Introduction
Ben Lynch, Cormac Comerford, Annabelle Zurbay and Thomas Maloney Westgard will represent Ireland at the Winter Olympics.
The 2026 Winter Olympics are now underway in Milan-Cortina. Ireland has yet to secure a Winter Olympic medal, but four athletes are competing in Italy with hopes of making history.
NI provides an overview of the athletes, their sports, and their competition schedules.
Cormac Comerford (Alpine Skiing)
Alpine skier Cormac Comerford is participating in his first Olympic Games, competing in four events in Milan-Cortina.
The 29-year-old reached the Olympics after three previous attempts, supported by crowdfunding efforts. He began his Olympic campaign in the Downhill event at Bormio, finishing 34th despite a practice crash. Comerford will also compete in the Super-G, Giant Slalom, and Slalom events.
Comerford learned to ski at the Kilternan dry slopes. Outside the winter season, he works as a mechanical engineer and spends winters training and competing across Europe.
Competition schedule for Comerford:
- Saturday, 7 Feb: Downhill (Bormio) - 34th place
- Wednesday, 11 Feb: Super-G (Bormio)
- Saturday, 14 Feb: Giant Slalom Run one & two (Bormio)
- Monday, 16 Feb: Slalom Run one & two (Bormio)
Thomas Maloney Westgard (Cross Country)
Thomas Maloney Westgard is competing in his third Winter Olympics as a cross country skier.
Born on the island of Leka in Norway, Westgard has a mother from Galway and a Norwegian father.
The 30-year-old races professionally for Team Aker Daehile and will participate in three events: the 10km + 10km Skiathlon, the 10km free cross country, and the 50km classic.
At the 2022 Beijing Games, Maloney Westgard achieved a best finish of 14th place in the 15km individual event.
His competition schedule is as follows:
- Sunday, 8 Feb: 10km + 10km Skiathlon (Predazzo)
- Friday, 13 Feb: 10km Free (Predazzo)
- Saturday, 21 Feb: 50km Classic (Predazzo)
Anabelle Zurbay (Alpine Skiing)
Teenager Anabelle Zurbay is making history as the youngest alpine skier to represent Ireland at the Winter Olympics.
Zurbay, who turned 17 just before Christmas, is based in Vail, Colorado, and qualifies for Ireland through her grandmother Rosaleen, originally from Westmeath.
She will compete in the Slalom and Giant Slalom events in Cortina, located in the Dolomites.
Zurbay was also honoured as one of Ireland's two flagbearers for the opening ceremony, alongside Maloney Westgard.
Her competition schedule includes:
- Sunday, 15 Feb: Giant Slalom Run one & two (Cortina)
- Wednesday, 18 Feb: Slalom Run one & two (Cortina)
Ben Lynch (Freestyle Skiing)
Ben Lynch is making his Olympic debut in freestyle skiing at the Games.
Born in Dublin, Lynch moved to Vancouver at a young age, where he developed his skiing skills.
The 23-year-old was part of Canada's development pathway but switched to represent Ireland in 2024.
Lynch will compete in the freestyle skiing halfpipe event, which takes place towards the end of the Games.
His schedule is:
- Thursday, 19 Feb: Halfpipe Qualification (Livigno)
- Friday, 20 Feb: Halfpipe Final (Livigno)
Additional Information
For a day-by-day guide to the Winter Olympics, including the full schedule and medal event times, visit the official Winter Olympics 2026 schedule.
Medal standings and updates can be followed via , which offers two live streams and highlights on BBC (UK only), live updates on BBC Radio 5 Live, and live text commentary and video highlights on the website and app.
