Feb 4, 2026
You read that title right, GateCrashers does sports again! Come join Patrick, Dan, and newcomer Kate McGowan as they dive into the Olympic Games, just in time for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy! The Olympics are probably the most prestigious sporting event, uniting the world every 4 years for international competition across a wide variety of sports.
Patrick, Dan, and Kate talk about the history of the Olympics and
their personal relationships with the Games (like how Patrick
watches every single medal event at each Olympics!) before diving
into what to expect at this year’s Winter Games. Patrick eagerly
talks about the absolutely wild new sport of Ski Mountaineering,
and Dan talks about his love of all things Curling. Patrick and
Kate give an overview of the broader Olympic program, including
sore spots like the lack of women’s Nordic Combined and the absence
of most Russian and Belarusian athletes. They also talk about what
to expect at this year’s Olympic ice hockey tournament, with the
return of NHL players for the first time since 2014 (and some very
direct comments on how, if you want to support queer people in ice
hockey after watching Heated Rivalry, women’s ice hockey might be
for you).
Kate then gives us a deep dive into the marquee event of any Winter
Olympic Games: the Figure Skating program. She gives us an overview
of the differences in the figure skating events (which include
men’s singles, women’s singles, pairs, and ice dancing), as well as
a very brief explanation of different jumps that constitute the
sport, including the recently unbanned backflip. Patrick and Kate
then preview who the medal contenders are this year, including who
is representing Team USA. They also teach Dan about the
unprecedented athletic feat that is Ilia Malinin and his quadruple
axle.
We hope that you enjoy this episode and join us for 19 days of
incredible international sports at the 2026 Winter Olympics!