Lara Colturi is only 19 years old, but she's already one of the world's best slalom skiers, with four podium finishes in this season's World Cup. She heads into the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina with the chance of making history, by becoming Albania's first Winter Olympic medallist.

The bid to win a medal is more elusive for some than others. In fact, 84 of the 122 teams have never won a medal in the Winter Olympics. The United States won its first medal in the 1924 Chamonix Olympics, the first winter games held in modern history, along with seven other teams, including Canada and Great Britain.

The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics officially get underway on Friday, February 6, with the Opening Ceremony, which features the flag bearers from every participating country making the march alongside the country’s flag and their countrymates who will be

The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics are underway after the lighting of the Olympic cauldrons and the Parade of Nations at the opening ceremony.

MILAN (AP) — An unprecedented four-site, dual-cauldron Winter Olympics opening ceremony replete with references to Italian icons and culture has officially kicked off the Milan Cortina Games, as the sports spectacle returns to a nation that last hosted the event 20 years ago.

While athletes from the U.S. were cheered when they appeared, Vice President JD Vance was jeered when he was shown briefly on the arena's video boards.