The Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI) has confirmed a four-athlete Team Ireland squad for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, with Irish competitors set to contest events across four competition clusters in northern Italy.
The team combines emerging talent and established experience, with three first-time Olympians and one athlete competing in his third Olympic Games. The athletes gathered in Bolzano this week for final preparations and official team activity ahead of the announcement, they will now return to their training programmes in advance of competition.
The Winter Olympic Games run from 6 – 22 February, with Irish athletes competing in Alpine Skiing, Freestyle Skiing and Cross Country Skiing.
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Team Ireland Athletes
Thomas Maloney Westgård is the veteran of the team, and is set to compete in his third Olympic Games, when he will become only the second man to ever compete in three winter games. He competes in the Cross Country events, with the 50km race his favourite discipline. Thomas was born in a small island called Leka in Norway to a Galway mother and Norwegian father, and following a hugely successful few seasons, he competes for professional team Team Aker Dæhlie. Thomas will be competing in Predazzo, in the Val di Fiemme cluster.
Anabelle Zurbay will compete in Alpine Skiing, specifically focusing on the technical events – Slalom and Giant Slalom, the latter being her favoured event. The Colorado-based athlete is not only the youngest member of the team; she is also the youngest Irish athlete to ever compete in Alpine Skiing at the Olympics, and she turned 17 last December. Zurbay’s family, via her maternal grandmother, comes from Rosemount, outside Moate. Anabelle, also known as Annie, will be competing in the Cortina cluster.
Ben Lynch will compete in the Freestyle Skiing Halfpipe event. The Dublin-born skier moved to Vancouver with his family when he was three, where he discovered skiing. Despite his family mostly being successful rowers, Ben enjoyed the freedom of skiing, and specifically the expressive element of freestyle disciplines. He is a first-time Olympian and will be based in Livigno for the duration of the Games.
Cormac Comerford will compete in Alpine Skiing, with the Slalom being his favourite discipline. The Dublin skier first learnt his love for skiing at the Kilternan dry slopes, and is also competing in his first Olympic Games. Working as a Mechanical Engineer in the off-season, Cormac spends most of the winter travelling Europe, training and competing. He will be competing in the Bormio cluster.
Team Ireland Chef de Mission for Milano Cortina 2026, Nancy Chillingworth, said
“This team reflects the progress of Irish winter sport and the exceptional standards required to compete at Olympic level. We are excited to see three new names on the Irish team, and are looking forward to welcoming Thomas back. While the spread out nature of the Games presents some challenges, we are confident that the culture and support will be as present as ever for this team, and we wish them the best of luck in the Games.”
Ireland’s Ambassador to Italy, H.E. Ambassador McCullough, said,
“It is a privilege to welcome Team Ireland to Italy for Milano Cortina 2026. The Winter Olympic Games provide a powerful opportunity to showcase Ireland’s ambition and sporting talent on the global stage, and I wish the team every success.”
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Team Ireland Schedule:
6 Feb Opening Ceremony – Milano (Irish in the Livigno, Cortina and Predazzo clusters)
7 Feb Cormac Comerford – Downhill (Alpine Skiing), Bormio
8 Feb Thomas Maloney Westgård – 10km + 10km Skiathlon (Cross Country), Predazzo
11 Feb Cormac Comerford – Super-G (Alpine Skiing), Bormio
13 Feb Thomas Maloney Westgård – 10km Free (Cross Country), Predazzo
14 Feb Cormac Comerford – Giant Slalom Run 1 & 2 (Alpine Skiing), Bormio
15 Feb Anabelle Zurbay – Giant Slalom Run 1 & 2 (Alpine Skiing), Cortina
16 Feb Cormac Comerford – Slalom Run 1 & 2 (Alpine Skiing), Bormio
18 Feb Anabelle Zurbay – Slalom Run 1 & 2 (Alpine Skiing), Cortina
19 Feb Ben Lynch – Halfpipe Qualification (Freestyle Skiing), Livigno
20 Feb Ben Lynch – Halfpipe Final (Freestyle Skiing), Livigno
21 Feb Thomas Maloney Westgård – 50km Classic (Cross Country), Predazzo
22 Feb Closing Ceremony – Verona (All athletes)
