Australia is poised to make a significant impact at the upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, having announced a powerhouse 53-athlete team that officials are calling one of the nation’s strongest winter contingents ever assembled.
Chef de mission and Olympic gold medalist Alisa Camplin has boldly declared the end of Australia’s ‘sunburnt underdog’ status in winter sports, asserting that this team has earned the right to be considered genuine medal contenders on the world stage. The squad represents Australia’s second-largest Winter Olympics delegation, featuring a notable two-thirds female composition and including five teenage athletes who will make their Olympic debut.
The team arrives in Italy riding an extraordinary wave of success from the World Cup circuit, having secured an impressive 26 medals during the recent season. This remarkable achievement underscores the dramatic evolution of Australia’s winter sports program since Camplin’s own Olympic appearance in Torino 2006, when the team hoped for perhaps a single medal.
“The depth of this team is phenomenal,” Camplin stated, expressing visible excitement. “I literally get goosebumps thinking about how the next few weeks have the potential to change their lives. One in five athletes—20 percent of the team—has already medaled on the World Cup circuit.”
While carefully avoiding specific medal predictions, Camplin emphasized that the Australians are prepared to “mix it with the best in the world” across multiple disciplines. The team builds upon the success of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, where Australia achieved a nation-record four medals (one gold, two silver, one bronze).
Notable team members include five-time Olympian and snowboard half-pipe specialist Scotty James, who continues his pursuit of an elusive gold medal. The squad also features veterans like aerial skier Laura Peel (competing in her fourth Olympics) and emerging talents such as 16-year-old freeskier Indra Brown.
Despite the overwhelming confidence, Camplin added a note of caution regarding the competitive nature of the Games, acknowledging that “it’s not going to be easy” while affirming the team’s commitment to “giving it a red-hot shot.”
The Milano Cortina Winter Olympics commence on February 6, with Australian athletes competing across multiple disciplines including aerials, moguls, snowboard, skeleton, and the newly added ski mountaineering event.