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With each passing<\/span> Olympic Games, there\u2019s something new to admire. Typically, it\u2019s a cool costume at the opening ceremony, or a new cauldron for the Olympic flame, or maybe a new fancy stadium the host city will have no use for in 10 years. Then there are the brand-new records set during each Games, jaw-dropping examples of human strength, talent, and mind-melting perseverance.<\/p>\n But for the 2026 Winter Olympics, some of the most notable firsts are coming out of the Olympic Village rather than the individual venues. They are the ones pushing their sports forward and making history in the process. Here are 12 athletes set to make history at this year\u2019s Winter Olympics.<\/p>\n Sport:<\/strong> Figure Skating<\/p>\n Amber Glenn, one of the most interesting and multi-faceted figure skaters in recent history, has already racked up three US national titles and one Grand Prix Final championship. Openly pansexual, she is known for taking victory laps draped in a Pride flag. Glenn also speaks frankly about her struggles with mental health and ADHD. (She\u2019s also a big fan of Star Wars, Pok\u00e9mon, and Magic: The Gathering.) While her Madonna-themed short program is well worth a watch, her 2024 exhibition performance set to Olivia Rodrigo\u2019s \u201cVampire\u201d is even better.<\/p>\n Notable quote:<\/strong> \u201cThe fear of not being accepted is a huge struggle for me. Being perceived as [going through] \u2018just a phase\u2019 or [being] \u2018indecisive\u2019 is a common thing for bisexual\/pansexual women. I don\u2019t want to shove my sexuality in people\u2019s faces, but I also don\u2019t want to hide who I am.\u201d \u2014Amber Glenn to The Dallas Voice<\/p>\n Sport:<\/strong> Ice Hockey<\/p>\n When you (or anyone who\u2019s watched Heated Rivalry<\/em>) think \u201chockey player,\u201d the image that typically comes to mind is of some burly Russo-Canadian, quick on his skates and with his stick but missing a few teeth. Laila Edwards is anything but that. As the first Black woman to play on the US Olympic hockey team, Edwards treads a whole new path. She\u2019s getting a little help along the way, too, with fellow Cleveland Heights, Ohio natives Travis and Jason Kelce donating $10,000 to the GoFundMe that the Edwards family set up to pay for the trip to watch their daughter in the games.<\/p>\n Notable quote:<\/strong> \u201cWalking into a rink and having someone say \u2018the basketball court\u2019s that way,\u2019 having experience with microaggression, taught me lessons and had me grow a thicker skin in a predominantly white sport.\u201d \u2014Laila Edwards to TV station KARE 11<\/p>\n Sport:<\/strong> Alpine Skiing<\/p>\n At just 17, Tallulah Proulx is already breaking records, becoming not only the first Filipina to ever qualify for the Winter Olympics but also the youngest Filipino person to qualify ever. Though she was born in California and now lives in Utah, Proulx is competing in the Games under the flag of the Philippines. Though she\u2019s unlikely to medal, having finished 16th in the Asian Winter Games, her slalom and giant slalom runs in Milano\u2014and her entrance during the opening ceremony\u2014should be one to watch.<\/p>\n Notable quote:<\/strong> \u201cI’m just really happy, and I hope I can be a role model to other young Filipina girls and Filipinas in general.\u201d \u2014Tallulah Proulx to ABS-CBN News in the Philippines<\/p>\n Sports:<\/strong> Skeleton (Meylemans and Silveira), Ice Hockey (Kjellbin and Savolainen)<\/p>\n OK, sure, maybe it\u2019s possible that wives have played on opposing teams at the Olympics before, but the fact that two<\/em> sets of wives are competing against each other at the 2026 Winter Games feels pretty monumental. For the skeleton competition, it\u2019s Belgium\u2019s Kim Meylemans looking to best her spouse, Brazil\u2019s Nicole Silveira. In the ice hockey rink, it\u2019ll be Anna Kjellbin\u2019s Swedish Team looking to outmatch wife Ronja Savolainen\u2019s Finnish squad. And for Meylemans and Silveira, being out and in competition during these games is about more than just being a cute story. As the couple posted on Instagram, \u201cWith the Games being in Italy and the current Italian government making decisions\/laws that hurt the LGBTQ+ community (read up on it if you don\u2019t believe it), it feels extra special to potentially compete as a married couple and shine a light on marriage equality while doing so.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\nKim Meylemans and Nicole Silveira, and Anna Kjellbin and Ronja Savolainen<\/h2>\n