Welcome to the Winter Olympics
What to Watch, Who to Know, and How This Coverage Will Work. Edition #318
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about the Winter Olympics?
Perhaps you’re thinking about the Miracle on Ice, when the underdog U.S. men’s ice hockey team stunned the seemingly invincible Soviet Union with a 4–3 victory.
Or maybe you’re thinking about Hermann Maier. The Austrian flew nearly 30 feet off course, crashed through two fences, landed on his helmet at 70 MPH, and still won gold in both the giant slalom and super-G just days later.
Maybe the first story you think of is the most emotional one. Dan Jansen learned that his sister had died of leukemia on the day of his race. He failed to medal in 1988, struggled again in 1992, and finally broke through with gold in 1994.
Welcome to the first big event of 2026.
Even if none of those were the first moments that came to mind, we all carry some memory of the Winter Olympics. That’s what makes these Games special. They’re the biggest showcase of winter’s brightest stars, but they’re also where some of the most human moments in sports history happen.
This post kicks off Sports Square’s Winter Olympics coverage. How that coverage will work comes next.
How Am I Going To Cover It?
If you’ve been reading Sports Square since 2024, you probably remember the day-by-day coverage of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
That stretch was the most fun I’ve ever had covering a sporting event, and I want to carry that same energy into these Games, just in a way that’s realistic and sustainable.
So I’m keeping this simple on purpose.
Every day during the Winter Olympics, I’ll publish one post focused on what actually mattered that day. Not a full recap of every event. Not a medal dump. One clear story, a few things you might’ve missed, and a look ahead at what’s coming next.
Each daily post will center on one defining moment. A performance, a mistake, a surprise, or a decision that shaped the day. From there, I’ll pull out the quieter stories that don’t always make highlights but end up shaping the Games just as much.
Medals will be part of the coverage, but always with context. I care more about why something happened than just who finished first.
On some days, I’ll add short previews in the morning or explainers for sports that are confusing if you don’t watch them year-round. On others, it’ll just be the daily anchor post. The goal is consistency without forcing it.
During the Olympics, posting times will be a bit different for Olympic-related posts. There won’t be a fixed release time. Most days, posts will go out either around 1 AM EST or at the usual 7 AM EST.
I’m aiming for the earlier window when possible, so coverage lines up more closely with events happening in Milan. That 1 AM EST release lines up with 7 AM CET, which is local time at the Games.
So… What Are the Sports?
Before the Games begin, here’s a quick lay of the land.
Alpine skiing
Bobsledding
Cross-country skiing
Curling
Figure skating
Freestyle skiing
Ice hockey
Luge
Nordic combined (cross-country skiing + ski jumping)
Short-track speed skating
Skeleton sledding
Ski jumping
Ski mountaineering
Snowboarding
Speed skating
Here’s some context on who typically sets the standard in each sport. These aren’t predictions — just history and recent dominance.
Alpine skiing: Switzerland leads the 2025–26 season with 6,510 points.
Bobsledding: Germany has 16 Olympic gold medals and 32 total medals.
Cross-country skiing: Norway remains the gold standard.
Curling: Scotland leads the men’s side, Switzerland leads the women’s.
Figure skating: Ilia Malinin (USA) tops the men’s field; Kaori Sakamoto (Japan) leads the women.
Freestyle skiing: The U.S. leads in total medals (33), though Canada has more gold (12).
Ice hockey: Canada owns the history with nine Olympic golds and 28 World Championship titles.
Luge: Germany has 87 Olympic medals (38 gold) since 1964.
Nordic combined: Norway dominates with 35 Olympic medals.
Short-track speed skating: South Korea leads with 53 medals (26 gold).
Skeleton: Great Britain is the most successful nation since the sport’s return in 2002.
Ski jumping: Norway leads with 36 Olympic medals.
Ski mountaineering: Making its Olympic debut, with France, Italy, and Switzerland leading. France enters as the favorite.
Snowboarding: The U.S. leads Olympic history with 35 medals.
Speed skating: The Netherlands reigns with 133 Olympic medals.
5 Players You Probably Don’t Know but Need to Watch
Jenning de Boo — Speed skating
Stefania Constantini & Amos Mosaner — Curling
Emily Harrop — Ski mountaineering
Wolfgang Kindl — Luge
Arianna Fontana — Short-track speed skating
The Opening Ceremony might be on the 6th, but the Winter Olympics actually start today! The first event is Curling, and it comes your way at 1:05 EST/10:05 PST/7:05 CET (Milano Corta).
With that, I would like to be the first to wish you a Happy Olympics!
Looking forward to following your coverage!!
Nice recap. I’m one of those people who actually might enjoy the Winter Olympics more than the summer because of the rarer sports like luge, ski jumping, etc.