The Olympic Federation of Ireland has confirmed a four-athlete Team Ireland squad for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, with Irish competitors set to contest events across four competition clusters in northern Italy.
The squad blends emerging talent with proven Olympic experience, featuring three first-time Olympians alongside one athlete preparing for his third Winter Games.
The athletes gathered in Bolzano earlier this week for official team activities, picture capture and final preparations ahead of the announcement. They will now be returning to their respective training programmes in advance of competition.
The Winter Olympic Games run from 6–22 February, with Irish athletes competing in Alpine Skiing, Freestyle Skiing and Cross Country Skiing across Cortina d’Ampezzo, Bormio, Livigno and Predazzo.
Seventeen-year-old Anabelle Zurbay will make her Olympic debut in Alpine Skiing, focusing on the technical disciplines of Slalom and Giant Slalom, the latter her preferred event. Based in Colorado, Zurbay is the squad’s youngest member and the youngest Irish athlete ever to compete in Olympic Alpine Skiing. Through her maternal grandmother, she has family roots in Rosemount, outside Moate, and will compete in the Cortina cluster.
Ben Lynch is set to represent Ireland in the Freestyle Skiing Halfpipe. Born in Dublin, Lynch moved to Vancouver at age 3, where he discovered skiing and developed a passion for the expressive freedom of freestyle skiing. Despite coming from a family with a strong rowing background, Lynch forged his own sporting path and now arrives in Italy as a first-time Olympian, based in Livigno for the duration of the Games.
Alpine skier Cormac Comerford will also make his Olympic debut, competing primarily in Slalom, his favoured discipline, as well as speed events. The Dublin native first learned to ski at the Kilternan dry slopes and now balances life as a Mechanical Engineer in the off-season with a winter spent travelling across Europe to train and compete. Comerford will race in the Bormio cluster.
The most experienced member of the team, Thomas Maloney Westgård, will compete in his third Olympic Games, becoming only the second Irishman to achieve that feat at the Winter Olympics. Born on the Norwegian island of Leka to a Galway mother and Norwegian father, Maloney Westgård competes in Cross Country Skiing and cites the 50km event as his favourite discipline. Following a strong run of recent seasons, he races professionally with Team Aker Dæhlie and will compete in Predazzo in the Val di Fiemme.
“This team reflects the progress of Irish winter sport and the exceptional standards required to compete at an Olympic level,” said Nancy Chillingworth, Chef de Mission for the Irish Team.
“We are excited to see three new names on the Irish team, and are looking forward to welcoming Thomas back. While the spread-out nature of the Games presents some challenges, we are confident that the culture and support will be as present as ever for this team, and we wish them the best of luck in the Games.”
Ireland’s Ambassador to Italy, H.E. Ambassador Elizabeth McCullough, added, “It is a privilege to welcome Team Ireland to Italy for Milano Cortina 2026. The Winter Olympic Games provide a powerful opportunity to showcase Ireland’s ambition and sporting talent on the global stage, and I wish the team every success.” Ireland Chef de Mission Nancy Chillingworth said the squad reflected continued progress in Irish winter sport. She noted that while the spread-out nature of the Games would present logistical challenges, the team culture and support structures would remain central throughout the fortnight.
Ireland’s Ambassador to Italy added that Milano Cortina 2026 would provide a valuable platform to showcase Irish ambition and sporting talent on the global stage.
Team Ireland Diary – Milano Cortina 2026 (Outline)
6 February
Opening Ceremony, Milan (athletes represented across Livigno, Cortina and Predazzo clusters)
7 February
Cormac Comerford: Downhill (Alpine Skiing), Bormio
8 February
Thomas Maloney Westgård: 10km + 10km Skiathlon (Cross Country), Predazzo
11 February
Cormac Comerford: Super-G (Alpine Skiing), Bormio
13 February
Thomas Maloney Westgård: 10km Free (Cross Country), Predazzo
14 February
Cormac Comerford: Giant Slalom, Runs 1 & 2 (Alpine Skiing), Bormio
15 February
Anabelle Zurbay: Giant Slalom, Runs 1 & 2 (Alpine Skiing), Cortina
16 February
Cormac Comerford: Slalom, Runs 1 & 2 (Alpine Skiing), Bormio
18 February
Anabelle Zurbay: Slalom, Runs 1 & 2 (Alpine Skiing), Cortina
19 February
Ben Lynch: Halfpipe Qualification (Freestyle Skiing), Livigno
20 February
Ben Lynch: Halfpipe Final (Freestyle Skiing), Livigno
21 February
Thomas Maloney Westgård: 50km Classic (Cross Country), Predazzo
22 February
Closing Ceremony, Verona
Sport for Business will be keeping up to date with a Daily Diary from the games and a special focus on Team Ireland.
Image Credit: OFI, Sportsfile
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