The Winter Olympics have a special power to sweep a nation along with them. Even those unfamiliar with every rule or routine find themselves captivated by the spectacle, happy to swap their usual sporting habits for two weeks of sliding stones, flying skis and snow dusted drama.
This year’s Games in northern Italy have only heightened that sense of wonder, delivering scale, glamour and atmosphere in equal measure.
Stretching across 22,000 square kilometres, the competition zone is the widest ever staged for a Winter Olympics, linking the metropolitan energy of Milan with the Alpine calm of Livigno near the Swiss border and the chic resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo. By the time the final medals are awarded, the sporting story will close in Verona’s ancient Roman amphitheatre, a fittingly grand backdrop for a modern global festival.
The opening ceremony set the tone in unforgettable fashion. Fireworks burst above a packed stadium as Italy celebrated its artistic heritage through music, movement and colour. Valentino Rossi made a surprise appearance at the controls of a tram, Mariah Carey danced with footballing flair, and Andrea Bocelli delivered a stirring rendition of Nessun Dorma that drew long, emotional applause. A sweeping orchestral blend of Verdi, Puccini and Rossini echoed around the arena, affectionately nicknamed the La Scala of Football, while playful choreography nodded to the country’s famously expressive style of conversation.
There was, inevitably, a thunderous reception for the national anthem, Fratelli d’Italia, before attention turned to the athletes who will define the coming fortnight. For Great Britain, Lilah Fear and Brad Hall carried the flag in Milan and Cortina with pride, symbolising a squad eager to make its mark.
Once the cauldron was lit by skiing legends Alberto Tomba, Deborah Compagnoni and Sofia Goggia, the sporting action quickly took centre stage, and Team GB wasted no time delivering results to cheer.
Curling pair Bruce Mouat and Jen Dodds stormed into the semi finals of the mixed doubles after running their unbeaten streak to seven matches. Wins over Canada and the United States ensured a guaranteed shot at the medals, with the Scottish duo showing calm authority when the pressure mounted late in games.
After securing qualification, Dodds said, “We’re really happy that we qualified our spot [in the semi finals]. That was two big games today, we knew that we had to step up our game even from yesterday into today and we did that.”
On the slopes, Kirsty Muir underlined her status as one of Britain’s brightest medal hopes by qualifying third for the women’s freestyle skiing slopestyle final with a top score of 64.98. Switzerland’s Mathilde Gremaud and China’s Eileen Gu finished higher in the standings, but Muir’s recent X Games triumph has fuelled belief that she can climb even further when it counts.
Reflecting on her qualification, she said, “I think this morning I was quite good, I was focused, I was able to calm myself down a little bit but my heart was maybe racing a little bit more than usual.
“After I put my first run down then I felt a bit of a relief and could just be a bit smoother in myself.
“It’s about knowing that I can do it when I’m feeling a little bit nervous, when I’m feeling a little bit of pressure, knowing that I can trust myself and put it down.
“I’m just going to give it everything [in the final]. I’m not going to hold back and I think that if I do that and I put a run down that I’d like to do then I’ll be just super proud of myself.”
There were mixed fortunes elsewhere in freestyle skiing, with Chris McCormick finishing 26th in the men’s slopestyle qualifiers on his Olympic debut, though he will return for the big air event. Battling injury, he said, “I’m disappointed for sure. It was not what I was hoping for, but I’ve had a pretty tough week with a very painful ankle. I guess to even make it to the start of the game is a small victory.”
In cross country skiing, Anna Pryce created a slice of British Olympic history by becoming the first woman to represent the nation in the skiathlon, finishing 42nd in a race dominated by Sweden.
On the ice, Edward Appleby produced a season’s best score in the men’s short program during the team figure skating event, helping Britain to ninth overall. Still buzzing afterwards, he said, “I feel like I’m on quite a bit of a high right now. Obviously it wasn’t a clean skate but it felt very solid and it was one that let me enjoy the moment even more.
“Rather than just, ‘Okay this is when I become an Olympian,’ I put out what I have been training and I could be proud of the hard work that was put in to get here and it came together in the moment.”
Ice dance brought flair and fun as Fear returned alongside Lewis Gibson with their 1990s themed routine, energising the crowd and earning a season’s best mark in the rhythm dance. Joking about pop star approval after Mel B’s online message of support, Fear said, “We love Mel B, she’s great, but we want the other four to comment too, where’s Victoria? Get into the comments section girls, we’ll teach you all to skate whenever you want.”
She added, “Everyone loves the Spice Girls and you could feel the energy from the crowd, hopefully they like the way we’ve structured our music too.
“I’m so proud of us for doing exactly what we needed to do when the pressure was on. There was so much happening out there, but we just had fun.
“We skated how we wanted to and we’re in a good position, though we’d like to be higher.
“I think we’re in a great place and it just cements how we are feeling.”
Their performance helped lift Britain into eighth place overnight, following efforts from Anastasia Vaipan Law, Luke Digby and Kristen Spours, all making Olympic debuts. Spours captured the emotion of the moment, saying, “I can finally call myself an Olympian, it’s such a super cool moment for me.
“I never really believed I’d make it until I stepped out on the ice. Even yesterday I was just stressing that I’d injure my back or something.
“I feel like I can take a breath for the first time in a long time. I spent six months off the ice, I semi retired but the Olympics gave me the licence for one last try.”
Looking ahead, British fans have plenty more to anticipate. Medal events loom in curling, freestyle skiing, speed skating, figure skating and snowboarding, with Muir set to headline a packed day of action and Mouat and Dodds chasing a place in the final.
From spectacular ceremonies to stirring performances on snow and ice, Milano Cortina 2026 has already delivered moments to savour. For Team GB, the early signs are encouraging, the spirit is high and a proud nation is daring to believe that more celebration lies just over the next ridge and around the next rink.
