For the first time ever, there are 2 Olympic host cities, and that means there are 2 Olympic cauldrons. And once the sun sets, the Cortina one puts on quite the show. The cauldron is set right on Corsa Italia, Cortina’s main street, and for Joe Picks it was *** must-stop photo op. Beautiful. I mean, especially with the backdrop of the mountains over there. Picture perfect. But shortly after 6, the cauldron comes to life. The music builds, the lights flash. The crowd gathers to watch, usually in silence. Both cauldrons are identical, inspired by designs by Leonardo da Vinci. The music is by the same composer from the opening ceremony. It’s engineering. It’s moving art. It’s an image most hold *** phone to capture, and less than 5 minutes later it’s over. I saw *** couple of people with tears in their eyes walking over here and seeing all the Olympic stuff, and it just means *** lot to people, and there’s so many different cultures and different types of people here. It’s just *** special, special thing to be *** part of it all. Special, but actually repeatable once an hour on the hour at the Milan Cortina Olympics, I’m Deirdre Fitzpatrick.
Olympic medalists are getting older: See a breakdown of the data
At the 2026 Winter Olympics, the age range of the youngest and oldest competitors spans nearly four decades.The 15-year-old freestyle skier Abby Winterberger and 54-year-old curler Richard Ruohonen will share the same global stage, a reminder that the Winter Games are not defined by a single generation. But how unusual is this age gap?To answer that, the Get the Facts Data Team analyzed the ages of more than 6,200 Olympic medalists. This data spanned nearly a century of Winter Olympics from the first Games in 1924 through 2022, using records from Olympics.com.Related Video Above: Cortina’s Olympic cauldron captivates tourists with stunning light showHistorically, the youngest winter Olympic medalist of all time was Kim Yun Mi of South Korea, who was just 13 when she won gold in the women’s 3,000-meter short track relay at the 1994 Games. The oldest was Sweden’s Carl August Verner Kronlund, who competed in curling at age 58 during the inaugural 1924 Winter Olympics.By sport, curling stands out as the oldest medalists overall, with an average age of 33. Short track speed skating is the youngest, with an average age of 22. Across all winter sports combined from 1924 to 2022, the average age is 26.But the average age has also shifted over time. During the past 40 years, the average age of winter Olympic medalists has steadily risen from 24 to 28 by the 2022 Games. The increase is even more pronounced among women, whose average age climbed from 23 to 28.While the Games are far from over, the trend appears to have continued in Milan Cortina with athletes like Italian alpine ski racer Federica Brignone. The 35-year-old has earned two gold medals. She’d previously medaled in the 2018 and 2022 Games, but never claimed the top spot until this year.Gender differences persist. On average, female medalists are about one year younger than male medalists. The gap slightly reverses in speed skating, where women are about three months older. However, figure skating shows the largest divide, with male athletes nearly two years and eight months older than their female counterparts. This age gap is highlighted in 2026 by figure skating duo Danny O’Shea, 34, and Ellie Kam, 21, who won gold on Feb. 8 with a 13-year age gap.
At the 2026 Winter Olympics, the age range of the youngest and oldest competitors spans nearly four decades.
The 15-year-old freestyle skier Abby Winterberger and 54-year-old curler Richard Ruohonen will share the same global stage, a reminder that the Winter Games are not defined by a single generation. But how unusual is this age gap?
To answer that, the Get the Facts Data Team analyzed the ages of more than 6,200 Olympic medalists. This data spanned nearly a century of Winter Olympics from the first Games in 1924 through 2022, using records from Olympics.com.
Related Video Above: Cortina’s Olympic cauldron captivates tourists with stunning light show
Historically, the youngest winter Olympic medalist of all time was Kim Yun Mi of South Korea, who was just 13 when she won gold in the women’s 3,000-meter short track relay at the 1994 Games. The oldest was Sweden’s Carl August Verner Kronlund, who competed in curling at age 58 during the inaugural 1924 Winter Olympics.
By sport, curling stands out as the oldest medalists overall, with an average age of 33. Short track speed skating is the youngest, with an average age of 22. Across all winter sports combined from 1924 to 2022, the average age is 26.
But the average age has also shifted over time. During the past 40 years, the average age of winter Olympic medalists has steadily risen from 24 to 28 by the 2022 Games. The increase is even more pronounced among women, whose average age climbed from 23 to 28.
While the Games are far from over, the trend appears to have continued in Milan Cortina with athletes like Italian alpine ski racer Federica Brignone. The 35-year-old has earned two gold medals. She’d previously medaled in the 2018 and 2022 Games, but never claimed the top spot until this year.
Gender differences persist. On average, female medalists are about one year younger than male medalists. The gap slightly reverses in speed skating, where women are about three months older. However, figure skating shows the largest divide, with male athletes nearly two years and eight months older than their female counterparts. This age gap is highlighted in 2026 by figure skating duo Danny O’Shea, 34, and Ellie Kam, 21, who won gold on Feb. 8 with a 13-year age gap.
