Amanda Ross

Editor-In-Chief

The Winter Olympics, being held this year in Milano Cortina, Italy, are set to start in just over two weeks. 

Before the official start of the Games on Feb. 6, a number of events have qualifying rounds on Feb. 4 and 5. These events include Ice Hockey, Alpine Skiing, Luge, and Snowboarding. This is done either to give athletes extra time to practice, or because the event’s schedules would otherwise push them past the event’s end on Feb. 22. 

The opening ceremony will take place in the Milano San Siro Olympic stadium on Feb. 6, with a number of Italian and international stars set to perform. Two Olympic cauldrons will be lit, a first for the Winter Games. One will be located within Milano, and the other will be stationed within Cortina d’Ampezzo, a mountain town where a number of the Olympic events will also be held. This comes off the back of a similar move by Japan during the Tokyo Summer Games, where both the stadium and the waterfront had a cauldron. While it’s not clear yet when exactly the ceremony will start, coverage of the event will begin around 8 p.m. EST.  

There are no new events in the Games this year, but several events are gearing up for an engaging competition. Ilia Malinin, the current men’s U.S. champion, is set to compete in the Men’s singles. Amber Glenn and Alysa Liu are also set to compete, with both being celebrated for returning and dominating the sport well after most of their contemporaries have retired. As well, Matilde Fantin, a member of the Penn State D-1 Women’s Ice Hockey team, has been selected to play on the Olympic team. 

The Olympics will end on Feb. 22, with a closing ceremony where the Olympic flame will be extinguished until the LA Summer Games in 2028. The Paralympic Winter Games will commence on Mar. 6 to 15. To watch the Games, either tune in live on NBC, or use Peacock to view both the NBC broadcast as well as individual events and interviews.