The Olympic motto may be “Citius, Altius, Fortius — Communiter,” Latin for “Faster, Higher, Stronger — Together,” but the 2026 Milan Cortina games embrace a new theme: messier, weirder and way more dramatic. The 2026 Games prove that sometimes the most attention-grabbing moments happen far from the podium. 

Four days after the Games began, the off-the-slopes drama began to unfold when Norwegian biathlete, Sturla Holm Lægreid, admitted to cheating on his now ex-girlfriend, after earning the bronze medal in the men’s 20km biathlon. 

In this now viral interview, originally aired on the Norwegian broadcasting company NRK, Lægreid admits tearfully that he had cheated on his girlfriend. 

Lægreid went on to call his declaration “social suicide” and hoped that this act would prove to his ex-girlfriend how much he loved her. 

However, Lægreid’s ex anonymously spoke with another Norwegian outlet, VG, on Feb. 11, to say that his infidelity was “hard to forgive” even after he declared his love to her on international news. 

But cheating scandals have taken on more than one form at the Games, as the Canadian men’s curling team was accused of cheating by Sweden. 

Canadian curler Marc Kennedy got into a heated exchange with Sweden’s Oskar Eriksson, resulting in a verbal warning from World Curling. In response to the altercation, World Curling said officials would monitor deliveries more closely moving forward. 

However, after complaints of officials stepping in when the athletes didn’t believe it was necessary, World Curling released an addendum to their original statement. In the statement released on Feb. 15, the organization said that moving forward, officials would only be present when the athletes asked. 

However, the double touch controversy continued later that day when the Canadian women’s team captain, Rachel Homan, was called by officials for the same infraction in their loss to Switzerland. 

Kennedy later said that his team could potentially be the target of a “premeditated” attack by their rivals, an unfounded claim. Both Kennedy and Homan denied the accusations.

While curling officials were busy scrutinizing what happened on the ice, athletes in other events began to question the ice itself.

Five of the eight core sports featured at the Winter Olympics take place on ice. However, as figure skating and speed skating competitions began, murmurs circulated about the conditions of the ice. 

Multiple athletes described the surface as “soft” or “slushy,” saying it didn’t feel as stable as Olympic ice typically is. In sports where precision edges and explosive takeoffs determine the outcome, even minor inconsistencies can mean the difference between being on the podium or not. 

American speed skater Corrine Stoddard is one of the athletes who spoke about the ice, citing that she believed the ice to be made for figure skaters and that “a lot of people are struggling on it.”

Stoddard is just one of several Olympians who fell on the speed skating track. In one of her falls, she crashed into Poland’s Gabriela Topolska, causing her to fall as well. Other skaters include USA’s Kristen Santos-Griswold, Brandon Kim and Julie Letai, Great Britain’s Ellia Smedin and Niall Treacy, and Xandra Velzeboer of the Netherlands. 

However, it’s not just the falls on the ice that have people talking. Ilia Malinin, who was originally favored for gold at the 2026 Games, fell twice during his free skate on Feb. 13. Malinin, also known as the “Quad God,” was visibly upset after his program. His falls came after he helped Team USA’s men’s figure skating team win gold, just less than a week before he took to the ice for his free skate. 

While Malinin also commented on the condition of the ice, stating “maybe the ice was also not the best condition for what I would like to have…” he placed a majority of the blame for his disastrous skate on the pressure of being in the Olympics, and perhaps even being too confident going into his skate. 

The conversation around ice at the Games hasn’t stopped at rink conditions. One of the first controversies of the 2026 Milan Cortina Games revolved around U.S. freestyle skier Hunter Hess and his views on representing his country at the Games. 

At a press conference right before the competition, Hess said the moment brought “mixed emotions to represent the U.S. right now … it’s a little hard.” Hess stated that just because he wore America’s flag, he didn’t automatically agree with everything happening back in his home country. His teammate, Chris Lillis, echoed the sentiment, saying he felt “heartbroken about what’s happening [with Immigration and Customs Enforcement] …” and emphasized his wish that the country would focus on respect and love for all. 

Their words led Donald Trump to denounce the athletes, saying it was hard to cheer for the American Olympians speaking out against his administration’s policies. President Trump even called Hess “a real loser.” 

Despite the Games taking place in Italy, anti-ICE protesters have taken to the streets against the local deployment of ICE agents — even after clarification that they are from an investigations unit separate from the one spearheading immigration crackdowns in the U.S. The ICE unit that was deployed focuses on cross-border crimes and has been sent in the past to overseas events like the Olympic Games to help with security. 

Adding to the already bizarre nature of the Games, several athletes across numerous sports reported problems with their medals, including broken clasps and detached pieces after celebrations. 

German ​​biathlete Justus Strelow was one of the athletes whose medals broke, and the moment was caught on camera. U.S. Women’s figure skater Alysa Liu was another athlete whose medal broke. Liu posted to her Instagram, stating her medal didn’t “need” the ribbon. 

Every Olympics carries its fair share of controversy, but something about the 2026 Winter Games feels uniquely amplified — shaped by instant social media reactions, global scrutiny and the blurred lines between athletic achievement and entertainment. 

In Milan and Cortina, the drama has come from every direction. Beneath it all are the athletes who have to navigate extraordinary pressure on the world’s biggest stage. Some have risen, while others have fallen. Nonetheless, the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic Games are sure to be one to talk about long after the games close on Sunday, Feb. 22.