Athletes from around the world are in the Italian Alps for the opening of the 2026 Winter Olympics on Friday – including 13 sportspeople from eight African countries. Though the continent isn't associated with winter sports,

All but one former Gopher has played hockey at the Winter Olympics.

Here's a full list of the countries in the 2026 Olympics.

The Winter Olympics promise plenty of high adrenaline, fierce competition, historic firsts and emotional moments over 2 1/2 weeks. Here are some of the names and narratives to keep an eye on.