On the night of February 6th, twin cauldrons in the cities of Milan and Cortina were ignited, marking the beginning of the 2026 Winter Olympics. Italy hosted the 25th iteration of the games, featuring 16 disciplines across eight different sports. The event concluded on February 22nd and featured over two weeks of non-stop must-see TV. 

The Winter Olympics were followed by members of the Bishop’s community, both for fun and seriously. History Teacher Dr. Will Peters, an avid follower of the event, said, “I love the Olympics. I think it’s great.” Students and teachers shared their thoughts and excitement for competitions, including figure skating, ice hockey, skiing, and curling.  

Perhaps it is the elegant twists and twirls that draw the attention of so many Americans, or the orchestral music swelling during performances; regardless, figure skating is what Americans most look forward to during the Winter Olympics. These dynamic athletes — tasked with impressing judges on skates through technical precision and artistic expression — captivate audiences from the Bishop’s community and across the nation. 

Kasia Svatora (‘28) ice skates independently and has followed the sport since 2018. “My eight-year-old self was mesmerized by the pretty outfits, spins on the ice, and the emotion put into the programs,” she said. “Figure skating is a beautiful sport, and watching it and following up on it is a thrilling experience.”

During school lunches, Bishop’s organized projections of the Winter Olympics to be played on projectors in the cafeteria. Kasia and others have watched the events during lunch, observing as athletes from across the globe perform and chase the gold.

The United States won three medals across three of five skating disciplines. In Ice Dance, Madison Chock and Evan Bates won silver, and in Team Figure Skating, the U.S. claimed gold, led by Ilia Malinin. American success in skating was highlighted by Alysa Liu’s gold medal performance in the Women’s Free Skate. 

Sherilyn Li (‘28), a fan of Liu, said, “I’m so glad she was able to succeed when [some people] underestimated her.” Just four years prior, Liu had been criticized following a sixth-place performance in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games. The 16-year-old retired from skating, saying she felt overwhelmed and burned out by the pressure and endless practice. 

Two years later, Liu returned to the rink, training for fun rather than for results. Her new mindset propelled her to a gold medal. In response to doubters of Liu, Sherilyn added, “She was not overscored. If the haters watched her program, they would’ve noticed she didn’t make a single mistake.”

Another riveting Olympic sport for Bishop’s and America also finds its place on the ice. Except this one sports 12 players, each armed with a stick, a helmet, and a frenzied desire to smash the puck into their opponent’s goal. 

Connor Vance (‘28) plays ice hockey and consistently watches the National Hockey League (NHL), the American league that halts games during the Winter Olympics. Despite his enthusiasm for the NHL, Connor enjoys the change of pace during the Winter Olympics. “In the NHL, you kind of can move teams, you can get traded,” he explained. “It doesn’t really matter where you’re from as long as you’re playing for a certain team. But in the Olympics, there is that sense of pride that you’re representing your home country.”

Connor also appreciates the exposure the Winter Olympics provides for his sport. “It brings in this new fan base that wants to see the U.S. succeed,” he said. This exposure can especially help women’s hockey and women’s sports in general, which still lag behind male sports in viewership. Connor reasoned, “Most people wouldn’t go out to watch women’s hockey unless they have some direct interest in it, but now they’re on the world stage, and everybody’s watching.”

In the 2022 Winter Olympics, for example, the women’s ice hockey final amassed 3.5 million viewers, more than any male NHL game that season. 

Connor was most excited by the prospect of a game between Canada and the U.S., as “earning a gold medal over them would signify our competitiveness with them,” despite Canada’s historical dominance.

The Americans solidified their position as a hockey powerhouse, winning gold in both the men’s and women’s hockey. The final game in both tournaments featured the United States and Canada, with the Americans emerging victorious two to one by scoring incredible overtime goals in both games.

On the men’s side, goalkeeper Connor Hellebuyck made 41 saves — the most of any goalie in a game throughout the entire tournament — to win America’s first Olympic Title since 1980. For the U.S. women’s team, Meghan Keller scored the golden goal in a dazzling solo rush, sliding the puck around the defender, retrieving it, and backhanding it between the keeper’s legs to win. 

The ski events also featured unforgettable moments from tragic crashes to mind-blowing speeds. Dr. Peters said, “I’ve watched a bunch of the skiing,” and shared his input on the results.

Before starting his undergraduate degree, Dr. Peters took a gap year and worked at a chalet in France as a ski guide in the Alps. “It was my job to take guests out onto the mountain from the first lift to the last,” he explained. His resort was twinned with another in Italy, so he would “take people over to Italy during lunch for a pizza and then take them back to France.” In his free time, he said, “I did a little bit of racing for a local team.”

Dr. Peters described the conditions of the Italian slopes on which the Olympic skiers competed. “Italian slopes are steep and fast,” he said, “They tend to be a little icier and narrower than your average runs.”

Dr. Peters explained the excitement of sports like alpine skiing. “It is so physically demanding and impressive,” he said, “And I don’t think people realize how dangerous and fast it is.” The winner of Men’s Downhill Skiing, Beat Feuz of Switzerland, averaged 68.7 miles per hour in his gold medal run. 

The danger of ski racing also draws attention. Dr. Peters highlighted the crash of American downhill skier Lindsey Vonn. “The margins are so fine. She clipped a gate, and that was it — the end of her career.” According to Yahoo Sports, Vonn attempted to race on a ruptured ACL, but 13 seconds into her run, she wiped out, resulting in a complex tibia fracture requiring multiple surgeries. 

The riskiness of skiing also added to Dr. Peter’s admiration for the athletes. These athletes “train for six to eight years and have only two minutes to realize their life goal,” he explained.

Dr. Peter discussed the perseverance of the athletes, saying, “Most winter Olympians are amateur athletes. They have other jobs, and they still compete at the same time.” American skier Ryan Cochran-Siegle, who won silver in the Men’s Super-G on February 11th, works at his family’s maple syrup farm. Korey Dropkin, an American curler, also won silver on February 10th in the mixed doubles event. He works as a realtor alongside curling professionally. 

Many other athletes from the U.S. and worldwide work secondary jobs to support their pursuit of Olympic greatness. Dr. Peters added, “Seeing someone cross the line and achieve their dream, knowing what they’re trained for — that’s dedication.”

Despite enjoying watching skiing, Dr. Peters said, “If I were to try a sport in the Winter Olympics, it probably wouldn’t be skiing because the course does not look fun. It looks flipping terrifying.” He concluded, “I would love to do curling because it looks like something you could do with your mates.”

David Beamer (‘28) also hopes to try curling as he had found himself watching hours of the sport during the 2026 Winter Olympics. “I love watching the U.S. [curling teams]. I watch it pretty casually and just turn the TV on whenever they’re competing.”

Curling is a sport in which players slide a 42-pound rock across a sheet of ice, with the goal of getting the rock closest to the target, similar to shuffleboard. Teammates sweep the ice in front of the stone to control its speed. The “curling” aspect of the sport is key, as each match begins with a stone in front of the target, so players must spin the rock to curl it.

David explained the appeal of the sport. “You can do something else while you’re watching, so you don’t have to be super invested to know what’s going on,” he said. Still, “it’s exciting,” he added, “and it’s fun to watch the athletes shine.”

Regarding the intensity of curling, David said, “The players are pretty calm, but there’s always a bit of screaming. The athletes are very focused.”

The American athletes demonstrated their dedication, finishing fourth in a close match for the bronze medal in the Women’s Team Tournament. In the Mixed Doubles Tournament, an event introduced to the Winter Olympics in 2018, the U.S. won its first-ever medal by finishing second.

The excitement and tension of curling were not limited to medal matches. A controversy during a men’s round robin match between Sweden and Canada garnered significant attention. The Swedes accused Canadian player Mark Kennedy of double-touching the rock, a violation of the rules. The allegation led to a heated exchange between the teams, and Kennedy swore at his opponents, denying wrongdoing. 

The 2026 Winter Olympics were filled with exciting moments and intense competitions. Connor said, “It’s good to see every country showing what they can do, [regardless] of size.” “You get exposed to different sports that some people are so passionate about,” David added, “And the athletes are the best in the world.”

Dr. Peters concluded, “I love the supreme dedication of those athletes. That’s why I watch the Winter Olympics.”