The 2026 Winter Olympic Games begins in just over two weeks in Milano Cortina, Italy with the opening ceremony taking place on Saturday, February 7 (AEDT).
Australia secured four medals at the last Winter Games in Beijing 2022—one gold, two silver and one bronze—marking our best-ever haul and with a little luck the Aussie team could smash that again in Italy.
Australia’s top medal hopes for 2026 include moguls skiers Jakara Anthony and Matt Graham, snowboarder Scotty James and bobsledder Bree Walker.
But as Australia’s depth continues to improve across most winter sports, there are plenty of other live medal chances.
AllSportsPeople provides an overview of Aussie athletes to watch for in Milano Cortina.
Australia 2026 Winter Olympics - genuine medal chances
- Jakara Anthony (Moguls): Anthony is the defending Olympic champion and world no.1 and will be a strong contender to repeat her 2022 gold medal performance from Beijing having won three consecutive World Cup events leading into Italy.
- Scotty James (Snowboard Halfpipe): A four-time world champion, Olympic silver medalist in 2022 and star of the new Netflix series, Pipe Dream, James is aiming for a full set of Olympic medals after also winning bronze in 2018.
- Matt Graham (Moguls): A 2018 Olympic silver medalist, Graham has already won on the FIS World Cup circuit this season and moved into the number one World Cup men’s ranking following a silver medal at Val St. Come in Canada.
- Bree Walker (Bobsleigh): Walker is considered a top Aussie medal hopeful in the monobob event having achieved multiple World Cup podiums in the 2024-25 season. She recently claimed bronze in the World Cup event on the Olympic track and also won a gold medal at St Moritz in Switzerland earlier this month.
- Charlotte Wilson (Moguls): Wilson was crowned 2025 FIS Mogul Skiing Rookie of the Year and won gold at the Olympic Test Event for the new dual moguls discipline.
- Laura Peel (Freestyle Aerials): The veteran two-time World Champion has finished 5th at the past two Winter Olympic Games and won the final World Cup event of 2025 on the Olympic course in Livigno.
- Danielle Scott (Freestyle Aerials): Another Aussie veteran in good form at the right time, Scott recently secured her first World Cup victory in almost three years and also won a bronze medal at last year’s world championships in Switzerland. 2026 will be her fourth Winter Olympics.
Australia 2026 Winter Olympics - Athletes who could surprise
- Tess Coady (Snowboard, multiple events): Australia’s youngest-ever Winter Olympic medallist, Coady won bronze in 2022. She’s struggled with injuries in recent years, but heads into Italy in good shape and solid form.
- Valentino Guseli (Snowboard, multiple events): Having only just returned from an ACL injury Guseli claimed an impressive third place last December in his first World Cup event in over 20 months.
- Cooper Woods (Moguls): Made his Olympic debut in 2022 and finished 8th in the 2025 World Championships (dual moguls).
- Brendan Corey (Short Track Speed Skating): A Canadian-born Aussie, Corey won a bronze model at the 2024 World Championships and is currently ranked 18th in the world in a sport where luck can be just as important as skill, just ask Steven Bradbury.
The 2026 Olympic Winter Games begin on 7 February and will be broadcast on Channel Nine and Stan.