Chicago's guide to watching the 2026 Winter Olympics
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Olympic rings at the Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium ahead of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on Feb. 3 in Tesero, Italy. Photo: Alex Pantling/Getty Images
The opening ceremony for the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics kicks off Friday at 8pm Central European time, which is 1pm in Chicago.
- Here's how to watch, who to watch and what's new in this year's games.
How to watch
The games start Friday and run through Feb. 22, and can be watched in the U.S. primarily on the Peacock network, and NBC and the NBC Sports app. Peacock will feature every event, while NBC will broadcast during primetime.
- Other ways to watch include USA Network and CNBC. YouTube TV and Hulu Live TV also carry these channels.
Homegrown athletes
Nine competitors in this year's games have ties to the Chicago area and Illinois — 7 Olympians and 2 Paralympians.
Zoom in: Some names to watch:
- Kevin Bickner — A ski jumper from Wauconda, Bickner started the sport as a kid at Norge Ski Club in Fox River Grove, which is where several Olympians honed their ski jumping talent.
- Ethan Cepuran — The speed skater from Glen Ellyn already has a bronze medal under his belt from the 2022 Games.
- Kendall Coyne Schofield — The hockey forward from Palos Heights is a veteran at this point as a member of the U.S. Women's National Team since 2011, winning one gold and two silver medals.
- Josh Misiewicz — The two-time Paralympian is also a two-time gold medalist. The former hockey player was injured in Afghanistan while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps.
New events
The Winter Olympics will also debut a new sport and multiple new medal events for the first time in years.
Why it matters: The additions push the Games toward greater gender equity and signal a shift to more endurance-driven, mountain-based competition.
State of play: The new sport ski mountaineering, or "skimo," involves athletes climbing up snow-covered terrain — sometimes on skis, sometimes on foot — then switching gear mid-race to ski down.
- There will be a men's and women's event as well as a team-based mixed relay.
What to expect: Cameron Smith, Anna Gibson, and Hali Hafeman are considered the top contenders to secure a medal in the sport for Team USA.
- Listen for the name "Rémi Bonnet" — the Swiss 30-year-old is the world's top-ranked skimo athlete.
🏅 New medal events
Women's doubles luge
- Doubles luge has existed since the 1960s, but women haven't competed in it until now.
Mixed-team skeleton
- One man and one woman will compete back-to-back and combine scores.
Dual moguls
- Freestyle skiing's moguls discipline is getting a head-to-head upgrade.
- How it works: Skiers race side-by-side down bump-filled courses with jumps and winners will advance bracket-style, similar to snowboard cross.
Women's large hill ski jumping
- Like doubles luge, women will join the action on the Olympic stage for the first time.
Alpine team combined
- Country teams pair male and female skiers in a combined score format.
- This replaces the individual alpine combined event.