LIVIGNO, Italy (AP) — A backside double cork 1080! Followed by a cab triple cork 1440! Holy Crail, that was a sweet grab! The snowboarders and freestyle skiers will be speaking a language all their own as they “shred some gnar” (ride some gnarly conditions) at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.

At just 25 years old, Chloe Kim has already firmly established herself as one of the greatest athletes in women’s snowboarding history. Among the many accomplishments of her decorated career are her two gold medals at the Winter Olympics.

The first medals of the 2026 Winter Olympics are being awarded Saturday in men's downhill skiing and women's cross-country Skiathlon.

The target number of medals for a country to win the overall medal table is 35. Norway captured 37 medals to top the 2022 Winter Olympics medal table. That was 10 more than Germany in second place and 12 more than Team USA in third.

Italian President Sergio Mattarella declared the 2026 Winter Olympics open. Two cauldrons — one in Milan and one in Cortina — have been lit, marking a first in the Winter Games’ history. Oh here we go,