The 2026 Winter Olympics will feature a wide range of events across ice, snow, and alpine sports. Each sport follows a specific competition format that determines how athletes qualify, advance, and ultimately compete for Olympic medals.
For a full overview of the Games, visit the complete 2026 Winter Olympics guide.
Many Olympic events begin with qualification rounds. Athletes or teams must meet minimum performance standards to advance to the main competition stages.
Sports such as speed skating, short track, and skiing often use heats and semifinals to determine finalists. The top performers advance to medal finals.
Some events are decided in a single final run, while others combine multiple runs or disciplines to calculate final scores, such as alpine combined events.
Each Olympic event awards three medals:
In certain sports, such as boxing-style tournaments or events with multiple bronze matches, more than one bronze medal may be awarded.
Athletes compete alone and are ranked based on time, distance, score, or judges’ evaluation.
Team sports such as ice hockey, curling, and relay events involve national teams competing through group stages and knockout rounds.
Winter Olympic sports use a variety of scoring systems:
Judged sports follow strict criteria established by international federations to ensure fairness and consistency.
Events are scheduled to balance athlete recovery, venue logistics, and broadcast coverage. Finals and medal events are typically scheduled during peak viewing hours.
You can view the full timeline on the 2026 Winter Olympics schedule page.