20 Winter Olympic Athletes Who Are Basically Gold Medal Material

Gus is the British-American freestyle skier who just can’t stay away from the spotlight. Silver medalist back in 2014, made history being the first openly gay extreme sports athlete, retired, then said “nah” and came back for 2026. Talk about dedication!

Meet Ilia, the guy who landed a quadruple Axel before anyone else dared. Two-time World Champion and basically the king of jaw-dropping moves on ice. If you blink, you’ll miss his magic.

Taylor’s the British bobsleigh guy who used to be a Royal Marine Commando - so yeah, he’s tough. Competing in two-man and four-man events, he’s one of Britain’s biggest medal hopes. Watch out for this ice rocket!

When it comes to moguls skiing, Mikaël’s basically royalty. Holder of more World Cup wins than you can count, Olympic gold medalist, and Canada’s biggest medal-sure thing. He’s skiing circles around the competition.

Leon ditched his sprinting and police badge to push fancy bobsleds for Great Britain. In just a few years, he's already bagged bronze at major world events. Ice speed? Check.

Jenning went from short track to long track speed skating in 2023 and bam - European medals started rolling in. This Dutch sprinter is ready to blaze the ice at 500m and 1000m distances.

Ryan’s the ski cross champ from Switzerland who won gold in Beijing 2022. Fast, fearless, and bouncing back strong from injuries, this guy’s got grit written all over him.

Everyone knows Pita as Tonga’s shirtless, oiled-up flagbearer who’s done taekwondo, cross-country skiing, and canoeing at the Olympics. Yep, he’s a multi-sport superstar set to wow the crowd again in 2026.

Mark’s the Canadian snowboarder with three Olympic bronze medals and a record 22 X Games medals. When it comes to big air and slopestyle, he’s pretty much flying above the rest.

Matt’s been nailing moguls for Australia forever, snagging silver in PyeongChang 2018 and now carrying the flag in 2026. Australia’s not just about beaches, apparently.

Donovan is the dude putting Mexico on the figure skating map. Seven-time national champ and the first Mexican men’s skater at the Olympics in ages. He’s skating his way into history.

Halvor rockets off the ski jumps for Norway, winning World Cups and the famous Four Hills tournament. When it comes to flying through the air, he’s the guy to watch.

Lucas switched countries from Norway to Brazil (surprise!) and made a comeback to racing after retiring. Slalom and giant slalom don’t know what hit ‘em.

Nick’s got three Olympic medals in freestyle skiing under his belt. After a quick retirement break in 2023, he’s back and switching gears from slopestyle to halfpipe. Fresh moves incoming!

Steven knows how to push those sleds. Silver in two-man and four-man at the 2014 Olympics and gold at the 2012 World Championships. Over 20 World Cup medals? Yeah, he’s basically bobsled royalty.

Connor’s the fastest, slickest hockey player on the ice, captaining the Edmonton Oilers and scoring like a wizard. Multiple MVP awards and now Team Canada’s shining star for 2026.

Guillaume owns the ice with his smooth moves and Olympic gold chops. After years with Gabriella Papadakis, he’s back with a new partner and still choreographs for a bunch of other cool skaters. Dance wheels turning!

Johannes is basically Norway’s national treasure on skis. With seven Olympic medals (five gold!), he’s pretty much the skiing equivalent of a rock star at home.

Loïc crushed it at the 2025 World Championships with a gold in slalom, ending a 75-year wait for Switzerland. Giant slalom and slalom? He’s got those on lock.

Stefan holds multiple World Cup titles and once flew a massive 253.5 meters in ski flying. Like, whoa. He’s the all-time top scorer in the Ski Jumping World Cup and just keeps soaring.