"Hundreds of athletes will vie for medals in 16 different sports over the course of a jam-packed 2 1/2 weeks in the Milan Cortina Games. They will compete at venues spanning a nearly 9,000-square-mile swath of northern Italy, in front of in-person spectators (a welcome return after the COVID-19 restrictions in Beijing in 2022) and on an even bigger world stage."
"Rising stars and one new sport are making their Olympic debuts, while familiar fan favorites are returning, some in pursuit of a comeback after many years away. Lifelong dreams are on the line, but there are also geopolitical tensions, environmental questions and so much more. Here are some of the threads we're following: 1. Iconic American women are chasing comebacks Legendary American athletes many of them women across multiple sports are returning to the Olympic stage after years away."
"She qualified for the Games at age 41 amid a triumphant World Cup season, but hurt her knee in a crash just a week before the opening ceremony. Figure skater Alysa Liu reversed her teenage retirement and now brings a 2025 world title and renewed love of the sport to her second Olympics. Another former teenage phenom, halfpipe snowboarder Maddy Schaffrick, clinched a spot in her first Olympics at age 31, over a decade after retiring from burnout in 2015."
The Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics will run nearly 2 1/2 weeks with competition across 16 sports and venues spanning about 9,000 square miles of northern Italy. In-person spectators return after COVID-19 restrictions at the prior Games. Rising stars and at least one new sport will make Olympic debuts while familiar favorites pursue comebacks. Several high-profile American women are returning from retirement, injury or long absences, including athletes who overcame knee surgery, burnout and prior setbacks. The Games also intersect with geopolitical tensions and environmental concerns alongside athletic storylines.
Read at www.npr.org
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