Winter Olympics 2026: Which Indian athletes will feature?
What's the story
The 2026 Winter Olympics, branded as Milano Cortina 2026, will be held from February 6 to 22 in Northern Italy. Athletes from around the world will compete in a total of 16 disciplines at various Italian venues. This edition of the Winter Olympics will be jointly hosted by Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, showcasing Italy's stunning alpine scenery and state-of-the-art winter sports facilities.
Disciplines
Disciplines and medals up for grabs
The 16 disciplines to feature at the 2026 Winter Olympics are alpine skiing, biathlon, bobsleigh, cross-country skiing, curling, figure skating, freestyle skiing, ice hockey, luge, nordic combined, short track speed skating, skeleton, ski jumping, ski mountaineering, snowboarding, and speed skating. A total of 116 medals are up for grabs between February 6 and 22. The event will feature the first-ever Olympic gold medal in ski mountaineering.
Event details
India's participation in the event
At the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, India will be represented by two athletes: Arif Mohammad Khan in alpine skiing and Stanzin Lundup in cross-country skiing. Arif's alpine skiing event will begin on February 7, the same day as the cross-country skiing kick-off. However, the exact details for their events are yet to be ascertained.
Schedule highlights
When will the opening ceremony take place?
The 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony will be held on February 6, marking the official start. In India, it will begin at 12:30am IST (February 7), while in Italy it will be at 8:00pm CET. While San Siro Stadium will host this Ceremony, the closing ceremony will take place at Verona Olympic Arena on February 22.
Information
How to watch?
Indian viewers can catch all the Winter Olympics live action on JioHotstar, with Sports18 providing televised coverage. Notably, Viacom18 is the official broadcaster for these Games in India.
History
Has India won a Winter Olympic medal?
Featuring in 11 Winter Olympic editions, India is yet to win a medal. In 1964, Jeremy Bujakowski became the first Indian to compete at the Winter Olympics (Austria Games). The only Indian in that edition, Bujakowski, participated in the men's downhill alpine skiing event. Notably, India fielded multiple athletes for the first time at the Winter Olympics in 1988 (3 in Calgary).