The 2026 Winter Olympics will begin this week when competitors walk under the wave of their nation's flags at Friday's Opening Ceremony. The ceremony not only offers Olympians a chance to represent their country on the international stage,

When it comes to both overall medal count and gold medal count, Norway is the odds-on favorite at the Winter Olympics. The nation has 405 medals overall, 148 of them gold. Compare that to the United States, which sits in second position in the all-time medal table, with 330 total, 114 gold.

The 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy commence on February 6 at San Siro, hosted by Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, featuring Nigeria's cross-country skier Samuel Ikpefan.

The rising global temperatures could endanger the future of the Winter Olympics, even with technological innovations like snowmaking machines.

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Even though the Olympics are said to connect the global village, the Winter Games remain a distant story for Africa, a continent where snow and ice are hard to find. Winter sports face high barriers from the start here.