1991 – The Soviet Union dissolves, and its 194 Winter Olympic medals are recorded separately from Russia and other successor states, preserving historical medal tallies for future comparisons [2].

2018 – The International Olympic Committee bars NHL‑contracted players from the Winter Games, ending a long‑standing professional participation that had been a hallmark of previous Olympics [1].

2022 – COVID‑19 restrictions keep NHL players out of the Beijing Winter Olympics, further extending their absence from the Games and heightening anticipation for their return in 2026 [1].

Jan 7, 2026 – The United States announces that its final ski‑jumping team will be named by Jan 20, giving athletes a clear deadline to prepare for the expanded Olympic program that adds a women’s large‑hill event and replaces the men’s team with a super‑team format [10].

Jan 26, 2026 – Team USA releases a record‑size roster of 232 athletes—the largest U.S. Winter Olympic team ever—featuring 98 returning Olympians and 18 champions, selected primarily on world‑circuit standings and backed by alternates for injuries [5][8].

Jan 26, 2026 – The opening ceremonies are scheduled for Feb 6 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, marking the start of the 25th Winter Games and the first Olympics overseen by female IOC president Kirsty Coventry [9][6].

Jan 26, 2026 – The Games will contest a record 195 medals across 16 disciplines, introduce ski mountaineering as a new Olympic sport, and feature women in 53.4 % of events—the highest gender share in Winter Olympic history [6][9].

Jan 31, 2026 – UK Sport sets a target of four to eight medals for Team GB, with chef de mission Eve Muirhead declaring “an opportunity to get the most we ever have,” while Italy aims for at least 19 medals despite key athlete injuries; Kirsty Coventry pledges a “new normal” of sustainability for the Games, and NHL players return after bans in 2018 and 2022 [1].

Feb 2, 2026 – Norway tops the all‑time Winter Olympic medal table with 405 total medals and 148 golds, while the United States, led by Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, ranks second and faces protests in Milan over the deployment of U.S. ICE agents [2].

Feb 3, 2026 – Colorado supplies the most U.S. Olympians with 31 athletes, and the United States finalizes a traveling squad of 234 competitors—surpassing the previous record of 228 set in PyeongChang 2018—and includes two Canadians and a Ukrainian, though Paralympians are counted separately [4][7].

Feb 5, 2026 – The opening ceremony launches at Milan’s San Siro stadium, featuring simultaneous athlete parades in four venues and two Olympic cauldrons; IOC President Kirsty Coventry defends the dispersed, multi‑venue format as a sustainable model despite added logistical complexities, while athletes such as Lindsey Vonn and Hilary Knight comment on venue distances and ice‑sheet size [3].

Feb 6, 2026 – The Milan‑Cortina Winter Olympics officially open with ceremonies in both Milan and Cortina, kicking off 22,000 km² of competition across northern Italy and inaugurating the first Games with a majority‑female athlete field and the debut of ski mountaineering [3][6].

Future (2030‑2038) – The dispersed, existing‑venue model showcased in Milan‑Cortina is slated to guide upcoming Winter Games in the French Alps (2030), Utah (2034), and a Swiss bid for 2038, cementing the new sustainability standard for the Olympic movement [3].