Which countries are performing the best at the 2026 Winter Olympics?

While the opening ceremony isn't until Friday, the first event of the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics takes place today. Curling kicked off the competitive action with four mixed doubles matches, while there were training runs for the alpine skiers and training in the men's luge this evening.

Competing in the snowboard big air final, Team USA's Ollie Martin stomped a backside 1980 on his second run in Cortina. The Vail native redeemed himself on his second run with a respectable score of 79.50. He’ll need to go even bigger in his third and final run to knock off the competition.

Americans who top the podium at the Milan Cortina Games will be in line for a $37,500 bonus. Their competitors could collect as much as $800,000.

The official Opening Ceremony for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games isn't until Friday afternoon, but several of the tournament's most popular sports have already begun. There simply isn't enough time to fit everything into the official three-week period,

From medals to mascots, schedules to slopes—here’s everything you need to know to be ready for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.