What to Watch at the 2026 Olympics: Must-See Events in Milan-Cortina

The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, Italy, kicked off with preliminary competitions on February 4, but the official start arrives today, February 6, with the electrifying opening ceremony at Milan’s San Siro Stadium.[1][2][4] Running through February 22, these Games feature 116 medal events across 16 disciplines, including exciting newcomers like men’s and women’s dual moguls in freestyle skiing and women’s large hill ski jumping.[3][4] With 195 medals on the line and record-high female participation at 47%, here’s your guide to the top events, schedules, and highlights to catch on NBC, USA Network, and related apps—all times Eastern.[1][2][3]

Opening Day Thrills: February 6

Don’t miss the opening ceremony at 10:15 a.m. (red carpet) leading into the main event, lighting the cauldron at San Siro—Italian President Sergio Mattarella will preside.[1][2][4] Early action ramps up with figure skating’s team event: rhythm dance at 4 a.m., pairs short at 5:35 a.m., and women’s short at 7:35 a.m.[2] Curling mixed doubles round-robin matches fire first, including USA vs. Canada at 4:05 a.m., Czechia vs. USA at 8:35-8:55 a.m., and Italy vs. Switzerland.[1][2] Women’s hockey groups launch too: France vs. Japan at 6:10 a.m. and Czechia vs. Switzerland at 8:40 a.m.[2] Alpine skiing downhill training (men and women) hits at 5:30 a.m., setting the stage for medal chases.[1][2]

Medal Mania: Early Gold Rushes

Medals drop fast starting February 7. Tune in for alpine skiing men’s team combined downhill at 4:30 a.m. and slalom at 7:50 a.m. (USA Network)—a medal event blending speed and precision.[1] Freestyle skiing women’s freeski slopestyle final at 6:30 a.m. promises aerial acrobatics.[1] Ski jumping men’s normal hill at 12 p.m. awards the first jumping medals.[1] Snowboarding fans, catch women’s big air final at 1:30 p.m. on NBC for massive jumps and spins.[1] Speedskating women’s 1000m final races at 11:30 a.m. (USA Network/NBC).[1]

Cross-country skiing heats up with men’s and women’s sprint qualifying at 3:15 a.m., finals at 5:45 a.m., and men’s 20km individual at 4:30 p.m.—all medal contenders.[1]

Mid-Games Highlights: February 11-15

By February 11, biathlon women’s 15km individual medals at 8:15 a.m., curling men’s round-robin (USA vs. Czechia at 1:05 p.m.), women’s super-G alpine at 5:30 a.m., and cross-country women’s 10k at 7 a.m. deliver non-stop action.[1] Snowboard cross women’s qualifying at 4 a.m. and finals at 7:30 a.m., plus men’s halfpipe final at 1:30 p.m.[1]

February 12 brings men’s cross-country 10k at 5:45 a.m.[1] On the 13th, women’s giant slalom (runs at 4 a.m. and 7:20 a.m.) and men’s 4×7.5km relay at 6 a.m.[1] Men’s slalom (February 14: runs at 4 a.m. and 7:20 a.m.) and women’s big air freestyle final at 1:30 p.m. follow.[1] Women’s slalom (February 15: 4 a.m. and 7:20 a.m.) pairs with team sprint finals at 8:30 a.m.[1]

Late-Game Spectacles and Closers

Ski mountaineering debuts medals in men’s and women’s sprints (finals at 6:55 a.m. on its day), while men’s halfpipe qualifying and aerials final thrill at 4:30-5:30 a.m.[1] February 10 stands out as the busiest, with events in eight disciplines.[3] The finale on February 22 crowns the men’s ice hockey gold medal game, plus bobsleigh, cross-country, and curling medals, before closing ceremonies.[3]

Full Sports Lineup and New Twists

The 16 disciplines span alpine skiing, biathlon, bobsleigh, cross-country, curling, figure skating, freestyle skiing, ice hockey, luge, Nordic combined, short track, skeleton, ski jumping, ski mountaineering, snowboarding, and speedskating.[3][4] Highlights include luge doubles return, skeleton mixed relay, and team alpine combined—boosting women’s events.[4] Nordic combined remains men-only, but overall parity shines.[4]

Viewing Tips for Ultimate Access

Stream everything live on NBCOlympics.com, with USA Network handling early mornings and NBC prime-time replays.[1][2][5][6] Team USA schedules shine via official sites.[5] Pro tip: Set alerts for U.S. stars in hockey, skiing, and skating—prelims like women’s hockey (USA vs. Czechia re-air at 10:30 a.m. today) build hype.[2]

Whether you’re chasing adrenaline in halfpipe or strategy in curling, Milan-Cortina 2026 packs variety across venues like Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium and Tesero Cross-Country Stadium.[3] Grab your remote—these Winter Games are underway, blending Italian flair with global glory. (Word count: 812)[1][2][3][4]

Original source: NPR News – What to watch at the 2026 Olympics