But, for starters, I am going to kick-off the Milano-Cortina games. This is Mialno's first time hosting the games; Cortina d'Ampezzo hosted the Games in 1956. This kick-off is going to highlight the best bets to win medals in the games. Since some events - like hockey - have so much talent, any given country isn't likely to actually medal compared to some of the individual events, so this list is heavily focused on individuals (or small teams). Let's kick it off ...
Kim is the two-time defending gold medalist in the half-pipe, having secured the gold in Pyeongchang in 2018 and repeated in Beijing in 2022. Her main competitors are her teammate Maddie Mastro, New Zealand's Zoe Sadowski-Synott, and Murase Kokomo from Japan.
9. Marielle Thompson/BandonMackay - Freestyle Skiing - CAN
Two of Canada's most likely individual medalist as Thompson returns to the Olympics having won gold in 2014 in Sochi, and silver in Beijing in 2022 in Ski-Cross. MacKay enters his second Olympics looking for his first medal, but his is the reigning world champ in the half-pipe.
8. Hwang Dae-heon- Short Track Speedskating - KOR
Arguably the best of a very talented South Korean short track speedskating team, he gets the nod here even though youngster Rim Jong-un won the national team trials. This team might be unbeatable in the relays, except the variables in this sport (one slip, bump or another falling skater) are higher than any other!
7. Ilia Malinin - Figure Skating - USA
The "Quad God" is the overwhelming favorite for men's gold (as he should be) having just recently won the World Championships by landing seven - YES 7!!! - quads.
6. Eileen Gu - Freestyle Skiiing - CHN
The extremely talented American-born 22-year old has already made her mark in the sport, having won 2 golds (Big Air/Halfpipe) and 1 silver (Slopestyle) in Beijing in 2022 and several World Championships, Winter X Games, and World Cup podiums!
5. Stefan Kraft - AUT/Ryoyu Kobayashi - JAP - Ski Jumping
Kraft is one of the most successful ski jumpers of all time, having won 45 times and placed on the podium 127 in individual starts, and 17 wins with 46 podiums in 65 team starts. The only thing missing is major Olympic success with just 1 team gold in 7 total events across the last two Olympics. Kobayashi has 37 wins and 77 podiums in 245 starts, with 1 team win, and 10 podium in 53 team starts. He is the reigning gold medalist in the normal hill and reigning silver medalist in the large hill.
4. Scotty James - AUS/Ayumu Hirano - JAP - Snowboarding
You should expect nothing but medals from these two, as James has previously won silver (2022) and bronze (2018) in the Olympic halfpipe, but 8 golds, 2 silvers and 2 bronzes in the Winter X Games, and 4 golds and 1 silver in the World Championships. Hirano is the reigning gold medalist in the halfpipe, having won 2 previous silvers in the same event in 2014 and 2018. He has also won 2 golds and 2 silvers in teh Winter X Games.
3. Mikaela Shiffrin - Alpine Skiing - USA
Lindsay Vonn receives all of the hype, but even before her recent ACL tear Shiffrin was the surer bet. The greatest female alpine skier is the hands-down favorite to win the slalom, and among the favorites in the giant slalom and combined.
2. Johanes Hosflot-Klaebo - Cross-Country Skiing/Jarl Magnus Riiber - Nordic Combined/Johanes Thingnes Bo - Biathlon - NOR
These three giants are among the reason that the overwhelming favorite to win the most medals and most golds is Norway.
1. Francesco Friedrich/Johannes Lochner - Bobsled - GER
These two bobnsledding legends are likely to finish 1-2 in both the 2-man and 4-man bobsledding events. The only question is who will best whom? Friedrich won gold driver both the 2-man and 4-man sleds in Pyeongchang (2018) and Beijing (2022) and Lochner won silver in both events in Beijing. This year Lochner has 6 firsts and 1 second in 7 2-man events, and 3 firsts and 4 seconds in 7 4-man events. Friedrich has 1 first, 4 seconds and 2 thirds in the 7 2-man events and 2 first, 2 seconds and 2 thirds in the 4-man. One site even ranks Friedrich as the 30th greatest German athlete of all time, and no doubt, both of these men will rise on that list with expected performances in Milano-Cortina. Here is the link to that list of the Best German Athletes
