2026 Winter Olympics: Athletes and History

2026 Winter Olympics: Athletes and History

Milano-Cortina 2026 New Zealand's Winter Sports Journey Celebrating Olympic Excellence

What Are the Winter Olympics?

International winter sports competition held every 4 years Features sports like skiing, snowboarding, ice hockey, and figure skating Athletes from around the world compete for gold, silver, and bronze medals Celebrates the spirit of fair play and international friendship

Milano-Cortina 2026: The Host Cities

Milano (Milan) - modern Italian city famous for fashion and design Cortina d'Ampezzo - beautiful mountain town in the Italian Alps Events will be spread across multiple venues in northern Italy Known for stunning mountain scenery and rich Olympic history

Winter Olympic Sports Overview

New Zealand's Winter Olympic Heroes

Zoi Sadowski-Synnott - snowboarding gold medallist from 2022 Olympics Nico Porteous - freestyle skiing halfpipe champion Alice Robinson - alpine skiing specialist New Zealand has competed in Winter Olympics since 1952

Match the Winter Sport

Look at the equipment and guess the sport! Curved sticks and a puck Long narrow boards attached to boots Stones sliding on ice toward a target Blades attached to boots for spinning and jumping

Winter Olympics Then vs Now

{"left":"First Winter Olympics held in 1924 in France\nOnly 16 events with 258 athletes from 16 countries\nAll athletes were men except for figure skating\nSports included skiing, skating, ice hockey, and bobsledding","right":"2026 Olympics will have over 100 events\nMore than 2,900 athletes from 90+ countries expected\nEqual participation for men and women\nNew sports like snowboarding and freestyle skiing added over time"}

The Olympic Spirit

"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well." - Pierre de Coubertin, Founder of the Modern Olympics

Think and Discuss

What challenges might New Zealand athletes face training for winter sports? How do you think hosting the Olympics benefits a country? Which winter sport would you most like to try and why? What Olympic values can we practice in our daily lives?

Getting Ready for 2026

Athletes are training hard right now for Milano-Cortina 2026 New Zealand will send a team to compete in multiple sports We can support our athletes by following their journey The Olympics inspire people worldwide to try new sports and stay active