The countdown is on for the 25th edition of the Olympic Winter Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
There are 116 medal events in 16 winter sports, including traditional and new events like ski mountaineering.
With only two days to go until the competitions begin, here’s what to expect from Great Britain in the first week, as the games commence.
With a total of 53 British athletes taking part, there are high hopes for the best return in Team GB history
Great Britain’s mixed doubles curling team slide into action on Wednesday, 4 February at 18:05 against Norway.
A tight affair between both sides should create an intense, high-pressure game to kick off action in Italy.
In previous matchups, Norway have proven dominant with a 6-5 semi-final win against Britain in Beijing 2022.
Olympic medallists, Jennifer Dodds and Bruce Mouat are childhood friends; Dodds admitted Mouat can be intense.
He told BBC Sport: “He can be intense on the ice, but he’s one of the funniest people I know off the ice. He always puts a smile on my face.
“We had the World Championships in April, and we got silver there, and I felt like that was kind of where we were, back to where we were from a couple of years ago. What we’re wanting to go and strive for, is that gold medal at the Olympics.”
Curling continues throughout the week, with multiple matchups including Great Britain.
On Friday, 6 February, Figure Skating spins into action early with a team ice dance at 8:55, continuing on with Pair Skating and Women’s Single Skating throughout the day.
The evening of the 6th marks the opening ceremony, with special performances from Mariah Carey and Laura Pausini.
The Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium will aim to add a new, inclusive dimension to this global celebration, making it more special than ever before.
Saturday, 7 February is a busy day for Team GB as Freestyle Skiing commences along with Cross-country Skiing. Kirsty Muir, competing in the Women’s Freeski, is hoping to achieve a medal after winning her first senior gold at a Europa Cup event in 2019.
Anna Pryce will compete in the Women’s 10km and 10km Skiathlon and is definitely an event to watch out for as she is highly decorated, winning three Olympic gold medals previously.
Cross-country skiing continues on February 9th, as the Men’s 10km and 10km Skiathlon take place at 12:30 with four Great British skiers taking part (James Clugnet, Joe Davies, Andrew Musgrave).
There is a lot to look out for in the first week of the Games for Team GB and you can follow the events on TNT Sports and Discovery+, with some event coverage on BBC.
You can find the full schedule here:
