These Are the Athletes We're Obsessing Over at the 2026 Winter Olympics
From the Benson Boone of the ice, to the slopestyle It girl, to the ice-dancing couple capturing our hearts
The 2026 Winter Olympics are here, and they’ve brought the excitement, the nerves, the tears, and the intense pride. Athletes from all around the world have come together in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, to show off their otherworldly skills on the ice and snow, representing their countries.
While we certainly don’t pick favorites, some athletes have caught our eye both on and off the ice. Here, take a look at the pros we’re currently obsessing over.
Ilia Malinin
The American figure skater has been called the Benson Boone of the ice thanks to his daring backflips, and earned the nickname of “Quad God” thanks to his impressive quadruple jumps. Cheeky monickers aside, he’s now a gold medal Olympian, having delivered a quad salchow, triple axel, and one-footed backflip during the men’s free skate of the team final on Sunday, earning the highest score of the night.
Check out his backflips here.
Eileen Gu
You just know Eileen Gu’s face card never declines.
The superstar freestyle skier from China added to her Olympic medal case this year, having taken home the silver in the women’s slopestyle final—her “best slopestyle run ever.”
But it’s not only her ski skills that have us obsessed with her, it’s also her fun TikToks filmed at the very top of the Cortina d’Ampezzo mountains, her It girl style, her rosy makeup routine, and the fact that she has nearly as many magazine covers as she has athletic achievements. She is that girl.
Chloe Kim
Another cool girl.
Despite a recent dislocated shoulder and a torn labrum, the American snowboarded is in Milan, fighting for her third consecutive Olympic gold medal.
Kim competes in the women’s snowboard halfpipe event on February 11, and as she preps for the big moment, she has been documenting her time in the Olympic Village on Instagram.
Apart from being a pro on the snowy mountains, she is also a strong advocate for kindness and inclusion. In a recent Instagram post, she elegantly addressed the current state of the United States under President Donald Trump, noting that while she is proud to compete for her country, she does not stand for hate or division.
She wrote: “So when I stand at the top of the halfpipe, competing on the biggest stage in sport, I do so with immense pride. I am representing my country but I am also representing those who took a leap of faith, who came to this beautiful nation carrying hopes, dreams, and courage. I am proud of my heritage. I am proud of my journey. And I am proud to represent a country that is strongest when it embraces diversity, dignity, and hope. GO TEAM USA!! ❤️🤍💙”
Marcus Kleveland
The Norwegian snowboarder is impossible to look away from—not only because of his rosy cheeks and heartthrob smile, but because of the sheer insanity of his flips on the snow.
The 26-year-old documents his runs on Instagram, and seeing things from his point of view is like something out of a video game. Sadly, our man did not advance to the big air finals at the Milano-Cortina Olympics.
“Bummed to miss finals tonight by one spot🥲 definitely one of the craziest qualifiers we’ve ever had! Good luck to the boys out there🫶🏽 #olympics” he captioned an Instagram post featuring images of himself in the Olympic Village and a clip of his performance.
Next time!
Madison Chock and Evan Bates
These two are keeping are ice skating fantasies alive.
The duo became ice-dancing partners in 2011 and started officially dating in 2017. They married in 2024, and now, they have a joint Instagram account and their very own Netflix special, Glitter & Gold. I mean, who wouldn’t fall in love with their skating partner after 15 years, right?
One of the most consistent and long-lasting pairs in U.S. figure skating history, Chock and Bates have competed in four Olympics together, and this very week took home the gold in the figure skating team event (they even shared a sweet kiss on the podium, holding their medals).
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