Well before Sunday’s closing ceremony at the Roman amphitheatre in Verona, itself a 2,000-year-old statement of longevity, something about the 2026 Winter Olympics felt different. The four Irish athletes who qualified made for our smallest representation since the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, where the team also numbered four. Ben Lynch finished eighth in the Winter Olympic freeski halfpipe final after becoming the first Irish skier ever to qualify for a Winter Olympics final. Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan competes in the men’s figure skating free skate program during the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. [ Watching the Winter Olympics, it’s nice to wonder what might have beenOpens in new window ]

Source: The Irish Times February 24, 2026 23:00 UTC