
Alpine Skiing at the 2026 Winter Olympics
Contents
- Alpine Skiing at the 2026 Winter Olympics
- Venues, Competitors’ Structure, and Prize Pool Overview for Alpine Skiing at the 2026 Winter Olympics
- Participating Skiers in Alpine Skiing at the 2026 Winter Olympics and Qualification Overview
- Structure and Race Format of Alpine Skiing at the 2026 Winter Olympics
- The Alpine Skiing at the 2026 Winter Olympics Favorites, Betting Options, and Where to Watch
- Pros and Cons of Alpine Skiing at the 2026 Winter Olympics Favorites
- FAQs
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Alpine skiing will be held 7 – 18 February 2026 in Cortina d’Ampezzo (women) and Bormio (men). It’s organized under the authority of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), in coordination with the Milano Cortina 2026 Organizing Committee and the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (Fédération Internationale de Ski et de Snowboard – FIS), for technical governance and competition rules.
Venues, Competitors’ Structure, and Prize Pool Overview for Alpine Skiing at the 2026 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing events at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympics will be held at two outdoor ski centres:
- Stelvio (in Bormio) – hosts the men’s alpine skiing events.
- Olimpia delle Tofane (in Cortina d’Ampezzo) – hosts the women’s alpine skiing events.
Both are classic, world-cup-standard mountain ski environments designed for speed and technical disciplines.
A total of 306 athletes will compete in alpine skiing at the 2026 Games: 153 men and 153 women are allocated spots. There’s no official prize money paid directly by the Olympics to athletes for medals or placements. Winter Olympic competitors don’t receive prize money from the IOC for winning events. Olympic medal winners earn prestige, while some countries’ Olympic committees or national ski federations may provide bonuses or stipends to medalists afterward, but this varies by nation and isn’t part of the Olympic event’s official prize pool.
Participating Skiers in Alpine Skiing at the 2026 Winter Olympics and Qualification Overview
The 2026 Olympic alpine skiing roster isn’t yet publicly finalized at the athlete-by-athlete level, but you can see the provisional eligibility lists issued by FIS. These lists show skiers who meet the FIS qualification standards and are eligible to be entered by their National Olympic Committees. Some countries have already announced specific alpine skiing athletes who’ll be on their Olympic teams, such as the United States, whose team will include Mikaela Shiffrin, Paula Moltzan, and Lindsey Vonn.
Note: Most countries will confirm their final entry lists only after the January 18, 2026, qualification deadline.
All alpine skiers must meet the standards set by FIS to be eligible for the Olympics:
- FIS points thresholds:
- To compete in slalom and giant slalom: Average FIS technical points below 120.
- To compete in downhill and super-G: FIS speed points below 80.
- These points are calculated from World Cup, Continental Cup, and other FIS-sanctioned races during the qualification period.
- Nation quotas:
- Each National Olympic Committee (country) has a quota of up to 22 alpine skiers (maximum 11 men & 11 women).
- A country may enter a maximum of four athletes in any single event.
- Eligibility lists/quotas: FIS produces eligibility and quota allocation lists showing which skiers meet the criteria and how many athletes each nation can enter.
- Final national nominations: After meeting FIS criteria, athletes must then be entered by their National Olympic Committee (which confirms final team rosters). Some countries are still finalizing these entries as of January 2026.
Structure and Race Format of Alpine Skiing at the 2026 Winter Olympics
There are a total of 10 alpine skiing events (often called “stages” in a multisport context), split evenly between men and women:
Men’s events:
- Downhill – 7 Feb 2026
- Team combined (part of mixed team event) – 9 Feb 2026
- Super-G – 11 Feb 2026
- Giant slalom – 14 Feb 2026
- Slalom – 16 Feb 2026
Women’s events
- Downhill – 8 Feb 2026
- Team combined (mixed team) – 10 Feb 2026
- Super-G – 12 Feb 2026
- Giant slalom – 15 Feb 2026
- Slalom – 18 Feb 2026
Given that alpine skiing at the Olympics isn’t a head-to-head elimination bracket, it uses timed runs:
Speed disciplines
- Downhill & Super-G:
Each skier does one timed run down the course. The skier with the fastest single run time wins gold. No heats–just one run per athlete.
Technical disciplines
- Giant Slalom & slalom:
Each athlete completes two timed runs on the same course (or parallel course setup in slalom). The total (combined) time of both runs determines the ranking. The fastest cumulative time wins.
Team combined
- This is a mixed-team event featuring both men’s and women’s runs in combined disciplines (typically a mix of speed + technical components). It’s not bracketed like a tournament bracket, but teams are ranked by combined time or points from multiple team members’ runs. Exact timing rules vary slightly by game but still rely on the team’s fastest combined performance, not head-to-head elimination.
Elimination & advancement system
- No elimination brackets: All events are individual timed races (except the team combined, which is a team aggregate).
- There’s no successive elimination heat during the Olympics (e.g., quarterfinals needed to reach a final).
- In technical events (slalom/giant slalom), all competitors typically get both runs unless they fail to finish the first run (DNF) or miss a gate — in which case they are out of contention for medals.
Ranking is purely time-based:
- For single-run events, fastest time wins.
- For two-run technical events, total time from both runs determines medal positions
The Alpine Skiing at the 2026 Winter Olympics Favorites, Betting Options, and Where to Watch
Considering that the participant lists haven’t been finalized, we’ll only mention provisional favorites for medals, based on a high likelihood of these skiers’ presence in Italy. Top contenders:
Men
- Marco Odermatt (SUI) — One of the most dominant all-round alpine skiers of his generation with multiple World Cup titles and wins, especially in speed and giant slalom.
- Loïc Meillard (SUI) — Reigning world champion in slalom and strong in technical events.
- Timon Haugan & Atle Lie McGrath (NOR) — Among the top Norwegian slalom contenders pushing for podium finishes, closely matched with other elite racers.
Women
- Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) — One of the most successful alpine skiers in history and a perennial Olympic medal favorite in slalom/giant slalom.
- Camille Rast (SUI) — Recent slalom and giant slalom World Cup winner who’s broken Shiffrin’s streak, making her a key medal threat.
- Alice Robinson (NZL) — Strong World Cup form in giant slalom and super-G, signalling podium potential in multiple disciplines.
- Sofia Goggia (ITA) — Proven downhill specialist with World Cup success on the Olympic hill in Cortina.
You can place bets online through the best online bookmakers that offer Winter Olympics markets, including alpine skiing — odds are typically available closer to the Games and include special markets such as medal winner, podium finish, and head-to-head matchups:
Major broadcasters covering the 2026 Winter Olympics worldwide will carry alpine skiing live:
- In the United States: NBC and its Olympic portfolio (including the NBC broadcast network, USA Network, and Peacock streaming) typically hold rights to Winter Games and will show alpine skiing live and on demand.
- In Europe: The Olympic Broadcasting Services distribution means host-nation broadcasters (e.g., RAI in Italy, BBC/Discovery in parts of Europe) will show alpine skiing.
- Other global feed partners will also carry the events in local languages.
Official Olympic streaming platforms in many countries will have live coverage, replays, highlights, and athlete features for all alpine skiing events.
Pros and Cons of Alpine Skiing at the 2026 Winter Olympics Favorites
| SKIER | NATION | KEY DISCIPLINES | PROS | CONS |
| Marco Odermatt | Switzerland | Downhill, Super-G, Giant Slalom | Dominant World Cup performer Exceptional consistency across speed and technical events Thrives on demanding courses like Bormio’s Stelvio | Enormous pressure as the top favorite Limited Olympic golds so far compared to World Cup success |
| Loïc Meillard | Switzerland | Slalom, Giant Slalom | Elite technical skier Strong two-run discipline management Excellent recent form leading into the Olympic season | Less proven in Olympic pressure compared to teammates Margins in slalom are extremely tight |
| Timon Haugan | Norway | Slalom | Explosive single-run speed Strong mental resilience in high-risk slalom courses | Higher DNF risk due to aggressive style Less experience at the Olympic level |
| Mikaela Shiffrin | United States | Slalom, Giant Slalom | Most decorated alpine skier ever Unmatched technical precision Olympic experience and adaptability | Extreme expectations Limited focus on speed events reduces total medal opportunities |
| Camille Rast | Switzerland | Slalom, Giant Slalom | Breakthrough World Cup performances Strong momentum heading into Games Fearless racing style | Relatively limited Olympic experience Consistency over two runs is still a question |
| Sofia Goggia | Italy | Downhill, Super-G | Proven downhill powerhouse Home-country advantage in Cortina Excels on steep, icy terrain | Injury history Relies heavily on speed events, where one mistake ends medal chances |
| Alice Robinson | New Zealand | Giant Slalom, Super-G | Exceptional power and edge control Strong GS contender Dangerous outsider for medals | Inconsistency in second runs Less Olympic podium experience than top European rivals |




