12 Athletes to Watch at the 2026 Winter Olympics

With each passing Olympic Games, there’s something new to admire. Typically, it’s a cool costume at the opening ceremony, or a new cauldron for the Olympic flame, or maybe a new fancy stadium the host city will have no use for in 10 years. Then there are the brand-new records set during each Games, jaw-dropping examples of human strength, talent, and mind-melting perseverance.

But for the 2026 Winter Olympics, some of the most notable firsts are coming out of the Olympic Village rather than the individual venues. They are the ones pushing their sports forward and making history in the process. Here are 12 athletes set to make history at this year’s Winter Olympics.

Sport: Figure Skating

Amber Glenn, one of the most interesting and multi-faceted figure skaters in recent history, has already racked up three US national titles and one Grand Prix Final championship. Openly pansexual, she is known for taking victory laps draped in a Pride flag. Glenn also speaks frankly about her struggles with mental health and ADHD. (She’s also a big fan of Star Wars, Pokémon, and Magic: The Gathering.) While her Madonna-themed short program is well worth a watch, her 2024 exhibition performance set to Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire” is even better.

Notable quote: “The fear of not being accepted is a huge struggle for me. Being perceived as [going through] ‘just a phase’ or [being] ‘indecisive’ is a common thing for bisexual/pansexual women. I don’t want to shove my sexuality in people’s faces, but I also don’t want to hide who I am.” —Amber Glenn to The Dallas Voice

Sport: Ice Hockey

When you (or anyone who’s watched Heated Rivalry) think “hockey player,” the image that typically comes to mind is of some burly Russo-Canadian, quick on his skates and with his stick but missing a few teeth. Laila Edwards is anything but that. As the first Black woman to play on the US Olympic hockey team, Edwards treads a whole new path. She’s getting a little help along the way, too, with fellow Cleveland Heights, Ohio natives Travis and Jason Kelce donating $10,000 to the GoFundMe that the Edwards family set up to pay for the trip to watch their daughter in the games.

Notable quote: “Walking into a rink and having someone say ‘the basketball court’s that way,’ having experience with microaggression, taught me lessons and had me grow a thicker skin in a predominantly white sport.” —Laila Edwards to TV station KARE 11

Sport: Alpine Skiing

At just 17, Tallulah Proulx is already breaking records, becoming not only the first Filipina to ever qualify for the Winter Olympics but also the youngest Filipino person to qualify ever. Though she was born in California and now lives in Utah, Proulx is competing in the Games under the flag of the Philippines. Though she’s unlikely to medal, having finished 16th in the Asian Winter Games, her slalom and giant slalom runs in Milano—and her entrance during the opening ceremony—should be one to watch.

Notable quote: “I’m just really happy, and I hope I can be a role model to other young Filipina girls and Filipinas in general.” —Tallulah Proulx to ABS-CBN News in the Philippines

Kim Meylemans and Nicole Silveira, and Anna Kjellbin and Ronja Savolainen

Sports: Skeleton (Meylemans and Silveira), Ice Hockey (Kjellbin and Savolainen)

OK, sure, maybe it’s possible that wives have played on opposing teams at the Olympics before, but the fact that two sets of wives are competing against each other at the 2026 Winter Games feels pretty monumental. For the skeleton competition, it’s Belgium’s Kim Meylemans looking to best her spouse, Brazil’s Nicole Silveira. In the ice hockey rink, it’ll be Anna Kjellbin’s Swedish Team looking to outmatch wife Ronja Savolainen’s Finnish squad. And for Meylemans and Silveira, being out and in competition during these games is about more than just being a cute story. As the couple posted on Instagram, “With the Games being in Italy and the current Italian government making decisions/laws that hurt the LGBTQ+ community (read up on it if you don’t believe it), it feels extra special to potentially compete as a married couple and shine a light on marriage equality while doing so.”