According to Associated Press
The countdown has begun to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
The torch relay is already underway and some of the best athletes are already making headlines. A total of 16 sports will be played, including previously unheard ones, and 116 gold medals will be awarded.
It will be the most dispersed Winter Games in history, with the two main venues being the city of Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, an exclusive winter resort in the Dolomites, more than 400 kilometers away by road.
In addition to Cortina, athletes will compete in three more mountain groups, with the closing ceremony taking place in Verona, 160 kilometers east of Milan.
Below is a guide to preparing for the main events.
Key dates to remember
The competition will take place from February 4 to 22. Here are some important days to mark on your calendar:
February 4: Curling competition begins.
February 6: Opening ceremony.
February 7: First gold medal competition.
February 8: Gold medal, women's downhill skiing.
February 13: Gold medal, men's figure skating.
February 18: Gold medal in women's alpine skiing slalom.
February 19: Gold medal, women's figure skating. Gold medal match, women's hockey. The first gold medals in ski mountaineering, a new Olympic sport.
February 22: Gold medal game, men's hockey. Closing ceremony.
How to see
Dozens of countries will broadcast or broadcast each day's events. Some delay broadcasts until prime time depending on the time zone.
This will be the case in the United States, where Eastern Time is six hours behind Milan and Cortina. NBC will air evening highlights while simultaneously streaming sports on Peacock.
Breaking news
Athletes to watch: The two most decorated alpine skiers in history, Lindsey Vonn, 41, and Mikaela Shiffrin, have started the World Cup season in dominant fashion, boosting American hopes of a gold race in Cortina. Eileen Gu returned to freestyle skiing, as did Chloe Kim to snowboarding. NHL players are back on Olympic ice for the first time since 2014, so keep an eye on Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid.
Venues: All eyes are on Milan's hockey arenas, which were still under construction in December; The main rink will be about three feet shorter than NHL and PVHL players are used to. And the athletes' village in Cortina is a complex of more than 350 mobile homes.
Russian athletes: Some sports federations are deciding whether to allow Russians to compete as neutral athletes, but only after they have been cleared by independent vetting to ensure they do not publicly support the war in Ukraine or have ties to the Russian military.
What's New: Ski mountaineering makes its Olympic debut, and skeleton has added a mixed team event. Luge added women's doubles and ski jumping added women's and men's super team events.
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AP Sports: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
