After the Milan Cortina medals, what comes next for Australian winter sports? |
Milan Cortina 2026 was Australia’s most successful Winter Olympics.
From 1936-2022, Australia won 19 medals, including six golds.
This year, Australia has added another six medals, including three golds.
How has this happened and what may this success mean for the future of winter sports in Australia?
A medal rush in Italy
Jakara Anthony became our first two-time Winter Olympic gold medallist in the women’s dual moguls.
Cooper Woods (men’s individual moguls) and Josie Blaff (women’s snowboard cross) also won gold.
Scotty James became the first Australian to win three Winter Olympic medals with a silver in the men’s half-pipe, and Matt Graham added to his 2018 medal with a bronze in the men’s dual moguls.
Danielle Scott also won silver in the women’s aerials.
Other young members of the 53-strong team such as Valentino Guseli (snowboard half-pipe), Tess Coady (snowboard big air), Jackson Harvey (moguls) and Indra Brown (freeski half-pipe) also made finals and recorded top-ten results, indicating Australia should continue to be competitive in the future.
What are the reasons for this success?
Increased investment from the federal government has certainly helped.
In July 2024, the federal government announced A$489 million of funding for elite Olympic........