Winter Olympics: Five events you need to watch at Milan Cortina 2026 - including key details and dates

The 25th edition of the Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina officially starts on Friday, February 6.

Yes, it is that time when, for just over two weeks, we can all turn into amateur experts on all things winter sports.

The multi-sport event will see nearly 3,000 athletes represent 92 different countries across 16 disciplines.

Some participants will be realising dreams by taking part in the Winter Olympics, while others will not be content unless they take home a medal.

Here, Sports Mole picks out five sports you cannot miss at the Milan Cortina games.

Downhill Skiing

The Alpine downhill skiing will test the athletes' speed on a course with widely spaced gates, compared to the more technical events of the giant slalom and slalom.

The men's downhill will take place on the Stelvio course in Bormio, while the women will compete on the Olimpia delle Tofane course near Cortina D'Ampezzo.

Each skier will only get one timed run, meaning the pressure is on to complete the perfect descent.

Switzerland's Marco Odermatt is seen as one of the favourites for the men's event, given the fact that he boasts a signicant lead at the top of the World Cup standings.

Odermatt could face close competition from his compatriot, Franjo von Allmen, who won gold at the 2025 Alpine World Ski Championships.

Meanwhile, three-time Olympic medalist Lindsey Vonn headlines the women's downhill despite suffering a serious injury in the lead-up to the Winter Olympics.

The 41-year-old ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament in a World Cup race last week, but she is still planning to compete after coming out of retirement in 2024.

When does the Alpine downhill skiing take place?

February 7: Men's downhill

February 8: Women's downhill

Ice Hockey

If you are keen on team sports, then you need to look further than the Ice Hockey, which is undoubtedly one of the standout sports at every Winter Olympics.

There is excitement surrounding the men's event, with players from the National Hockey League (NHL) set to feature in the Olympics for the first time since 2014.

Canada are seen as the favourite to win gold, boasting NHL talents like Sidney Crosby, Nathan Mackinnon, Cale Makar and Connor McDavid.

Meanwhile, the USA will have aspirations of winning their third gold medal in this event, while the European challenge could come from Sweden and defending champions Finland.

In the women's event, Team USA will be desperate to claim gold after falling to a 3-2 defeat to Canada in the final of the 2022 Games.

The USA are captained by the legendary Hilary Knight, who is competing in her fifth and final Olympics, offering the extra incentive for her country to go for their third gold in this event.

Canada are likely to be the USA's biggest competitor, although Finland may have aspirations of improving upon the bronze medals they have collected in three of the past four Olympics.

When does the Ice Hockey take place?

February 5: Women's preliminary round starts

February 11: Men's preliminary round starts

February 13: Women's quarter-finals

February 14: Women's quarter-finals

February 16: Women's semi-finals

February 17: Men's playoffs

February 18: Men's quarter-finals

February 19: Women's gold and bronze medal games

February 20: Men's semi-finals

February 21: Men's bronze medal game

February 22: Men's gold medal game

Short Track Speed Skating

The short track speed skating tests speed, strategy and technique, while luck can even come into play due to the risk of athletes colliding as they try to overtake or hold position in this fast-paced discipline.

Short-track speed skating takes place on a track 111.12 metres long, compared to the 400m track used for traditional speed skating.

There will be short track speed skating events at the 2026 Winter Olympics, including a mixed team relay.

There are men's and women's events over 500m, 1,000m and 1,500m, while the men's and women's relays take place over 5,000m and 3,000m, respectively.

Team GB will only have one short track skater at Milan Cortina, with Niall Treacy looking to make a positive impression in the 500m, 1,000m and 1,500m events.

When does the Short Track Speed Skating take place?

February 10: Mixed team relay

February 12: Women's 500m final, Men's 1,000m final

February 14: Men's 1,500m final

February 16: Women's 1,000m final

February 18: Women's 3,000m relay, Men's 500m final

February 20: Women's 1,500m, Men's 5,000m relay

Skeleton

The Skeleton will see Athletes race face down on a sled on an ice track, reaching speeds of around 80mph to 87mph and hitting 5G on some turns.

The discipline will feature three events at the Winter Olympics, including men's and women's individual competitions.

The individual events will see athletes attempt four runs across two days, with the total combined time deciding where each competitor sits in the standings.

There will also be a first Olympic outing for the skeleton mixed team - an event in which Team GB have collected silver in each of the past three World Championships.

Great Britain's Matt Weston is also the favourite to win gold in the men's event, but the reigning world champion will face competition from a number of strong athletes, including GB teammate Marcus Wyatt and Yin Zheng of China.

When does the Skeleton take place?

February 12: Men's heat one and two

February 13: Women's heat one and two, Men's heat three and four

February 14: Women's heat three and four

Ski Mountaineering

Viewers searching for something different will want to tune into the Ski Mountaineering, the only new sport at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

That said, those keen to watch the sport known as 'skimo' will have to wait until February 19 for the action to start in the northern Italian town of Bormio.

The sport itself tests the athletes' speed and skill, as they ascend and then descend mountains in the quickest time possible.

Athletes start the ascent wearing skis with skins before they remove the skis and place them in the backpack for the steep part of the climb.

The skinned skis will be put back on to complete the ascent before the competitors remove the skins for the technical descent.

The men's and women's sprint will consist of three stages, the heats, semi-finals and final, while there will also be a mixed relay to look forward to in the sport's first outing at the Winter Olympics.

When does the Ski Mountaineering take place?

February 19: Men's and Women's Sprint

February 21: Mixed relay