Qualifying for Milano-Cortina 2026

[Mkbw50 475]

Hi guys, moving this thread here, and what better way to start than an update for how Team GB is going to look in Italy this winter.

 

Alpine Skiing

 

Alpine Skiing has ten events: for both genders Downhill, Super-G, Giant Slalom, Slalom and Team Combined. The mixed team event is abolished. There are 153 places per gender (including 2 host places) per event, with maximum eleven per NOC and 4 per event (including 4 teans in the teams events).

 

For each gender: 1 spot goes to NOCs with the basic eligibility quota, which we meet. Up to two more based on the FIS World Start List of 19 January 2026: any NOC with two athletes in the Top 30 in an event (or one in more than one event) gets two spots, with any NOC with one in the Top 30 getting a spot. On the Men's side, Dave Ryding is currently 13th so in, while Billy Major is 32nd and Laurie Taylor 38th, all for Slalom. There's no-one on the rankings in the women's side: it will be close to get the second spot but Ryding should be assured for the men. The rest will be based on the Olympic Quota Allocation List which is basically a ranking until all spots are filled. However as our athletes mostly focus on slalom, and its a combined ranking, I think our options here are limited.

In 2022 we got one basic spot plus a top 30 spot for both genders: Ryding and Major competed as the men, and Alexandra Tilley and Charlie Guest as the women.

 

Biathlon

 

Biathlon has eleven events total: for both genders a Sprint (10km for men, 7.5km for women), an Individual (20/15km), a Pursuit (12.5/10km), a Mass Start (15/12.5km), and a Relay (4x7.5/4x6km), plus a 2x7.5km Men/2.7.5km Women Mixed Relay event. There are 105 spots per gender including two host places, with at most 6 per NOC (if ranked in the top 3), and then going down per ranking. The top 20 nations in the Nations Cup World Cup 24-25 qualify, but GB were 28th in both men and women's events. The next twelve athletes on the qualifying list not to be from a nation that qualified can also earn two places. Currently Marcus Bolin Webb in 19th is our best-performing man, while Shawna Pendry in 14th and Chloe Dupont on 15th are the best women. I guess that means we have a chance to have someone participate, especially on the women's side.

In 2022 we did not qualify anyone in Biathlon.

 

Bobsleigh

 

Bobsleigh has two events per gender: a 4-man and 2-man Bob for Men, and a 2-Woman Bob and Monobob for Women. There are 114 male spots and 56 female ones, with max 3 crews per event per NOC. Men will qualify based on the Men's Bobsleigh IBSF Combined Ranking List, while women will use the Women's Bobsleigh IBSF Combined Ranking List and Women's Monobob IBSF Ranking List. As it is based on the upcoming 25/26 season, we don't know how GB will do at the moment. We had a crew in the two-man, four-man, and two-women events in 2022.

 

Cross-Country Skiing

 

Cross-Country Skiing has six per gender: a 10km+10km Skiathlon, a Sprint Classic, a Team Sprint Free, a 4x7.5km Relay, a 10km Free, and a 50km Mass Start Classic. There are 148 spots per gender including 4 host country spots. This is changed from a 30km Skiathlon, a Team Sprint Classic and Sprint Free, a 4x10km Relay, a 15km Classic and a 50km Mass Start Free for men, and a 15km Skiathlon, Team Sprint Classic and Sprint Free, 4x5km Relay, 10km Classic and 30km Mass Start Free for women. There are 148 places per gender including 4 host spots, at most eight per gender per NOC, and 4 individuals/1 team per event per gender per NOC. There is a basic quota of one athlete which we clinched for both genders, for having at least one athlete at the World Championships or U23 World Championships to score less than 300 (men) or 330 (women) penalty points. There is also the NOC quota for the top 30 in the 24/25 Cross-County Nation Rankings: GB came 12th in the men's list, earning two places for the 11-20 range, but just missed out for the women, coming 31st. Neither the men or women got additional places, and so we settle for three men and one woman. This is an upgrade from 2022, when we had three men (Andrew Musgrave, Andrew Young, James Clugnet) and no women.

 

Curling

 

Curling has a Men's, Women's, and Mixed Doubles event, with ten teams/pairs per event. The first qualifying event is the combined score in the 2024/2025 World Championships. GB qualified in all three events this way, not needing to bother with the Olympic Qualifying Event. The men came 4th in 2024 and won in 2025, the women came 8th in 2024 and 6th in 2025, and the pair came 6th in 2024 and 2nd in 2025. We had a team in every event in 2022 too.

 

Figure Skating

 

Figure Skating has a Men's Single, Women's Single, Mixed Pair, Mixed Ice Dance, and Mixed Team event, with 71 athletes per gender, at most three places per NOC. The main qualifying event is the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2025. There are 24 places available in the individual events here, but on the men's side, the top Brit, Edward Appleby, came 32nd. However, in the women's side, Kristen Spours qualified for GB in 22nd. Sixteen pairs would qualify, and the British duo of Anastasia Vaipan-Law and Luke Digby came 12th, earning a spot. In Ice Dance, 19 pairs would enter, and Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson came 3rd, and Phebe Bekker and James Hernandez in 17th, giving us two spots. The remaining individual spots are earned at the ISU Qualifying Competition, but from my understanding we are not eligible to enter that. In the Team Event, spots are based on a ranking, where GB are currently 7th, but unlike the individual event it is not complete. For now we have one women's individual, one pair, and two ice dance spots, and are set to qualify for the mixed team. This is an upgrade from 2022, when only Natasha McKay in the women's singles and Fear and Gibson in the ice dance qualified.

 

Freestyle Skiing

 

Freestyle Skiing has 15 events. Seven gendered ones in Aerials, Moguls, Dual Moguls, Ski Cross, Freeski Halfpipe, Freeski Slopestyle, and Freeski Big Air, and a Mixed Team Aerials competition. The Dual Moguls is new for 2026. There are 25 places for Aerials, 30 for Moguls/Dual Moguls (counted as one event), 32 for Ski Cross, 25 for Freeski Halfpipe, and 30 for Freeski Slopestyle/Freeski Big Air (counted as one event) per gender, including one spot for the host per event. An Olympic Quota List finalised in January 2026 based on World Championship and World Cup points is used for every place bar three for Aerials. On the current list, we have no athletes eligible for Aerials, we have 2 women and 1 man eligible for Moguls/Dual Moguls, of which one of each gender is currently in the qualified spots, we have 2 men eligible for Ski Cross of which one is currently going to Milan, we have one per gender eligible in Freeski Halfpipe, both of which are currently going, and we have three per gender in Slopestyle/Big Air of which one is currently going. There are additional places for the Mixed Team Aerials list but I don't think we have a chance of that. As it stands we have one athlete for Men's Moguls/Dual Moguls, one for Women's Moguls/Dual Moguls, one for Men's Ski Cross, one for Men's Freeski Halfpipe, one for Women's Freeski Halfpipe, one for Men's Slopestyle/Big Air and one for Women's Slopestyle/Big Air. In 2022, we had one Men's Aerials competitior in Lloyd Wallace, one Men's Halfpipe in Gus Kenworthy, one Men's Slopestyle/Big Air in James Woods, two Women's Slopestyle/Big Air in Kirsty Muir and Katie Summerhayes, one Women's Halfpipe in Zoe Atkin, one Men's Moguls in Will Feneley, two Women's Moguls in Leonie Gerken Schofield and Makayla Gerken Schofield, and one Men's Ski Cross in Oliver Davies.

 

Ice Hockey

 

Ice Hockey has a men's event with twelve teams, and a women's event with ten. For the men's side, nine places are earned by the IIHF World Rankings, with the eight highest plus the hosts qualifying. GB are ranked 19th so did not qualify that way. The remaining three places are earned at the Qualification Tournaments. As GB are ranked 18-26, they entered in Round 3, where the top three teams advanced. In practice, this meant the twelve teams were split into three groups of four, with the group winners advancing. GB were in Group H, beating  10-1,  11-0 and  7-4 to top the group and make the Final Qualification Tournament. Again, the twelve teams would be split into three groups, with the group winners qualifying. GB were in Group F, losing to  3-1 and  6-2 but beating  3-2, coming third and missing out. On the women's side, the top six plus the hosts would qualify from the IIHF World Rankings, with GB 20th so not qualifying. The remaining three places are earned at the Qualification Tournaments, with GB entering in Round 2 as they were ranked 16th to 24th. In Group E, and needing to top the group to advance, they beat  3-2 and  3-0 before losing 1-0 to  in overtime and therefore coming second and not advancing. GB didn't participate in 2022 and won't in 2026 either.

 

Luge

 

Luge has a Singles and Doubles event for both genders plus a Mixed Team Relay, with the gendered doubles event replacing an open one from 2022. There are 59 male and 47 female spots, including 3 host spots per gender, with at most three singles, two doubles, and one mixed team per gender. Luge qualification is based on the Olympic Season World Cup Ranking List (General Class), but this season kicks off in November. In 2022, we had one entry, with Rupert Staudinger entering in the Men's Singles.

 

Nordic Combined

 

Nordic Combined is men-only, with three events: an Individual Gundersen Normal Hill/10km, an Individual Gundersen Large Hill/10km, and a Team Sprint Large Hill 2x7.5km. There are 36 spots, including one host spot, at most one per NOC, and qualification is based on an Olympic Quota Allocation List, which is not complete but where GB are currently nowhere to be seen. We didn't compete in 2022 and almost certainly won't again.

 

Short Track Speed Skating

 

Nine events here, with a 500m, 1000m, 1500m and Relay (5000m for Men and 3000m for Women) for both genders, plus a Mixed Team 2000m Relay. There are 56 spots per gender including 4 host spots, with three individuals and one team per NOC per event, and at most five athletes per NOC per event. These places will be earned based on Special Olympic Qualification Classifications, for the upcoming season which is yet to start. In 2022, two men qualified in Farrell Treacey and Niall Treacey, with one woman, Kathryn Thomson, making the Games.

 

Skeleton

 

There are three events here, with a Men's, Women's and Mixed Team event, the latter being new for 2026. There are 25 spots per gender, including a host spot, and at most three athletes per NOC (and 2 teams in the Mixed event). The qualification will be based on the IBSF Ranking List for the upcoming season which is yet to occur. In 2022, GB had two men in Matt Weston and Marcus Wyatt and two women in Brogan Crowley and Laura Deas.

 

Ski Jumping

 

Ski Jumping has a Normal Hill Individual and Large Hill Individual event for both genders, a Men's Super Team event, and a Mixed Team event. The Women's Large Hill event is new for 2026. There are 50 spots including a host spot per gender, and at most 4 per NOC. The Olympic Quota Allocation List is the main qualifier, but GB are nowhere to be found. We did not participate in 2022 and probably won't again in 2026.

 

Ski Mountaineering

 

There are sprints for both genders and a mixed relay. This is a new sport for 2026. There are eighteen spots, including a host spot, per gender, with at most two per NOC. The first spot goes to the hosts (not us), and then two per gender for the top two nations at the 2025 ISMF World Championships Mixed Relay, where our top pair came 19th. The next spots are based on the Olympic Mixed Relay List, with nine spots per gender including one from each continent. This isn't done yet, but we are currently 17th (with all but four ahead of us from Europe) so look unlikely to grab a spot. Two spots per gender came from the 2025 ISMF World Championships Sprint, where our top man Iain Innes came 41st and our to woman Claudia Chmielowska came 39th. Finally, four more spots come from the Olympic Sprint Ranking List, where the top man Innes is 68th and the top woman Chmielowska is 41st. I'm pretty sure it's not mathematically possible for us to qualify in any event any more.

 

Snowboard

 

Snowboard has five events per gender: a Parallel Giant Slalom, a Snowboard Halfpipe, a Snowboard Cross, a Snowboard Slopestyle, and a Big Air, plus a Mixed Team Snowboard Cross. There are 32 places per gender in Parallel Giant Slalom and Snowboard Halfpipe, 25 in Snowboard Cross, and 30 in Snowboard Slopestyle/Big Air, which is counted as if it were one event, and all that includes one host spot per event. There are at most thirteen athletes per gender per NOC, and at most four individuals and three teams per NOC per event. The qualification is based entirely on the Olympic Quota Allocation List. For Parallel Giant Slalom, we don't have any eligible athletes. In Snowboard Halfpipe, we don't either. In Snowboard Cross, we have one per gender, both of whom are currently in the qualification spots. For Slopestyle/Big Air, we have three women and one men eligible, of which two women and one man is currently qualifying. Having someone of both genders in Snowboard Cross would also make us eligible for the Mixed Team event. In 2022, Katie Omerod qualified in Women's Slopestyle/Big Air, with Huw Nightingale in Men's Snowboard Cross and Charlotte Bankes in the Women's event, also granting us a team. We look to currently have one woman and one man more than 2022, both in Snowboard Cross

 

Speed Skating

 

Speed Skating has seven events per gender: 500m, 1000m, 1500m, 5000m, 10000m (Men)/3000m (Women), Mass Start, and Team Pursuit. There are 82 places per gender, and 3 per gender per event per NOC, except for Men's 10000m/Women's 5000m/Mass Start (2) and Team Pursuit (1 team). Qualification is based on the Special Olympic Qualification Classifications, for a season which has not yet started. In 2022, one man qualified in Cornelius Kersten, plus one woman in Ellia Smedding.

Edited July 16, 2025 by Mkbw50

[Mkbw50 475]

Here's a table comparing how things are in 2026 to 2022

 

Sport	M22	W22	X22	M26	W26	X26
Alpine Skiing	2	2	DNE	2 (ais)	1 (ais)	DNE
Biathlon	0	0	DNE	0 (ais)	0 (ais)	DNE
Bobsleigh	2	1	DNE	TBC	TBC	DNE
Cross-Country Skiing	3	0	DNE	3	1	DNE
Curling	1	1	1	1	1	1
Figure Skating	0	1	1	0	1	4 (ais)
Freestyle Skiing	5	5	0	4 (ais)	4 (ais)	0
Ice Hockey	0	0	DNE	0	0	DNE
Luge	1	0	0	TBC	TBC	TBC
Nordic Combined	0	DNE	DNE	0	DNE	DNE
Short Track Speed Skating	2	1	DNE	TBC	TBC	TBC
Skeleton	2	2	DNE	TBC	TBC	TBC
Ski Jumping	0	0	DNE	0	0	DNE
Ski Mountaineering	DNE	DNE	DNE	0	0	0
Snowboard	1	2	1	2	3	1
Speed Skating	1	1	DNE	TBC	TBC	DNE

Worse: Alpine Skiing, Freestyle Skiing

The Same: Biathlon, Curling, Ice Hockey, Nordic Combined, Ski Jumping, Ski Mountaineering (de facto)

TBC: Bobsleigh, Luge, Short Track Speed Skating, Skeleton, Speed Skating

Better: Cross-Country Skiing, Figure Skating, Snowboard