The 2026 Winter Olympics — aka the Milano Cortina — is just days away and here in the TV WEEK office, we can’t contain our excitement.
You see, as a sporting nation, there’s no doubt Australia has turned out some of the most successful athletes the world has seen and there’s no feeling like cheering on our fellow Aussies as they take the world stage following four years of rigorous training.
Admittedly, us Aussies are typically known for summer sports such as swimming and track, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have athletes who make the most of the indoor ice rinks, international travel and the colder months to train their hearts out so that they’re ready take on the best the world has to offer in winter sports in Italy.
Even though, as a nation, we don’t seem to follow the snow and ice sports closely in non-Games years, the line-up is utterly unmissable.
“I think it’s just the wow factor!” says Nine Network presenter and Winter Games host James Bracey.
“From a teenager spinning through the air on a snowboard, to endurance athletes who are skiing one minute and then shooting a target the next, it’s hard to look away and not be in awe.”
While we’re sure you’ll become wrapped up in the athletes and their events as soon as the Games begin, here are six Australians to keep an eye on at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
5 Aussie athletes to watch at the 2026 Winter Olympics
Laura Peel, Arial Skiing
Fresh off a 2026 World Cup win, three-time Olympian Laura, 36, is one of the few aerial skiers who can pull of a very impressive triple back flip with a triple twist. Despite her incredible skill in landing complicated jumps, she’s yet to land a spot on the Olympic podium.
Speaking to the APP before the 2026 Olympics, Laura said she felt that this year was her best chance of a medal.
“I am feeling really close to that and I’m feeling ready. I’m in a good place mentally,” she said, per the ABC.
However, her dream of a podium finish might not be within reach this time around. According to a statement released by Australian team officials, Laura has been injured during a warm up.
“Laura Peel has sustained a knee injury during a pre Games training camp in Airolo, Switzerland,” said the statement.
“Peel sustained the injury yesterday [Monday], upon which she was transferred to Zug in Switzerland for an MRI scan at a sports specialist clinic. She has returned to the training camp in Airolo Switzerland where she’ll be treated by the team physio to determine next steps.”
Breeana Walker, Bobsleigh
Breeana Walker is former 400-metre hurdler who dreamed of making it to the Olympics. Worried that she wouldn’t make the cut for hurdles, she decided to follow into the footsteps of Jana Pittman, who swapped from hurdles to bobsleigh for the 2014 Winter Olympics.
In 2022, Breeana made her Olympic debut participating in the bobleigh and monobob. Impressively, she recorded the best ever Aussie result for monobob, coming in fifth.
This time around, the 33-year-old is one of our best medal hopes and she’s going for gold — and is loving the pressure.
“I don’t feel pressure in a negative way at all — it’s what I wanted,” she said, per the ABC.
“I wanted to become one of the best in the world, I wanted to be winning medals for Australia and what comes with that is, obviously, the pressure to compete against the best. And so I use that energy to put towards my racing because I get excited by that — I get excited by tight races, by competing with the best and striving for medals.
“So, no, it’s not a negative thing at all — I use that as positive energy and I put it towards my races because, really I’m just a true racer at heart.”
Anastasia Golubeva and Hektor Giotopoulos Moore, Figure skating
Hektor Giotopooulos Moore and Anastasiia Golubeva will be lighting up the ice together in the paired figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. While they’re both representing Australia, Anastasiia’s journey to becoming an Australian has been a tricky one.
Born in Russia, she moved to Australia alone when she was just 15, living with Hektor’s family. For four years, she competed on the international circuit with Melbourne-born Hektor. However, to be eligible for permanent Aussie residency, she had to spent more than 180 days on Aussie soil over two years. While that might be easy for most of us, it’s a tricky task for a professional athlete who competes in a sport best suited to countries in the northern hemisphere.
Thankfully, she is now an Aussie citizen and is excited to represent her new country alongside her partner.
“To be a part of the Australian Olympic team is a great accomplishment,” she said in a statement.
“I am so grateful that Australia has welcomed me with open arms and given me this amazing opportunity.”
Jakara Anthony, Moguls
After winning gold at the 2022 Beijing Games and three World Cup golds, Jakara, 27, is one of the most exciting athletes to watch and a definite medal chance again.
Jakara first made her Olympic debut in the 2018 Winter Olympics, but it was her 2021/2022 season which saw her become one of the leading names in the mogul event and the mogul women’s Olympic champion.
As our sixth winter Olympics gold medal winner, Jakara is one of this year’s flag bearers at the opening ceremony alongside fellow moguls star Matt Graham.
“I am still lost for words, I’m just thinking back and seeing all the flag bearers we have had for Australia and to now get to stand alongside them, it’s an honour,’’ she said, per news.com.
Scotty James, Snowboarding
Aussie snowboarder Scotty James was only three years old when he started snowboarding. Getting started early paid off for the athlete because the now 31-year-old made his Olympic debut at 15, making him the youngest Australian male Olympian in 50 years.
Scotty is now a four-time Olympian and was the flag bearer at the 2018 Winter Olympics, where he won a bronze medal in halfpipe.
Before the 2026 Winter Olympics, Scotty took out the World Cup for the halfpipe, proving that his reign in the event is still going strong for the upcoming Olympics.
Plus, at the recent X-Games, he became the first ever rider to land consecutive backside 1440-degree jumps, one forward and one backwards. Truthfully that means nothing to us but it sounds very impressive.
“It’s a result of being very mindful over all the years about how to keep the spark and keep the energy and pulling back when you need to, and being strategic,” he said per Snows Best.
The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics are set to kick off with the Opening Ceremony on Saturday. You can tune in on Nine or 9Now.
