Skeleton is one of the fastest sports at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics. Here’s how the head-first sliding event works and who is competing for the U.S. (AP photo)

Mystique Ro is about to make her Winter Olympics debut. The 31-year-old, who was born in Oceanside, California and raised in Nokesville, Virginia, is looking to make her mark when she takes the stage at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games.

Skeleton is an exhilarating Winter Olympic sport in which athletes race head-first down an ice track at speeds reaching over 80 miles per hour (130km/h). While the event can look basic at first glance,

Just days before the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics are set to begin, U.S. skeleton racer Katie Uhlaender is still fighting for a spot. The American is at the center of a controversy after the Canadian skeleton team made a decision at a recent race that ultimately cost her a sixth Olympic appearance.

From medalist Erin Jackson to rookie Daryl Payne Jr. breaking the color barrier in the skeleton competition, these Olympic Games are set to be one to remember.

An unprecedented four-site, dual-cauldron Winter Olympics opening ceremony replete with references to Italian icons and culture has officially kicked off the Milan Cortina Games, as the sports spectacle returns to a nation that last hosted the event 20 years ago.

World Skeleton champion Shelley Rudman remembers her time in the Winter Olympics fondly.

From the greatest Alpine skier of all time to a former plumber making her Olympic debut, here are 15 athletes and teams to follow at this year’s Olympics.