What to watch for in the first cross-country skiing event taking place Saturday, Feb. 7, at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics.

Whitcomb, who skied at Wahconah and at Middlebury College before joining the U.S. cross country ski program, is in his second Olympics as the head coach of the men's and

Get any of our free daily email newsletters — news headlines, opinion, e-edition, obituaries and more. Cross-country skiing, the rugged grandfather of snow competition, will give its brightest stars a defining stage at the Milan Cortina Winter Games.

Discover the basics of Olympic cross-country skiing — learn about event types (sprint, distance, team relay, skiathlon), rules, how races are timed and scored, and how skiers win medals at the Winter Games,

Eight current and former University of Colorado Buffs are slated to compete in the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy starting on Friday; some are making their Olympic debut, while others are returning as veterans to the international stage.

Here's what's new at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, from the debut of ski mountaineering to new events in alpine skiing and luge.

By Liz Hampton TESERO, Feb 5 (Reuters) - The U.S. cross-country skiing team may be poised for its strongest Olympic performance at the 2026 Winter Games, with veteran Jessie Diggins leading the women's team and Gus Schumacher pushing the men's efforts against stiff competition from Norway and Italy.