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The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics had the perfect recipe for unforgettable television. We saw packed venues, prime time pressure, and moments that cut through the noise even if you did not follow winter sports all season. Some stars commanded attention with pure athletic dominance on the snow and ice. Others grabbed the spotlight through sheer style, intense personal drama, or by stepping into new, highly visible roles outside the field of play.
Popularity at the Olympics is rarely a single metric. It can come from a signature trick that goes viral, a loyal home country fanbase that creates a wall of sound, or a single performance that becomes the video clip everyone shares the next morning. When you look at the athletes who truly drove the conversation in Italy, you find a fascinating mix of competitors and cultural icons. We saw snowboarders making history on the halfpipe, speed skaters bringing mainstream buzz to the oval, and figure skaters pushing the absolute physical limits of human rotation. We even saw retired legends trend globally just because their standard of excellence remains the ultimate benchmark.
This list focuses entirely on the present. These are the athletes who felt like the center of gravity at these specific Games. They were the headline magnets, the trending topics, and the faces you simply could not avoid during the 2026 Olympic window. Here is a look at what the ten most talked-about athletes actually accomplished on the ground in Milano-Cortina.
Feb 24, 2018; Gangneung, South Korea; Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir (CAN) perform in the figure skating exhibition gala during the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games at Gangneung Ice Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Stats: Enduring cultural icon; viral presence during the 2026 ice dance competition.
Even years after hanging up her skates, Virtue remains an absolute force of nature whenever the Winter Games roll around. Her classic routines flooded social media timelines throughout the Milano Cortina ice dance events, serving as the ultimate measuring stick for the current field. She proves that true Olympic legends never really leave the spotlight.
Feb 8, 2022; Yanqing, China; Natalie Geisenberger (GER) celebrates winning the gold medal in the Women’s Luge Singles during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games at Yanqing Sliding Centre. Mandatory Credit: Andrew P. Scott-USA TODAY Sports
Stats: Transitioned to the broadcast booth as Eurosport’s premier luge expert for the 2026 Games.
The most decorated female luger in history traded her sled for a microphone in Italy, and fans immediately tuned in. Geisenberger brought an incredible level of technical insight to the broadcast, explaining the terrifying margins of sliding sports to millions of viewers. Watching her break down the action provided a completely fresh way to experience the luge events.
MORE: How the Winter Olympics and Super Bowl stack up in global sports viewership
Feb 15, 2026; Livigno, Italy; Silver medalist Michela Moioli of Italy celebrates during the medal ceremony for mixed snowboard cross team during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Livigno Snow Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
Stats: Competed as the reigning 2025 World Champion on home snow in Livigno.
Moioli carried the massive weight of Italian expectations into the snowboard cross venue, bringing an electric atmosphere to her hometown of Livigno. Entering the Games fresh off a World Championship title, her aggressive and physical racing style drew some of the loudest crowds of the entire Olympics. She gave the local fans exactly the kind of gritty performance they came to see.
[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Feb 14, 2026; Bormio, Italy; Marco Odermatt of Switzerland reacts after the second run of the men’s giant slalom during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Stelvio Ski Centre. Mandatory Credit: Gintare Karpaviciute/Reuters via Imagn Images
Stats: Won silver in the Giant Slalom and silver in the Team Combined event.
Odermatt arrived in Italy as the undisputed king of the World Cup circuit and left with two hard-fought silver medals. He skis with a level of power and precision that makes every single run feel like a masterclass in alpine racing. Even when he barely misses the gold, watching him attack the mountain remains the best show on snow.
MORE: Top 10 Winter Olympians of Team USA since 2000
Feb 11, 2026; Milan, Italy; Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron of France skate after receiving their medals during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images
Stats: Won gold in Ice Dancing with new partner Laurence Fournier Beaudry.
Cizeron was the center of the biggest figure skating storyline in Milan, returning to the Olympic stage to capture gold with a completely new partner. The pressure of living up to his historic past was immense, but he delivered a performance full of the flawless, poetic movement fans expect. He cemented his legacy as a generational talent on the ice.
Feb 10, 2026; Milan, Italy; Ilia Malinin of the United States of America competes in men’s singles short program during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
Stats: Secured a Team Event medal; finished 8th in Men’s Singles after a dramatic free skate.
Malinin brought unprecedented hype to the men’s figure skating competition thanks to his arsenal of historic quadruple jumps. While a stunning collapse in his individual free skate knocked him off the podium, his sheer ambition kept the entire sports world glued to their screens. He took massive risks, and that fearlessness is exactly why fans cannot look away.
Feb 8, 2026; Milan, Italy; Kaori Sakamoto of Japan performs in the women’s free skate during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images
Stats: Won silver in Women’s Singles and silver in the Team Event.
Sakamoto brought incredible speed and joyous energy to the Milan ice, securing two impressive silver medals for Japan. She faced fierce competition from a new wave of skaters but held her ground with powerful, deep edges and pure athletic confidence. Her raw, emotional reactions during the kiss-and-cry made her instantly relatable and widely celebrated.
RELATED: Last 8 Winter Olympics women’s ice hockey gold medal winners
Feb 9, 2026; Milan, Italy; Jutta Leerdam of the Netherlands skates during the women’s speed skating 1000m during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Speed Skating Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
Stats: Won gold in the 1000m and silver in the 500m speed skating events.
Leerdam perfectly bridged the gap between elite speed skating and global pop culture, backing up her massive social media fame with undeniable speed on the oval. Capturing gold and silver, she proved that she is far more than just a viral sensation. She skates with a terrifying mix of power and control that completely overwhelmed the field.
Feb 12, 2026; Livigno, Italy; Silver medalist Chloe Kim of the United States celebrates in the women’s halfpipe final during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Livigno Snow Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
Stats: Won silver in the Halfpipe, becoming the only female snowboarder to medal in three consecutive Games.
Kim continues to be the ultimate face of snowboarding, pulling off historic gravity-defying runs while keeping an incredibly relaxed demeanor. She secured a hard-fought silver in the halfpipe, proving her remarkable longevity in a sport notorious for rapid burnout. Fans love her because she balances intense athletic pressure with a genuine love for being on the mountain.
Feb 16, 2026; Livigno, Italy; Silver medalist Ailing Eileen Gu of the People’s Republic of China looks on during the medal ceremony for the women’s big air final during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Livigno Snow Park. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Stats: Won gold in the Halfpipe and silver in both Slopestyle and Big Air.
Gu was the undeniable main character of the Milano Cortina Games, leaving Italy as the most decorated freeskier in Olympic history. She successfully defended her halfpipe gold while adding two more silvers, handling intense global scrutiny with total calm. Whether she was launching off a massive kicker or handling the press, she controlled the entire narrative of the Winter Olympics.
Feb 10, 2026; Milan, Italy; Ilia Malinin of the United States of America competes in men’s singles short program during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
Medals will eventually find their way into glass display cases, but the cultural impact these athletes created in Italy will carry right into the next Olympic cycle. They brought fresh eyes to their sports and delivered dramatic storylines that kept the world completely hooked. The Games are always built on massive personalities, and this group passed the test.
OLYMPICS: Final 2026 Winter Olympics medal count, standings
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NFL DRAFT: 2026 NFL Scouting Combine day-to-day TV schedule, how to watch
MLB: MLB Power Rankings as 2026 Spring Training begins
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VIRAL: Watch Johnny Gaudreau’s children join Team USA hockey gold medal
The post Most popular athletes at Winter Olympics 2026 appeared first on The Big Lead.
Continue reading...
Popularity at the Olympics is rarely a single metric. It can come from a signature trick that goes viral, a loyal home country fanbase that creates a wall of sound, or a single performance that becomes the video clip everyone shares the next morning. When you look at the athletes who truly drove the conversation in Italy, you find a fascinating mix of competitors and cultural icons. We saw snowboarders making history on the halfpipe, speed skaters bringing mainstream buzz to the oval, and figure skaters pushing the absolute physical limits of human rotation. We even saw retired legends trend globally just because their standard of excellence remains the ultimate benchmark.
This list focuses entirely on the present. These are the athletes who felt like the center of gravity at these specific Games. They were the headline magnets, the trending topics, and the faces you simply could not avoid during the 2026 Olympic window. Here is a look at what the ten most talked-about athletes actually accomplished on the ground in Milano-Cortina.
10. Tessa Virtue
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Feb 24, 2018; Gangneung, South Korea; Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir (CAN) perform in the figure skating exhibition gala during the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games at Gangneung Ice Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Stats: Enduring cultural icon; viral presence during the 2026 ice dance competition.
Even years after hanging up her skates, Virtue remains an absolute force of nature whenever the Winter Games roll around. Her classic routines flooded social media timelines throughout the Milano Cortina ice dance events, serving as the ultimate measuring stick for the current field. She proves that true Olympic legends never really leave the spotlight.
9. Natalie Geisenberger
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Feb 8, 2022; Yanqing, China; Natalie Geisenberger (GER) celebrates winning the gold medal in the Women’s Luge Singles during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games at Yanqing Sliding Centre. Mandatory Credit: Andrew P. Scott-USA TODAY Sports
Stats: Transitioned to the broadcast booth as Eurosport’s premier luge expert for the 2026 Games.
The most decorated female luger in history traded her sled for a microphone in Italy, and fans immediately tuned in. Geisenberger brought an incredible level of technical insight to the broadcast, explaining the terrifying margins of sliding sports to millions of viewers. Watching her break down the action provided a completely fresh way to experience the luge events.
MORE: How the Winter Olympics and Super Bowl stack up in global sports viewership
8. Michela Moioli
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Feb 15, 2026; Livigno, Italy; Silver medalist Michela Moioli of Italy celebrates during the medal ceremony for mixed snowboard cross team during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Livigno Snow Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
Stats: Competed as the reigning 2025 World Champion on home snow in Livigno.
Moioli carried the massive weight of Italian expectations into the snowboard cross venue, bringing an electric atmosphere to her hometown of Livigno. Entering the Games fresh off a World Championship title, her aggressive and physical racing style drew some of the loudest crowds of the entire Olympics. She gave the local fans exactly the kind of gritty performance they came to see.
7. Marco Odermatt
You must be registered for see images attach
[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Feb 14, 2026; Bormio, Italy; Marco Odermatt of Switzerland reacts after the second run of the men’s giant slalom during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Stelvio Ski Centre. Mandatory Credit: Gintare Karpaviciute/Reuters via Imagn Images
Stats: Won silver in the Giant Slalom and silver in the Team Combined event.
Odermatt arrived in Italy as the undisputed king of the World Cup circuit and left with two hard-fought silver medals. He skis with a level of power and precision that makes every single run feel like a masterclass in alpine racing. Even when he barely misses the gold, watching him attack the mountain remains the best show on snow.
MORE: Top 10 Winter Olympians of Team USA since 2000
6. Guillaume Cizeron
You must be registered for see images attach
Feb 11, 2026; Milan, Italy; Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron of France skate after receiving their medals during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images
Stats: Won gold in Ice Dancing with new partner Laurence Fournier Beaudry.
Cizeron was the center of the biggest figure skating storyline in Milan, returning to the Olympic stage to capture gold with a completely new partner. The pressure of living up to his historic past was immense, but he delivered a performance full of the flawless, poetic movement fans expect. He cemented his legacy as a generational talent on the ice.
5. Ilia Malinin
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Feb 10, 2026; Milan, Italy; Ilia Malinin of the United States of America competes in men’s singles short program during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
Stats: Secured a Team Event medal; finished 8th in Men’s Singles after a dramatic free skate.
Malinin brought unprecedented hype to the men’s figure skating competition thanks to his arsenal of historic quadruple jumps. While a stunning collapse in his individual free skate knocked him off the podium, his sheer ambition kept the entire sports world glued to their screens. He took massive risks, and that fearlessness is exactly why fans cannot look away.
4. Kaori Sakamoto
You must be registered for see images attach
Feb 8, 2026; Milan, Italy; Kaori Sakamoto of Japan performs in the women’s free skate during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images
Stats: Won silver in Women’s Singles and silver in the Team Event.
Sakamoto brought incredible speed and joyous energy to the Milan ice, securing two impressive silver medals for Japan. She faced fierce competition from a new wave of skaters but held her ground with powerful, deep edges and pure athletic confidence. Her raw, emotional reactions during the kiss-and-cry made her instantly relatable and widely celebrated.
RELATED: Last 8 Winter Olympics women’s ice hockey gold medal winners
3. Jutta Leerdam
You must be registered for see images attach
Feb 9, 2026; Milan, Italy; Jutta Leerdam of the Netherlands skates during the women’s speed skating 1000m during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Speed Skating Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
Stats: Won gold in the 1000m and silver in the 500m speed skating events.
Leerdam perfectly bridged the gap between elite speed skating and global pop culture, backing up her massive social media fame with undeniable speed on the oval. Capturing gold and silver, she proved that she is far more than just a viral sensation. She skates with a terrifying mix of power and control that completely overwhelmed the field.
2. Chloe Kim
You must be registered for see images attach
Feb 12, 2026; Livigno, Italy; Silver medalist Chloe Kim of the United States celebrates in the women’s halfpipe final during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Livigno Snow Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
Stats: Won silver in the Halfpipe, becoming the only female snowboarder to medal in three consecutive Games.
Kim continues to be the ultimate face of snowboarding, pulling off historic gravity-defying runs while keeping an incredibly relaxed demeanor. She secured a hard-fought silver in the halfpipe, proving her remarkable longevity in a sport notorious for rapid burnout. Fans love her because she balances intense athletic pressure with a genuine love for being on the mountain.
1. Eileen Gu
You must be registered for see images attach
Feb 16, 2026; Livigno, Italy; Silver medalist Ailing Eileen Gu of the People’s Republic of China looks on during the medal ceremony for the women’s big air final during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Livigno Snow Park. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Stats: Won gold in the Halfpipe and silver in both Slopestyle and Big Air.
Gu was the undeniable main character of the Milano Cortina Games, leaving Italy as the most decorated freeskier in Olympic history. She successfully defended her halfpipe gold while adding two more silvers, handling intense global scrutiny with total calm. Whether she was launching off a massive kicker or handling the press, she controlled the entire narrative of the Winter Olympics.
The final buzzer sounds
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Feb 10, 2026; Milan, Italy; Ilia Malinin of the United States of America competes in men’s singles short program during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
Medals will eventually find their way into glass display cases, but the cultural impact these athletes created in Italy will carry right into the next Olympic cycle. They brought fresh eyes to their sports and delivered dramatic storylines that kept the world completely hooked. The Games are always built on massive personalities, and this group passed the test.
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OLYMPICS: Final 2026 Winter Olympics medal count, standings
NFL: 4 blockbuster NFL trades we want to see before the 2026 draft
NFL DRAFT: 2026 NFL Scouting Combine day-to-day TV schedule, how to watch
MLB: MLB Power Rankings as 2026 Spring Training begins
NBA: Updated NBA Power Rankings as a new week begins
VIRAL: Watch Johnny Gaudreau’s children join Team USA hockey gold medal
The post Most popular athletes at Winter Olympics 2026 appeared first on The Big Lead.
Continue reading...
