10 Canadian athletes to watch at the Milan Cortina Olympics

The Milan Cortina Olympics officially get underway on Friday with the opening ceremonies, marking the start of a Winter Games that will put several of Canada’s top athletes back on the sport’s biggest stage.

From familiar Olympic names to first-time contenders, here are 10 Canadians to watch as competition begins across Italy.

MIKAËL KINGSBURY

The 33-year-old from Deux-Montages, Que., is Canada’s most accomplished moguls and freestyle skier of all time. The Canadian flag-bearer has won 13 of the past 14 overall World Cup moguls titles and remains the record holder for consecutive Freestyle World Cup wins with 13.  He won Olympic gold in 2018, along with silver medals in 2014 and 2022, and remains a podium threat in both moguls and dual moguls.

RACHEL HOMAN

The 36-year-old skip from Ottawa has won five Scotties Tournament of Hearts, three world championships, 20 Grand Slam curling titles, but is 0-for-2 at the Olympics. Ranked No. 1 in the World Curling rankings this season, she finished sixth at the 2018 Olympics with her women’s team, and then finished fifth in 2022 in mixed doubles with partner John Morris. Will the third time be a charm for Homan, who rolls into Italy as a podium favourite?

CONNOR McDAVID

The 29-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont., who scored the overtime goal to give Canada the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off title last year, is arguably the best hockey player on the planet — even without a Stanley Cup ring. The Edmonton Oilers captain has won the Art Ross Trophy five times (scoring championship), the Hart Memorial three times (league MVP), the Ted Lindsay Award four times (MVP voted by players) and captured the 2024 Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP despite not being on the Cup winner. His Olympic debut will be appointment viewing.

WILLIAM DANDJINOU

The 24-year-old short-track speedskater from Sherbrooke, Que., is making his Winter Olympics debut with much fanfare. He is a four-time world champion, winning three golds at the 2025 world championships where he repeated as the 1,500-metre champ, and pocketed two more golds in the men’s and mixed relays. Former Olympic champion Charles Hamelin has said Dandjinou could contend for as many as five gold medals in Milan Cortina.

ÉLIOT GRONDIN

The 24-year-old snowboarder from Sainte-Marie, Quebec, had an impressive 2022 Olympics, collecting silver in the men’s snowboard cross event, then teaming with Meryeta O’Dine to pocket bronze in the inaugural mixed team snowboard event. He was just 16 when he made his Olympic debut in 2018 — the youngest man and second-youngest Team Canada athlete at those Games. He won last year’s world championships and is the two-time reigning Crystal Globe winner as overall leader on the World Cup circuit.

PIPER GILLES and PAUL POIRIER

The ice dancers have been on Canada’s national figure skating team for the past 15 years and have won five consecutive Canadian championships, and finished second at the past two world championships. The 34-year-old American-born Gilles, now of Toronto, and 34-year-old Poirier of Unionville, Ont., finished seventh at the 2022 Olympics, but followed that with bronze and two silver medals at the last three world championships and golds at the last two Four Continents Championships.

ABIGAIL STRATE

The 24-year-old ski jumper from Calgary entered her first international competition when she was 10. She and teammates Mackenzie Boyd-Clowes, Alexandria Loutitt and Matthew Soukop took bronze in the inaugural 2022 Olympics mixed team ski jumping event. It was also Canada’s first-ever medal in ski jumping. On New Year’s Day, she celebrated her first World Cup victory in Oberstdorf, Germany and her ninth career World Cup podium.

REECE HOWDEN

The 27-year-old freestyle skier from Chilliwack, B.C., finished ninth overall in his debut at the 2022 Olympics. He is a three-time Crystal Globe winner, having finished atop the FIS World Cup ski cross standings, including in 2024-25. In December 2025, he became the all-time leader in World Cup ski cross victories with his 19th career win, and by the end of January 2026, he had pushed that total to 22.

SARAH FILLIER

The 25-year-old forward from Georgetown, Ont., was the first overall pick by the New York Sirens of the Professional Women’s Hockey League and won Olympic gold with Team Canada in 2022. She finished second in tournament scoring with eight goals, behind teammate Brianne Jenner. She has three women’s world championship gold medals and two silvers since 2021, and was named MVP and best forward at the 2023 world championship.

HALLIE CLARKE

The 21-year-old skeleton racer from Belleville, Ont., is set to make her Olympic debut in Italy. She is the first athlete to hold the senior and junior world championships at the same time. In 2024, she became the youngest women’s skeleton world champion at 19. She added gold at the world junior championships in 2025 and was the Under-20 world champion in 2023. After competing for the United States, where she lived for 13 years, Clark rejoined the Canadian team for the 2023-24 season.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 5, 2026.