Team Ireland’s four Winter Olympians each took to the stage at their homecoming celebration to reflect on the moments, risks and emotions that defined their Milano Cortina 2026 experience.
From the gruelling endurance of cross-country skiing to the unforgiving precision of slalom and the spectacular heights of the halfpipe, Thomas Maloney Westgaard, Cormac Comerford, Annabel Zurbay and Ben Lynch offered insight into what it takes to compete on the Winter Olympic stage.
Thomas Maloney Westgaard: “You have to stay positive”
Triple Olympian Thomas spoke first, reflecting on another demanding Games campaign.
“You have to stay positive, for sure,” he said. “Even when preparations aren’t going exactly as planned, you have to stay positive. Being at the Olympics is big in itself.”
Having previously competed at Beijing 2022 under the cloud of COVID disruption, Thomas again faced challenges in the build-up to these Games. But he managed to deliver when it mattered.
“I’m happy I was able to pull off that performance in the end. It was a success,” he said. “I couldn’t do this without all the support I’ve been given. It means a lot to me and to all the staff. There’s so much to be thankful for.”
His trademark resilience — grinding through punishing distances and relentless climbs — once again underlined his standing as one of Ireland’s most consistent Winter Olympians.
Cormac Comerford: “A little bit scary — but I had the goal”
Cormac competed on one of alpine skiing’s most iconic and feared tracks — the Stelvio downhill in Bormio.
“The Stelvio was definitely a serious slope,” he admitted. “I’m a slalom skier, so going down at 127 kilometres an hour isn’t what I’m naturally used to.”
Taking on the downhill was a calculated risk.
“It was a big step. A little bit scary, a little bit nervous. But I had the goal to do it. I was proud I was able to push out of that gate and get down safely.”
In his specialist slalom discipline, Cormac delivered a performance of real grit. In a race where more than half the field failed to finish, he fought back after an early mistake to climb into the top third of the standings.
“The Olympics is the pinnacle of our sport. It’s never going to be easy — and it shouldn’t be,” he said. “This one was particularly brutal. Over 50% didn’t finish.”
“Even with my mistake in the first run, I was glad to fight back. To bring it down when a lot of people didn’t finish — that’s something really special.”
Annabel Zurbay: “Just have fun and see what happens”
At just 17 years of age, Annabel lined up against global superstars, including multi-time Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin.
“It was definitely scary,” she admitted. “Standing there on the start line beside them, watching them on the podium — it felt like, ‘Oh God, I’m about to race against them.’”
But once in the gate, the nerves gave way to focus.
“You’ve just got to go and see what happens.”
One of the most surreal moments came not during a race run, but while standing in line among the sport’s elite.
“I stood right next to Mikaela Shiffrin,” she said, smiling. “That was pretty cool.”
Asked what she learned from her Olympic debut, her answer was refreshingly simple.
“Just have fun. See what happens. Learn how to accept things and just keep going.”
For an athlete still in her teens, her composure across multiple events suggested that this will not be her last appearance on the Olympic stage.
Ben Lynch: “It still doesn’t feel real”
If alpine skiing is about razor-thin margins, freestyle halfpipe is about amplitude, risk and creativity — and Ben delivered one of Ireland’s standout moments of the Games.
Launching more than five metres above the lip of a 22-foot halfpipe, he described the scale of the challenge.
“It’s pretty intense. Five metres is the biggest I’ve ever gone on a halfpipe, so I was really happy with that.”
Conditions shifted dramatically before his run, with heavy snowfall altering the surface. But he embraced it.
“Being bigger does have its advantages sometimes. I was able to generate a lot of speed,” he explained, crediting his ski technician Chris from New Zealand for helping optimise his setup.
The defining moment came in his second run when he landed a trick he had never previously executed in competition — a double cork 1260.
“I’d landed it in training a couple of months before, but I hadn’t done it in training that week,” he said. “To put it down in my second run — that’s why I was able to score so well.”
Performing it in front of his family made it even more meaningful.
“To have my whole family there, waving flags — it was really special,” he said. “It still doesn’t feel real. It’s a surreal experience.”
Competing in both qualification and final rounds on the same day added to the emotional toll.
“It was really cool seeing them all at the bottom after the first run. I’m just so happy I was able to land that run and really happy with where I placed.”
As the applause echoed around the homecoming venue, it was clear that beyond times, rankings and scores, their performances had strengthened Ireland’s growing presence in winter sport — and inspired the next generation to believe that snow and ice are no barriers to Irish ambition.
Image Credit: Team Ireland and Sportsfile
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