2026-02-06Esportes

Winter Olympics 2026: Events, Schedule and How to Bet!

Italy will host the 2026 Winter Olympics, with events that promise to be thrilling — and why not freezing?

Who said the Olympic atmosphere has to wait until 2028? The 2026 Winter Olympics have arrived for fans of sports that depend on ice, snow and cold — and, of course, Sports Betting.

Italy will be the stage for icy, exciting competitions with the same thrilling dynamics as the Summer Games. You can follow all the action on CazéTV and get your predictions ready, of course, but there are some important things you should know before cheering for the 15 Brazilian athletes. Keep reading to understand everything about the event!

What are the 2026 Winter Olympics?

The Winter Olympic Games are the largest sporting event for disciplines that depend on cold conditions to be contested. Held every four years, the Games will have their 25th edition in 2026 and a different host: the cities of Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, in Italy.

When will the 2026 Winter Olympics take place?

The Winter Olympic Games will be held from February 6 to 22, with the traditional opening and closing ceremonies. This event will be hosted in the Lombardy region of Italy, using venues previously used in the 1956 edition and the 2013 Winter Universiade.

Events that depend on ice will take place in Milan, except for Curling. Snow-based events will be held in Cortina, Valtellina and the Fiemme Valley.

What is the difference between the Winter Olympic Games and the Summer Olympic Games?

In short, the difference lies in the sports included in each tournament. Since it is impractical to include competitions that depend on winter and summer weather conditions in the same event, the IOC (International Olympic Committee) organizes separate events for each type.

How did the Winter Olympics originate?

To explain this, we need to take a trip back in time. The Summer Olympics were held in ancient times and were brought into the modern era in 1894 — as you can read more about in our content on the history of the Olympic Games.

Shortly after, General Viktor Gustaf Balck created the Nordic Games to accommodate winter sports. First held in 1901 in Stockholm, Sweden, the event adopted a four-year cycle until 1926.

Balck was a member of the IOC and a friend of Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympics. Advocating for the inclusion of winter sports in the Olympic Games, the Swede even saw the addition of some disciplines such as Figure Skating and Ice Hockey, but the committee ultimately opted to hold a separate event — inaugurated in 1924 in the city of Chamonix, France.

Which countries will participate in the 2026 Winter Olympics?

The 2026 Winter Olympics will feature a total of 92 countries and 2,900 athletes. The United States is the nation with the most representatives, with 233 athletes, followed by Canada with 210.

Host nation Italy will have 196 representatives, followed by Germany with 189 athletes and Switzerland with 175. Next come France with 162, Japan with 120, the Czech Republic with 114 and Sweden with 110. Brazil will have 15 athletes at the Winter Olympics, competing in five disciplines.

Seven National Olympic Committees from the 2022 Winter Olympics will not be present in Italy: Ghana, Peru, Timor-Leste, Russia, American Samoa, Belarus and the Virgin Islands. Meanwhile, five countries absent from the previous edition will compete in 2026: Benin, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Singapore and Individual Neutral Athletes — the latter group consisting of athletes from countries that are barred from participating.

Which countries have won the most Winter Olympic medals?

Norway is the dominant nation at the Winter Olympic Games and has won the highest number of medals across its 24 appearances: 148 gold, 134 silver and 123 bronze. The United States ranks second with 330 medals, including 114 gold, 121 silver and 95 bronze, over the same number of participations.

The third country with the most medals is Germany, with 267: 105 gold, 97 silver and 65 bronze. If we consider the performances from the period when the country was divided into East and West Germany, it becomes the nation with the most medals in Winter Olympic history: 416.

The former Soviet Union holds 194 medals, with 78 gold, 57 silver and 59 bronze. Rounding out the top five is Canada, with 77 gold, 72 silver and 76 bronze medals, totaling 225.

Which sports will be part of the 2026 Winter Olympics

The Winter Olympic Games will feature a total of 16 sports disciplines, each with its own events and specific characteristics. Freestyle Skiing is the discipline with the highest number of medal events, with a total of 15, followed by Speed Skating with 14.

Check out the full list below:

Biathlon

Created in the 18th century, Biathlon only began to have official competitions in 1912. It joined the Winter Olympic Games in 1960 with the Men’s Individual event, but women’s competitions were only introduced in the 1992 edition.

Events

Biathlon will feature a total of eleven events, with one race per gender: Sprint, Mass Start, Pursuit and Individual. The Relay will have Men’s, Women’s and Mixed competitions.

Schedule

February 8: Mixed Relay
February 10: Men’s Individual
February 11: Women’s Individual
February 13: Men’s Sprint
February 14: Women’s Sprint
February 15: Men’s and Women’s Pursuit
February 17: Men’s Relay
February 18: Women’s Relay
February 20: Men’s Mass Start
February 21: Women’s Mass Start

Bobsleigh

Created in Switzerland, Bobsleigh joined the Winter Olympics in 1924 and has been part of the program ever since — except in the 1960 edition. The events will take place at the oldest bobsleigh track in Italy, located in Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Events

There will be four Bobsleigh events: Men’s Two-Man, Women’s Two-Woman, Women’s Monobob and Men’s Four-Man.

Schedule

February 16: Women’s Monobob
February 17: Men’s Two-Man
February 21: Women’s Two-Woman
February 22: Men’s Four-Man

Nordic Combined

A mix of Cross-Country Skiing and Ski Jumping, Nordic Combined has been a regular presence in the competition since its introduction in 1924. It is one of the sports that features only men’s events.

Events

There are two Individual Gundersen events: Normal Hill and Large Hill, both with a 10-kilometer cross-country race. In addition, there is the Team Sprint.

Schedule

February 11: Men’s Individual Normal Hill
February 17: Men’s Individual Large Hill
February 19: Team Sprint

Curling

Created in Scotland in 1716, Curling was officially recognized as a sport only in 1953. Present in the 1924 and 1932 editions, it became a regular part of the Winter Olympics only in 1998.

Events

Curling will feature three events: Men’s, Women’s and Mixed Doubles.

Schedule

February 4 to 10: Mixed Doubles
February 11 to 21: Men’s
February 12 to 22: Women’s

Alpine Skiing

Created in the late 19th century, Alpine Skiing was popularized by Norwegian skier Sondre Norheim and joined the Winter Olympic Games in the 1936 edition. After initially combining Downhill and Slalom events, the discipline was separated in 1948, with two subsequent additions: Giant Slalom in 1952 and Super-G in 1988.

Events

There will be a total of ten Alpine Skiing competitions at the 2026 Winter Olympics, with the same events for both genders: Downhill, Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super-G and Team Combined.

Schedule

February 7: Men’s Downhill
February 8: Women’s Downhill
February 9: Men’s Combined
February 10: Women’s Combined
February 11: Men’s Super-G
February 12: Women’s Super-G
February 14: Men’s Giant Slalom
February 15: Women’s Giant Slalom
February 16: Men’s Slalom
February 18: Women’s Slalom

Cross-Country Skiing

A pioneer of skiing and created in the 19th century, Cross-Country Skiing has been a regular presence at the Winter Olympics since the 1924 edition.

Events

There will be a total of 12 events, with six formats featuring competitions for both genders: 10 km Interval Start Freestyle, Skiathlon, 4x7.5 km Relay, 50 km Mass Start Classic, Classic Sprint and Team Sprint Freestyle.

Schedule

February 7: Women’s Skiathlon
February 8: Men’s Skiathlon
February 10: Men’s and Women’s Individual Classic
February 12: Women’s 10 km Freestyle
February 13: Men’s 10 km Freestyle
February 14: Women’s 4 x 7.5 km Relay
February 15: Men’s 4 x 7.5 km Relay
February 18: Women’s and Men’s Team Sprint Freestyle
February 21: Men’s 50 km Mass Start Classic
February 22: Women’s 50 km Mass Start Classic

Ski Mountaineering

Get ready to see Ski Mountaineering appear on the Olympic program for the first time.

Events

There will be three events in the discipline: Men’s Sprint, Women’s Sprint and Mixed Relay.

Schedule

February 7: Women’s individual – normal ascent
February 9: Men’s individual – normal ascent
February 10: Mixed team – normal ascent
February 14: Men’s individual – steep ascent
February 15: Women’s individual – steep ascent
February 16: Men’s super team – steep ascent

Freestyle Skiing

By adding acrobatics to skiing, this discipline began holding official competitions in 1906. It took several decades to join the Winter Olympic Games, becoming a regular presence since 1988.

Events

There will be 15 Freestyle Skiing events, divided by gender: Moguls, Dual Moguls, Ski Cross, Freestyle Ski Halfpipe, Freestyle Ski Slopestyle and Freestyle Ski Big Air. Aerials will feature Women’s, Men’s and Mixed Team events.

Schedule

February 7: Women’s Slopestyle and Men’s Slopestyle
February 9: Women’s Slopestyle
February 10: Men’s Moguls, Men’s Slopestyle and Women’s Moguls
February 11: Women’s Moguls
February 12: Men’s Moguls
February 14: Women’s Dual Moguls and Women’s Big Air
February 15: Men’s Dual Moguls and Men’s Big Air
February 16: Women’s Big Air
February 17: Women’s Aerials, Men’s Aerials and Men’s Big Air
February 18: Women’s Aerials
February 19: Men’s Freestyle Ski Halfpipe, Men’s Aerials and Women’s Freestyle Ski Halfpipe
February 20: Women’s Ski Cross and Men’s Freestyle Ski Halfpipe
February 21: Men’s Ski Cross, Mixed Team Aerials and Women’s Freestyle Ski Halfpipe

Ice Hockey

Created in Canada in 1875, Ice Hockey is one of the main sports of the Winter Olympic Games. Unsurprisingly, it has been part of every edition of the event.

Events

Milano Cortina will feature Men’s and Women’s tournaments.

Schedule

February 5 to 19: Women’s
February 11 to 20: Men’s

Luge

Marked by sleds reaching speeds of up to 150 km/h, Luge was introduced to the Winter Olympics in the 1964 edition.

Events

There will be five events: Men’s and Women’s Singles, Men’s and Women’s Doubles, and Team Relay.

Schedule

February 7 and 8: Men’s Singles
February 9 and 10: Women’s Singles
February 11: Men’s and Women’s Doubles
February 12: Team Relay

Figure Skating

Another traditional Winter Olympic discipline, Figure Skating has been part of every edition since 1924.

Events

The discipline will feature events such as Pairs Skating, Ice Dance and the Team Event. Individual Skating will have Men’s and Women’s competitions.

Schedule

February 6: Team Event (Rhythm Dance, Pairs Short Program and Women’s Short Program)
February 7: Team Event (Men’s Short Program and Free Dance)
February 8: Team Event (Pairs Free Skate, Women’s Free Skate and Men’s Free Skate)
February 9: Rhythm Dance
February 10: Men’s Short Program
February 11: Free Dance
February 13: Men’s Free Skate
February 15: Pairs Short Program
February 16: Pairs Free Skate
February 17: Women’s Short Program
February 19: Women’s Free Skate
February 21: Exhibition Gala

Speed Skating

A frequent presence at the Winter Olympics, Speed Skating debuted in 1924 with only men’s events. Women’s competitions were introduced in 1960.

Events

There will be 14 events, with each distance featuring competitions for both genders: 500 m, 1,000 m, 1,500 m, 3,000 m, 5,000 m, Mass Start and Team Pursuit.

Schedule

February 7: Women’s 3,000 m
February 8: Men’s 5,000 m
February 9: Women’s 1,000 m
February 11: Men’s 1,000 m
February 12: Women’s 5,000 m
February 13: Men’s 10,000 m
February 14: Women’s Team Pursuit and Women’s 500 m
February 15: Men’s Team Pursuit and Men’s 500 m
February 17: Men’s and Women’s Team Pursuit
February 19: Men’s 1,500 m
February 20: Women’s 1,500 m
February 21: Men’s Mass Start and Women’s Mass Start

Short Track Speed Skating

Similar to traditional Speed Skating, Short Track Speed Skating delivers even more intensity and was added to the Olympic program in 1992.

Events

There will be nine events: 500 m, 1,000 m and 1,500 m will feature Men’s and Women’s competitions. Relay events include Women’s 3,000 m, Men’s 5,000 m and the Mixed Team Relay.

Schedule

February 10: Women’s 500 m, Men’s 1,000 m and Mixed Relay
February 12: Women’s 500 m, Men’s 1,000 m, Men’s 1,500 m, Women’s 1,000 m, Women’s 4 x 800 m Relay and Men’s 500 m
February 20: Women’s 1,500 m and Men’s 4 x 5,000 m Relay

Skeleton

Another Swiss creation, Skeleton has athletes racing headfirst down the track on a sled. After sporadic appearances in 1928 and 1948, the discipline returned permanently to the Winter Olympics in 2002.

Events

Men’s, Women’s and Mixed Team.

Schedule

February 12: Men’s Singles
February 13: Women’s Singles and Men’s Singles
February 14: Women’s Singles
February 15: Mixed Team

Snowboarding

Created in 1979 in the United States, Snowboarding combines surfing, skateboarding and skiing. Its inclusion in the Winter Olympic Games took place in 1998.

Events

There will be nine Snowboarding events, with Snowboard Cross featuring Women’s, Men’s and Mixed Team competitions. The other disciplines will have events for both genders: Halfpipe, Slopestyle and Big Air.

Schedule

February 5: Men’s Big Air
February 7: Men’s Big Air
February 8: Women’s and Men’s Parallel Giant Slalom, Women’s Big Air
February 9: Women’s Big Air
February 11: Women’s and Men’s Halfpipe
February 12: Men’s Snowboard Cross, Women’s Halfpipe
February 13: Women’s Snowboard Cross, Men’s Halfpipe
February 15: Mixed Team Snowboard Cross
February 16: Women’s and Men’s Slopestyle
February 17: Women’s Slopestyle
February 18: Men’s Slopestyle

How to bet on the Winter Olympics on Blaze?

You can visit the 2026 Winter Olympics page on Blaze and check markets updated in real time — that is, with odds fluctuating as time passes and bets are placed.

There, the main type of market available involves the number of medals to be won — whether gold medals only or total medals. It’s worth reviewing how Over and Under markets work, since the goal is to predict whether a country will reach a certain number or not.

If you want more information, be sure to check out our Sports Betting Encyclopedia. But remember to always play responsibly, understanding the risks to your finances and mental health, and never using money you can’t afford to lose. After all, betting is meant for entertainment, not a source of income or investment.

Ready to feel the cold even from a distance? Bet on the 2026 Winter Olympics on Blaze and good luck!