Meet the Athletes, Part 1: The Real Heated Rivalries
We continue our series on Team Rainbow in anticipation of the 2026 Winter Olympics—this time, the first part of a two-part preview on the participants contributing to the medal count!
This is another story in our continued coverage of the upcoming Olympics. You can read the introduction to this series here. This part of the preview and the intro are provided without charge, but the rest of the pieces will be behind the Wide Left paywall, with proceeds going to Minnesota Direct Relief.
In this two-part series, we’ll take a look at Team Rainbow contenders across the breadth of different Olympic events. We’ll start with skating and sledding sports.
Hockey
Hockey is the hottest sport in the world, thanks to a little Canadian television show that has taken the small screen by storm, is hockey. While Shane and Ilya will not be suiting up for their respective countries in real life, there is one interpersonal conflict that will add some panache and flair on and off the ice.
Anna Kjelbin is a defender on Team Sweden, and Ronja Savolainen plays the same position for Team Finland. Both are stellar backstops for their PWHL (Pro Women’s Hockey League) teams and carry similar statuses for their home countries. They are an engaged couple that will play major roles on two medal contenders, their paths potentially crossing later in the Olympics. For now, they will toil in separate groups, but should they compete, it will be an incredible match to watch.
Team Canada also has a married couple. Thankfully, they will only compete in practice rather than in live action. Captain Marie-Philipe Poulin and teammate Laura Stacey have been married since 2024, and they lead the gold medal favorites.
Poulin is the best goalscorer in women’s hockey, having led the PWHL in 2025 and is tied for third thus far in 2026. Stacey is no slouch when it comes to veteran experience and leadership; she’s the president of the PWHL’s Players Association. Emerance Maschemeyer, Brianne Jenner, Micah Zandee-Hart, and Erin Ambrose also represent Team Rainbow, and all will be key if Team Canada is to defend its gold medal.
For those who wish to support their American rivals, there are multiple queer representatives donning the stars and stripes as well. Hilary Knight is captaining once again, while Cayla Barnes and Alex Carpenter aim to play big roles as well.
Knight, at 36, is five points (or two goals and six assists) away from being the highest scorer in Team USA history, cementing her status as the GOAT American women’s hockey player of all time. This is undoubtedly her last chance at glory, but she led the PWHL in goals in 2025, so perhaps the spark still ebbs. Carpenter and Barnes are each making their third Olympic appearances, seeking to earn gold over the Canadians and other rivals.
Twenty-two of Team Rainbow’s athletes are taking part in the women’s hockey competition across eight of the 10 competing countries. The two teams with the highest concentration of queer athletes are the aforementioned Canada and Finland. Along with Savolainen, Finland has superstar forward Michelle Karvinen, Sanni Ahola, Anni Keisala, Ida Kuoppala, and Viivi Vainikka set to suit up for Suomi. Czechia has two athletes in 2025 PWHL number one draft pick Kristýna Kaltounková and Aneta Lédlová. France, similarly, will roll out a dynamic duo of Chloé Aurard-Bushee and Lore Baudrit. Nina Jobst-Smith and Laura Zimmerman round out the competitors for Germany and Switzerland, respectively.
There is a good chance that Team Rainbow sweeps the medals in women’s hockey, as they did in 2022 (Canada, USA, Finland). That would be crucial for Team Rainbow to keep pace with their medal count from the previous Olympic Games.
Figure Skating
While Team Rainbow has traditionally dominated hockey, there is a growth opportunity for it in figure skating. Kévin Aymoz will compete in the men’s competition, Amber Glenn in the women’s, and Filippo Ambrosini in pairs.
Glenn, specifically, is poised to break out after serving as an Olympic alternate in 2022. She has won three consecutive national titles, including setting a short program record this year in her Olympic qualifying attempt. Glenn has been fairly open about the arduous mental strain she is under as a professional athlete, and she is the oldest American women’s singles skater to qualify for Team USA since 1928, which seems ridiculous, given that she is 26 years old.
However, she is hitting her stride and will compete with multiple top-tier Japanese skaters and American queer ally Alysa Liu for gold. Glenn hopes her short program, set to Madonna’s “Like a Prayer,” will leave a strong impact on the judges. Winning a single figure skating medal would be an improvement over 2022, and Glenn looks to have the best shot.
Aymoz, at 28, may be nearing the end of his figure skating career, but he always puts on a show with his performances. One of his routines this year is to yet another Lady Gaga song, “Judas,” although it remains to be seen if this is the routine he will skate to in Milan.
Aymoz finished a disappointing 10th in Beijing, but he is coming off a strong 2025 season, including his seventh French national title. He probably will not medal, but he will bring the entertainment no matter what. Ambrosini will compete with partner Rebecca Ghilardi in pairs — they aim to improve on their 14th-place finish from 2022.
Ice Dancing
There’s an elephant in the room to address here. Guillaume Cizeron won gold in ice dancing in 2022, but he’s in a war of words with his ex-partner, Gabriella Papadakis, who has accused him of being “controlling, demanding and critical.”
Cizeron is slated to skate with his new partner, Laurence Fournier Beaudry, in Milan. It will be interesting to see how the conversation surrounding Cizeron impacts his performance. If more serious allegations come to light, his inclusion on this team will be reviewed.
Along with Cizeron, Paul Poirier and Lewis Gibson will dance for Canada and Great Britain, respectively. Neither man medaled in 2022, but Poirier has an outside shot of competing for bronze in both Men’s and Mixed Ice Dancing events.
He and his partner, Piper Gilles, have a choreographed routine to RuPaul’s Supermodel (You Better Work) that will assuredly turn heads. Gibson has multiple Spice Girls songs prepared for his Mixed short program. It will be interesting to see what these athletes pull off during this event.
Skeleton
We have another Heated Rivalry to report, and it’s in the intense world of women’s skeleton. Brazilian Nicole Silviera and Belgian Kim Meylemans are in a relationship and are serving as ambassadors of Milan’s Pride House this year.
Meylemans is a medal candidate; she ranked first in the World Cup ranking for 2025-2026. Silveira sits respectably in ninth and perhaps can sneak onto the podium. A Meylemans medal here would serve as a pickup for Team Rainbow, which did not earn any in this discipline in 2022.
Curling
The queer king of curling is Briton Bruce Mouat, who will serve as the team’s skipper in Men’s and Mixed Curling competitions. Mouat earned a silver medal in 2022 and will aim to work for gold in 2026. Time will tell if he can lead his British (and rainbow) comrades to victory.
Biathlon
And then there’s Biathlon. My personal favorite Winter Olympic sport: a perfect blend of cross-country skiing and marksmanship. I highly recommend watching if you happen to catch it live.
Canada provided an out Olympian in 2022 (Megan Bakes), and a different contender will don the maple leaf red in Milan. Shilo Rousseau has a career best finish of 21st place and will most likely race in relays and serve as an alternate in competition.
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