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

Jan 22, 2026 – The official competition schedule is released, confirming that the Games run Feb 4‑22 with the opening ceremony on Feb 6, the first gold medals on Feb 7, and debut events such as ski mountaineering, mixed‑team skeleton, women’s doubles luge and large‑hill ski‑jumping super‑team, making this the most geographically dispersed Winter Olympics ever[3].

Jan 26, 2026 – Team USA publishes a record‑size roster of 232 athletes (potentially 234 will travel), surpassing the 2018 high of 228, and highlighting 98 returning Olympians and 18 champions selected through world‑circuit standings and National Governing Body criteria[5][8].

Jan 26, 2026 – The opening ceremony is slated for Feb 6 in Milan and Cortina, with more than 90 nations expected, including non‑traditional winter countries, and a record 195 medals to be contested, underscoring the Games’ global reach[9][6].

Jan 31, 2026 – UK Sport sets a target for Team GB to win four to eight medals, while Italy aims for a minimum of 19 medals despite injuries to star athletes; Chef de mission Eve Muirhead says the team has an “opportunity to get the most we ever have” at a Winter Games[1].

Jan 31, 2026 – Kirsty Coventry becomes the first female IOC president and describes the sustainability‑focused, multi‑city model of Milan‑Cortina 2026 as “the new normal” for future Olympics, marking a historic gender milestone in Olympic governance[1].

Jan 31, 2026 – NHL‑contracted players return after a 12‑year Olympic hiatus (since 2018), with all but one of the twelve competing nations fielding NHL athletes, bolstering the United States’ hopes for a men’s gold[1].

Feb 2, 2026 – Norway leads the all‑time Winter Olympic medal count with 405 total medals and 148 golds, cementing its historic dominance as the 2026 Games begin on Feb 6[2].

Feb 2, 2026 – The United States ranks second overall with 330 medals historically; Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha head the U.S. delegation, joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and former Olympians, reflecting high‑level political involvement[2].

Feb 2, 2026 – Hundreds of demonstrators gather in Milan to protest the deployment of U.S. ICE agents during the Olympics, highlighting security and immigration concerns amid the Games[2].

Feb 3, 2026 – Colorado supplies the most U.S. Olympians (31 athletes, including Mikaela Shiffrin and Lindsey Vonn), contributing to the largest U.S. Winter team ever (234 competitors traveling)[4][7].

Feb 4, 2026 – Competition officially kicks off across venues in Milan, Cortina and three mountain clusters, launching 116 medal events and the Olympic debut of ski mountaineering, the newest sport on the Winter program[3][6][9].

Feb 6, 2026 – The opening ceremony takes place in Milan and Cortina, unveiling the multi‑city, sustainability‑focused format championed by President Coventry and marking the formal start of the Games[1][9].

Feb 7, 2026 – The first gold medals are awarded, establishing the competition’s early momentum and confirming the schedule’s pacing[3].

Feb 8, 2026 – Women win the Alpine downhill gold, contributing to a Winter Games‑record 53.4 % female participation and the highest proportion of women athletes in Olympic history[1][6].

Feb 13, 2026 – The men’s figure‑skating gold is decided, with U.S. skater Ilia Malinin—the only athlete to land a quadruple axel in competition—leading a strong American team[2][3].

Feb 18, 2026 – Women’s Alpine slalom gold is awarded, further emphasizing the gender‑balanced competition across all 16 disciplines[3].

Feb 19, 2026 – Women’s figure‑skating and women’s ice‑hockey gold medals are contested, highlighting the expanded women’s program and the Games’ commitment to gender equity[3].

Feb 22, 2026 – Men’s ice‑hockey gold is decided and the closing ceremony is held in Verona, concluding the most dispersed Winter Olympics and cementing the “new normal” of multi‑city Games[3][9].