The 2026 Winter Olympics kick off in Italy on Friday at 10 a.m. with an opening ceremony.
The games run through Feb. 22 and will feature about a dozen athletes with ties to Alaska.
Here’s what to know about how (and when) to watch.
But first. Who’s competing?
The athletes with Alaska connections include eight skiers with Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center. They make up half of the 16-skier U.S. cross-country team. On the men’s team: Gus Schumacher, Hunter Wonders, Zanden McMullen and JC Schoonmaker. On the women’s team: Rosie Brennan, Kendall Kramer, Novie McCabe and Hailey Swirbul.
Alaskan Jeremy Swayman is competing on the men’s ice hockey team. Anchorage West High graduate Maxime Germain is on the biathlon team. Also, Alaskan Andrew Kurka is in the Paralympics on the alpine ski team.
There are also two Alaska-based athletes on teams representing other countries. Rosie Fordham is based in Fairbanks but is from Sydney. She’s skiing on Australia’s team. And Anchorage-born Peter Hines is cross-country skiing for his mother’s native country, Slovakia.
How do I know when to watch?
There’s a schedule on olympics.com. It’s a little cumbersome, but the posted times should adjust to whatever timezone you’re in.
If you’re hoping to keep an eye on Alaska athletes, here’s a quick rundown of their first events:
- All 10 skiers with Alaska ties will be competing in nordic ski competitions. Those start at 3 a.m. Alaska time on Saturday with the women’s 20-kilometer race. On Sunday, the men’s team competes in the same race at 2:30 a.m. Alaska time.
- Team USA’s first scheduled men’s ice hockey game is on Feb. 12 at 11 a.m. against Latvia.
- Team USA’s biathlon team competitions start at 12:05 a.m. on Sunday with a mixed relay.
How do I watch?
There are a few options for watching the games.
Olympics.com will stream live events and feature some highlights and recaps.
Some TV channels will air events, too, including NBC, CNBC and the USA Network.
The streaming service Peacock will have every event in the Olympics, both streaming live and on demand. Non-members will have to pay for a subscription as the platform no longer offers free trials to new subscribers.
Are there any watch parties?
The Nordic Skiing Association of Anchorage is partnering with Alaska Pacific University to host an Opening Ceremony watch party from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Alaska Pacific University’s Earl Brown Theater in Anchorage. RSVP by emailing info@anchoragenordicski.com.
Some bars and restaurants in Anchorage say they plan to screen the Olympics, including Bread and Brew and The Peanut Farm.
Did we miss a watch party? Or do you have questions that we didn’t cover? Email Hannah Flor at hflor@alaskapublic.org.
