkable feats and made their mark on history.

Laila Edwards, the first Black woman to play hockey for Team USA in the Olympics, lived in the Olympic Village during the games. She and her teammates went on to win the gold medal, beating Team Canada 2-1 in the final match on February 19th.

Laila, 22, shared with ESPN on February 4th that it means a lot to her to be a role model and to know people admire her. She feels both proud and thankful for that.

Seventeen-year-old alpine skier Tallulah Proulx made history as the first woman to compete for the Philippines in the Winter Games. Like Laila, she hoped to inspire young people who might not usually see themselves reflected in winter sports.

Tallulah, who is a dual citizen of the US and the Philippines, shared with TownLift on February 2nd how meaningful it is to represent her heritage, particularly in a place where winter sports aren’t popular. She hopes her participation will encourage other Filipinos, especially those living outside the Philippines, to try winter sports.

The 2026 Games had a record number of LGBTQ+ athletes participate, with at least 44 openly identifying as queer, according to OutSports.com. Team USA’s Amber Glenn, a gold medalist in figure skating at the Olympic team event, shared that openly coming out was crucial to her achievements in the sport.

She explained to NBC News that she struggled to conform to expectations. “I finally understood that if I was going to continue, I needed to be myself, because I wasn’t going to be able to change who I am to fit in,” she said in a January interview.

The Winter Games weren’t just about what happened recently – they were packed with historic moments! As a lifestyle expert, I’ve been following all the action, and if you want to relive more of those incredible milestones from the 2026 Olympics, keep reading – there’s so much more to discover!

The Norwegian cross-country skier dominated the 2026 Olympics, winning six gold medals. This brought his total to eleven throughout his career, making him the Winter Olympics athlete with the most gold medals ever.

The American speed skater won the gold medal in the men’s 1000m race and broke the Olympic record, finishing in 1 minute, 6.28 seconds.

(Days later, he set yet another Olympic speed skating record.)

The ski racer made history by winning an Olympic gold medal, achieving a first for Brazil – and for all of South America – in the Winter Games.

The Team USA snowboarder won a silver medal in the women’s halfpipe, making her the first woman ever to win three medals in a row at the event.

She made history as the first woman to successfully land a cab double 1080 in the Olympic halfpipe finals.

The 22-year-old is the first Black woman to play for Team USA women’s hockey at the Olympics. 

The cross-country skier is the first woman to represent Mexico in the sport at the Olympics. 

The U.S. curling team won the country’s first-ever medal in mixed doubles, taking home the silver.

This athlete is the first woman from South Africa to compete in skeleton at the Olympic Games.

An American cross-country skier just won a silver medal, ending the United States’ 50-year wait for a medal in the men’s sprint classical race.

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2026-02-23 21:17