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Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Games: Australia Prepares for Olympic and Paralympic Events

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Australia's Winter Teams Gear Up for Milano-Cortina 2026

Australia is preparing to send its Olympic and Paralympic teams to the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Games in Italy. The Olympic team, comprising 53 athletes, is Australia's second-largest delegation for a Winter Games, while the Paralympic team of 14 athletes and two guides marks an increase in size from the 2022 Beijing Games. Both teams include a mix of experienced athletes and debutants, with Australia competing in 11 Olympic and four Paralympic disciplines.

Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics Overview

The 2026 Winter Olympics, officially known as the Milano-Cortina Games, are scheduled to take place over 16 days, from February 6 to February 22, 2026. The opening ceremony will be held on Friday, February 6, 2026, local time, at San Siro stadium in Milan, beginning at 6:00 AM AEDT on Saturday morning, February 7, in Australia. Preliminary events, including mixed curling and women's ice hockey, are slated to occur before the official opening.

Venues and Logistics

The Games will be hosted across eight cities in northern Italy, spanning over 22,000 square kilometers.

This extensive layout utilizes 90 percent existing or temporary venues, aligning with the International Olympic Committee's cost-cutting measures, and making it the most geographically widespread Winter Olympics and Paralympics in history.

Logistical considerations include alpine skiing events being split between Cortina (women's) and Bormio (men's), locations more than five hours apart by car. Two Olympic cauldrons are planned: one at Arco della Pace in Milan and another in Piazza Dibona in Cortina.

Sports Program

Sixteen sports are scheduled for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Australia will have representatives competing in 11 disciplines, with curling, ice hockey, Nordic combined, long-track speed skating, and ski jumping being the exceptions. New disciplines for Australia's participation include figure skating and ski mountaineering (skimo), which involves athletes climbing mountains on skis and then skiing down, with events such as knockout sprints and mixed relays.

Australian Olympic Team

Australia has finalized a 53-athlete team for the 2026 Winter Olympics, making it the country's second-largest delegation, following the 60 athletes who competed at the 2014 Sochi Games. This team features 27 debutants and five teenagers, including 15-year-old Indra Brown (freeski halfpipe).

Team Composition and Goals

The team comprises 62.3% female athletes, representing the highest proportion ever selected by Australia for an Olympic Games. Chef de mission Alisa Camplin-Warner noted the blend of experienced and emerging talent.

The team aims for a potential record medal haul, seeking to surpass the four medals achieved at the Beijing Games. Five of the six medallists from the past two Winter Games are included in the Milano-Cortina team.

Key Athletes and Medal Prospects

Eleven Australian athletes have collectively earned 26 World Cup medals, including 13 gold medals, across seven disciplines this season. Several athletes are ranked highly in their World Cup standings:

  • Leaders: Jakara Anthony (moguls), Adam Lambert (snowboard cross), Indra Brown (freeski park and pipe).
  • Second-ranked: Josie Baff (snowboard cross), Matt Graham (moguls), Val Guseli (snowboard park and pipe), Bree Walker (monobob).

Notable athletes include:

  • Jakara Anthony: Defending Olympic moguls champion, serving as a flag bearer for the opening ceremony alongside Matt Graham in Livigno.
  • Matt Graham: Moguls silver medallist from PyeongChang and a two-time World Cup medallist this season, participating in his fourth Games.
  • Scotty James: Snowboarder set to compete in his fifth Olympic Games.
  • Danielle Scott and Laura Peel: Leading the aerials team in their fourth Games, aiming for a medal.
  • Bree Walker: Leads the sliding team with five World Cup monobob medals this year (three gold). The sliding team also includes two two-woman bobsled teams, Nick Timmings in skeleton, and four-time Olympian Alex Ferlazzo in luge.
  • Darcie Morton: Making her Olympic debut in biathlon, the first father-daughter pair at a Winter Olympics, following her father, 2006 Olympian Cameron Morton.
  • Rosie Fordham: Debuting in cross-country skiing.

Support and Development

Australia's winter sports infrastructure has seen advancements, including a specialized water ramp facility for aerial skiers established in Brisbane in late 2020 to enhance training opportunities. Athletes acknowledge that Australia, as a non-traditional winter sports nation, faces challenges due to limited domestic snow training facilities compared to other countries.

Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics Overview

The Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics will run from March 6 to March 15, 2026. The opening ceremony is scheduled for March 6 local time at the Arena di Verona, with preliminary rounds for wheelchair curling commencing on March 4. In Australia, the opening ceremony will be broadcast at 6:00 AM AEDT on March 7. This marks the second time Italy has hosted the event, following Torino in 2006. Competition will take place across five venues in north-east Italy.

Sports Program

Six sports are featured at the Winter Paralympics, including the debut of a mixed doubles event in Para Curling. Australia will compete in four disciplines for the first time: Para Cross-Country, Para Biathlon, Para Snowboarding, and Para Alpine Skiing. Events encompass a range of classifications for athletes with physical or vision impairments, including standing, sitting, and vision-impaired categories, often utilizing guides or acoustic signals.

Australian Paralympic Team

Australia will send a team of 14 para-athletes and two guides to the 2026 Winter Paralympics, representing an increase in team size from the Beijing 2022 Paralympics. The nation has a history of medal-winning at the Winter Paralympics, dating back to 1992, with its peak performance of six gold medals achieved at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. The current team comprises a mix of veterans and debutants, including two Summer Paralympians.

Australia's entry into Para Cross-Country and Para Biathlon marks the first time in 20 years for biathlon. The team captain is Sean Pollard.

Featured Athletes

  • Amanda Reid (Para-snowboarding – SB-LL1): Set to become Australia’s first Indigenous Winter Paralympian. A two-time Summer Paralympics gold medallist in cycling, Reid transitioned to para-snowboarding in 2023, earning a gold and a bronze medal at the world championships that year. She is considered a medal contender.

  • Lauren Parker (Biathlon – LW10; cross-country skiing – LS10): A dual gold medallist in triathlon and hand-cycling from the Paris Paralympics. Parker has made a swift transition to winter sports, engaging with snow sports in 2025 and beginning biathlon target shooting in December 2025. She is scheduled to compete in six events across both disciplines.

  • Michael Milton (Para-alpine skiing, LW2): Australia's most decorated Winter Paralympian with 11 medals (six gold). Named in the para-alpine skiing team for giant slalom and slalom events. His participation is pending medical clearance following a training crash that resulted in a fracture to his amputated left leg.

  • Josh Hanlon (Para-alpine skiing, LW12-2): Transitioned to para-alpine skiing after amputations in 2018. Named Paralympics Australia’s rookie of the year, he competed in Beijing and has qualified for all five para-alpine disciplines, securing his first World Cup medal in 2025.

  • Ben Tudhope (Para Snowboard SB-LL1): Competing in his fourth Paralympic Games, Tudhope won bronze at Beijing 2022 in snowboard cross and has accumulated 50 World Cup circuit podium finishes.

  • Liana France: At 16, she will be Australia’s youngest female Winter Paralympian, debuting in para giant slalom and slalom events.

  • Taryn Dickens: The first Australian vision-impaired athlete to compete in Nordic sports (para cross-country and para biathlon), guided by Lynn Maree Cullen.

  • Georgia Gunew (Para Alpine Skiing AS2): A 23-year-old vision-impaired debutant, competing in giant slalom and slalom with guide Ethan Jackson, having claimed multiple World Cup medals in 2023.

Broadcast Information

In Australia, the Winter Olympics and Paralympics will be exclusively broadcast on Channel Nine and its subsidiary platforms, NineNow and Stan Sport. ABC Sport will also provide a live blog throughout the Games.