2026 Olympics: General Info and Pregame Chat

[4everchan]

Forgive the U.S.-centric inquiry, but looking at the weather for the next ten days or so for a large portion of the U.S., I do wonder if any of our skaters/athletes may struggle to arrive in Milan on time. How early do athletes typically try to arrive at an event like this? The team event is right at the start, followed by men's individual. I know this is "just skating" and safety is most important. Still, I would hate for any skaters to arrive feeling unprepared due to such travel woes (or, heaven forbid, not arrive at all).

Should I be worried? I guess the only way to know is to monitor social media for athlete arrivals in Milan.

Hi friend,
A few good news : this is no longer Beijing Covid Era with only a few airports allowed to transit and athletes having to arrive strictly within some schedules etc. So, if some athletes were stranded leaving from some regions in the USA, I suspect they could fly to another more welcoming American city and then fly to Italy that way. Also, since there are less restrictions, it's quite possible that some athletes will fly earlier to have training camps in Europe (perhaps not so much in Milan but nearby and perhaps not so much in figure skating but in other sports). So short answer, I am absolutely not worried

 

[Andrea82]

Hi friend,
A few good news : this is no longer Beijing Covid Era with only a few airports allowed to transit and athletes having to arrive strictly within some schedules etc. So, if some athletes were stranded leaving from some regions in the USA, I suspect they could fly to another more welcoming American city and then fly to Italy that way. Also, since there are less restrictions, it's quite possible that some athletes will fly earlier to have training camps in Europe (perhaps not so much in Milan but nearby and perhaps not so much in figure skating but in other sports). So short answer, I am absolutely not worried

USA early training camp will in Bergamo.
Japan team will be in Varese.

 

[SmileHappy34]

It is interesting the set up to watch the Milan Olympics on TV only no streaming in the United States of America.

The figure skating for individuals is broken up in two parts (except for Women's free skate).

Part 1 is shown on USA for all disciplines in short program. All free programs are shown on USA (except Women's free).

Part 2 is shown on NBC for all disciplines

The Women's free skate is only one part and shown on NBC

They all re-air very early the next morning on USA channel

I am assuming the part 1 and 2 refers to groups of skaters who they media wants to bring out more.

 

[labgoat]

They all re-air very early the next morning on USA channel

hmmm I wonder if we can view like we did for US nationals

 

[saine]

Olly Hogben posted that he'll be providing commentary with Belinda Noonan.

 

[4everchan]

Olly Hogben posted that he'll be providing commentary with Belinda Noonan.

I don't recall ever listening to his commentary. Belinda is knowledgeable for sure. Sometimes, she speaks too much and gets repetitive. But she knows her stuff. I guess I will be on CBC anyway, if, skating is shown when I can watch it live

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

I don't recall ever listening to his commentary. Belinda is knowledgeable for sure. Sometimes, she speaks too much and gets repetitive. But she knows her stuff. I guess I will be on CBC anyway, if, skating is shown when I can watch it live

Olly and Belinda did the World Feed commentary at the last Olympics as well, and we were very impressed with him. Especially since figure skating is not what he normally commentates on (that would be gymnastics). He was a true professional, who clearly did his research (including name pronounciations).

Bad news for British fans - having been on tennis duties during Europeans, Kat Downes will return to join Robin Cousins for the BBC coverage of the Olympics:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/winter-olympics-2026

Just to add, Chris Howarth said on Instagram yesterday that Four Continents was his last event of this season:



https://www.instagram.com/p/DT63EjSDtuv/

So, unless they go for somebody who is not part of their regular pool of commentators, I take it that means that Eurosport's English language feed / TNT Sports will have Simon Reed and Louise Walden for the Olympics. (WBD's press release only listed their pundits, not their commentators).

CaroLiza_fan

 

[DemTuppesSeine]

The Kovalevs will be in the pairs event!

 

[FlossieH]

Bad news for British fans - having been on tennis duties during Europeans, Kat Downes will return to join Robin Cousins for the BBC coverage of the Olympics:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/winter-olympics-2026

Just to add, Chris Howarth said on Instagram yesterday that Four Continents was his last event of this season:



https://www.instagram.com/p/DT63EjSDtuv/

So, unless they go for somebody who is not part of their regular pool of commentators, I take it that means that Eurosport's English language feed / TNT Sports will have Simon Reed and Louise Walden for the Olympics. (WBD's press release only listed their pundits, not their commentators).

CaroLiza_fan

No... Please don't ruin your coverage, BBC... I was hopeful when she didn't do Euros that they had woken up and realised that she simply cannot commentate on figure skating. I will definitely be watching Discovery/TNT now, not the BBC. Let's hope that whoever does the commentary there will be decent.

 

[DemTuppesSeine]

There will be three public practice sessions we can buy tickets for! They're on Feb 12th, 14th and 18th. I'm sad right now that the only one I can really go to is the 18th...would love to see some pairs practice but I'm not going to arrive in Milan until like 3 PM on the 14th and I'd only get to see 30 minutes or something...

 

[Kiki5375]

There will be three public practice sessions we can buy tickets for! They're on Feb 12th, 14th and 18th. I'm sad right now that the only one I can really go to is the 18th...would love to see some pairs practice but I'm not going to arrive in Milan until like 3 PM on the 14th and I'd only get to see 30 minutes or something...

Thank you so much for that info. Just booked tickets

 

[throw_triple_flip]

Is there any chance the Discovery coverage will have the Hogben/Noonan commentary as an option?

Always enjoy Olly's commentary, whatever the sport. He does his research and is very enthusiastic.
Not a fan of Reed.

If not I guess I'll be saving my 3.99 and navigating the fragmented BBC coverage and rewatch it on the Olympic website at a later date.

 

[PaulE]

There will be three public practice sessions we can buy tickets for! They're on Feb 12th, 14th and 18th. I'm sad right now that the only one I can really go to is the 18th...would love to see some pairs practice but I'm not going to arrive in Milan until like 3 PM on the 14th and I'd only get to see 30 minutes or something...

Do you have any links that show who is practicing during those times? I notice the practice sessions are several hours long so I assume more than 1 discipline is practicing. Do you know, or are you assuming, that pairs will be practicing on 14 February?

 

[Kiki5375]

Do you have any links that show who is practicing during those times? I notice the practice sessions are several hours long so I assume more than 1 discipline is practicing. Do you know, or are you assuming, that pairs will be practicing on 14 February?

https://results.isu.org/schedules/OWG2026_ColouredTimeSchedule.pdf

 

[withwings]

I am puzzled why the only discipline in FS that does not have even one day between SP and FP is Pairs?? Men, for example, got even with 2 days between SP and FP!! Women and ID one day! Pairs- and Pairs need rest no less than other disciplines- are... or forgot, or simply no one ever brought it up as an issue And it is not not only at Olympics. In most of the competitions it is the same pattern. However, if the skaters and coaches are ok with this, why I have to bother myself to think about it

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

I am puzzled why the only discipline in FS that does not have even one day between SP and FP is Pairs?? Men, for example, got even with 2 days between SP and FP!! Women and ID one day! Pairs- and Pairs need rest no less than other disciplines- are... or forgot, or simply no one ever brought it up as an issue And it is not not only at Olympics. In most of the competitions it is the same pattern. However, if the skaters and coaches are ok with this, why I have to bother myself to think about it

This may be related to something that @Diana Delafield mentioned when answering a question I asked in another thread about an hour ago regarding Pairs Skating in the past.

It could be a hark back to the days when there were Compulsory Figures for the Singles Skaters, and Compulsory Dances for the Ice Dancers.

I don't know the exact schedules for the Olympics in those days, but when they got rid of the Compulsory Figures, they may have just closed up the gaps and not thought about the effect it had on the two Pairs segments.

But, whether this is the reason or not, I agree. It is not fair on the Pairs Skaters.

In events where the competitions are spread out over four days or more, there should be at least one day between the segments of a category. And it should be the same gap in all categories.

Here endeth the sermon.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[FlyingFeather]

Olly Hogben posted that he'll be providing commentary with Belinda Noonan.

Will this be on Peacock? I can't decipher if the US options are no commentary/Johnny + Tara or Belinda + Olly/Johnny + Tara. I like commentary, so I dearly hope I can have decent commentary in the US.

 

[Diana Delafield]

I am puzzled why the only discipline in FS that does not have even one day between SP and FP is Pairs?? Men, for example, got even with 2 days between SP and FP!! Women and ID one day! Pairs- and Pairs need rest no less than other disciplines- are... or forgot, or simply no one ever brought it up as an issue And it is not not only at Olympics. In most of the competitions it is the same pattern. However, if the skaters and coaches are ok with this, why I have to bother myself to think about it

Logically, it would be better to have a break, of course. But not complaining and just getting on with it is part of the pairs ethos. Stoicism. Endurance. Strength. Pride in being the most athletic discipline (in the skaters' minds, anyway).

 

[PaulE]

Thank you @Kiki5375 for the heads up about practice tickets and the colored schedule. You made my day.
I have always in the past thought that it would not be worth going to the Winter Olympics because you had to join a lottery for individual events and you wouldn't be able to go to any practices. I decided to go to Milan because some friends invited me to go with them and I have a friend who will be skating. But now I'm ecstatic that I will be able to see several practices (and for a reasonable price).

 

[Kiki5375]

Thank you @Kiki5375 for the heads up about practice tickets and the colored schedule. You made my day.
I have always in the past thought that it would not be worth going to the Winter Olympics because you had to join a lottery for individual events and you wouldn't be able to go to any practices. I decided to go to Milan because because some friends invited me to go with them and I have a friend who will be skating. But now I'm ecstatic that I will be able to see several practices (and for a reasonable price).

@DemTuppesSeine found out about the practice. thanks again.

I always thought Olympics is something you only watch on TV until a friend said why not go there? if you want to see Ilia let us go to Olympics because that's the one event you can be sure he will be there. So here I am and I even got all 3 of my fave skaters on the team. And a 3rd day with them thanks to public practice