These are the Ottawa-Gatineau athletes competing at the Olympics

There are dozens of athletes with ties to Ottawa-Gatineau and the surrounding area representing Canada and other nations at Milano Cortina 2026.

The Games are now underway with two days of competition taking place ahead of Friday’s Opening Ceremony.

Here are the local athletes to watch at the Winter Games.

Speed skating

The National Capital Region will be well-represented on the oval, with three athletes racing for Team Canada:

Isabelle Weidemann (Ottawa, Ont.) - Long track

Ivanie Blondin (Ottawa, Ont.) - Long track

Cédrick Brunet (Gatineau, Que.) - Long track

Both Weidemann and Blondin have good odds to medal according to an analysis commissioned by CBC Sports. The pair race in their first event — the 3000-metre — on Saturday.

Brunet, who has several Olympic and professional athletes in his family, will be making his Olympic debut when he hits the track for the 500-metre.

CBC’s Omar Dabaghi-Pacheco will be covering the events at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium. He’s been taking the assignment seriously, learning the sport with the Gloucester Concordes, where both Weidemann and Blondin got their start.

Alpine skiing

Ottawa's sibling ski-cross duo Jared and Hannah Schmidt will once again race for Team Canada on February 20 and 21:

Jared Schmidt (Ottawa, Ont.) - Ski cross

Hannah Schmidt (Ottawa, Ont.) - Ski cross

Valérie Grenier (St. Isidore, Ont.) - Super-G, downhill, slalom, combined

Grenier will be looking for a podium finish at her third Winter Games, after medaling five times on the World Cup circuit.

Biathlon

There are two names with Ottawa connections to watch at the Antholz-Anterselva Biathlon Arena:

Zachary Connelly (Ottawa, Ont.)

Shilo Rousseau ( Thessalon, Ont., University of Ottawa)

Connelly and Rousseau could compete together in the 4x6 kilometre mixed relay on Sunday, February 8.

Bobsleigh

Three of the athletes on Canada's bobsleigh team have Ottawa ties, including two former Carleton University football players:

Mike Evelyn O'Higgins (Ottawa, Ont.) - Two-man and four-man bobsleigh

Jay Dearborn (Yarker, Ont., former Carleton Raven) - Two-man and four-man bobsleigh

Keaton Bruggeling (St. Catharines, Ont., former Carleton Raven and Ottawa RedBlack) - Four-man bobsleigh

Evelyn O'Higgins and Dearborn will push Canada's two-man sled on February 16 and 17. Ottawa RedBlacks 2022 draft pick Keaton Bruggeling will join them for the four-man event on February 21 and 22.

Cross-country skiing

Two veteran skiers from the Gatineau area will represent Canada at the Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium.

Antoine Cyr (Gatineau, Que.)

Katherine Stewart-Jones (Chelsea, Que.)

Stewart-Jones and Cyr kick off the Games with the skiathlon on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

Curling

Team Homan will be in the hunt for gold at Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium:

Rachel Homan (Ottawa, Ont.)

Emma Miskew (Ottawa, Ont.)

Homan and Miskew will have plenty of fans watching at home from the Ottawa Curling Club.

Figure skating

Two figure skaters from eastern Ontario will take the ice with their partners for Canada.

Trennt Michaud (Trenton, Ont.) - Pairs

Paul Poirier (Ottawa, Ont.) - Ice Dance

Poirier and his partner Piper Gilles are considered medal hopefuls.

Hockey

Players from Ottawa's two professional hockey teams will face their teammates in the Olympic tournament. 2026 marks the first Winter Olympics since the formation of the PWHL and the first Games featuring NHL players since 2014.

Canada

Three Ottawa Charge forwards will suit up for Canada. Charge Captain Brianne Jenner will be looking for her fourth Olympic medal.

Brianne Jenner (F, Ottawa Charge)

Emily Clark (F, Ottawa Charge)

Jocelyne Larocque (D, Ottawa Charge)

U.S.

Players from the Charge and the Ottawa Senators will represent the U.S. at the Games.

Gwyneth Philips (G, Ottawa Charge)

Rory Guilday (D, Ottawa Charge)

Brady Tkachuk (F, Ottawa Senators)

Jake Sanderson (D, Ottawa Senators)

Finland

Both of Finland's teams will have pro Ottawa players on the defensive side of the ice.

Nikolas Matinpalo (D, Ottawa Senators)

Sanni Ahola (G, Ottawa Charge)

Ronja Savolainen (D, Ottawa Charge)

Czechia

The Charge are sending a Czech forward and their head coach to Milan.

Kateřina Mrázová (F, Ottawa Charge)

Carla MacLeod (Coach, Ottawa Charge)

Denmark

Two Danish Sens will highlight a men's roster with few other NHLers.

Mads Søgaard (G, Ottawa Senators)

Lars Eller (F, Ottawa Senators)

Germany

Tim Stützle is the sole Senator on Germany's squad.

Italy

Former Carleton Raven and Gatineau Olympique Jason Seed is playing for the host country.

The women's tournament starts Thursday when Canada plays Finland and Czechia faces off against the U.S. The men's tournament begins Feb. 11, with Slovakia vs. Finland and Sweden vs. Italy.

Officials & support crew

Jean "Rocky" Lamontagne (Ottawa Pacers)

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