The Olympics is always a moment of inspiration, and I don’t know about you, but Milano Cortina 2026 just felt different.
Working at Redtorch, with our unique position as an Olympic‑dedicated sports marketing agency, meant we had a front‑row seat to so many powerful stories coming out of these Games.
But what really stood out were the women: their lives, their journeys, their resilience and their brilliance on the world stage.
It would be remiss of us not to spotlight some of our favourite women of these Winter Olympics – especially when society continues to overshadow these moments and achievements with juvenile ‘locker talk’.
Whilst we can’t list every single inspiring female athlete (otherwise we’d have to list all 1,338 who competed), here are some of our favourites alongside some honourable mentions.
Francesca Lollobrigida
Italy, Speed Skating
We talk so often about the challenges of returning to elite sport – or even just returning to work – after having children.
Francesca Lollobrigida is one of those athletes who blows that whole narrative wide open. A mother of a two‑year‑old, she came to Milano Cortina and absolutely dominated, proving once again that women can come back to peak performance after pregnancy when the right support systems are in place.
On her 35th birthday, she won Italy’s first gold medal of the Games in the women’s 3000m, smashing the Olympic record, track record and personal best.
She then later went on to take gold in the 5000m as well and becoming Italy’s most decorated Olympic speed skater.
One of the most powerful images of Milano Cortina came seconds after she crossed the finish line, Francesca skating straight to the stands to celebrate with her young son and why her victories resonated far beyond the ice.
Regina Martinez
Mexico, Cross Country Skiing
Mexico had a grand total of five athletes competing at Milano Cortina and Regina was one of them.
An ER doctor in her day‑to‑day life, she comes from a country not exactly known for snow. To fund her trips to colder climates so she could actually train, she picked up dog‑walking shifts alongside her hospital work.
And while Regina didn’t medal, she didn’t even come close (she finished 108th), that only makes her story more inspiring. The grit, the perseverance, the sheer dedication it took for her to get to this point.
We don’t see this side of the Olympics often, but for so many athletes, it’s not about the medals. It’s about the journey and the moment you finally get to say you’ve made it to the Games and represented your country on the world stage.
What made Regina’s finishing moment even more spectacular was what awaited her at the finish line: multiple medallists and fellow competitors standing there, ready to embrace her and congratulate her on her success – because yes, it was a success.
Elana Meyers Taylor
USA, Bobsleigh
At 41 years young, Elana Meyers Taylor delivered one of the most unforgettable moments of Milano Cortina 2026, winning gold in the women’s monobob and becoming the oldest individual to claim an Olympic title at a Winter Games.
That gold adds to an already incredible résumé: three silver and two bronze medals across both the monobob and two‑woman bobsleigh from her Olympic journey that began back in Vancouver 16 years ago, now bringing her career total to six.
But what makes her story resonate far beyond the ice track is who she is off it.
Elana is a working mother raising two children with special needs and her victory was made even more emotional as she signed “mommy won” to them after her final run.
She states her success is down to her children, “They were my reason for continuing to do the sport to begin with… without my kids I would have stopped long ago. Without them, I wouldn’t have this gold medal”.
Jakara Anthony
Australia, Freestyle Ski
The world No. 1 moguls skier suffered some early heartbreak at Milano Cortina after an uncharacteristic slide off course cost her a medal in the single moguls event.
Less than three days later, she had a smile back on her face and a gold medal around her neck, after winning the first Olympic women’s dual moguls event.
Between those two moments were tears, meetings with sport psychologists and heartfelt conversations with family, friends, coaches and teammates as she worked through the emotional blow of missing the singles podium.
Her win in dual moguls makes her the first Australian to claim two Winter Olympic gold medals, cementing her status as one of the nation’s greatest winter athletes.
Jakara’s story in Milano Cortina is one of perseverance and redemption.
Honourable mentions:
We’ve already highlighted some of our favourite stories and achievements from the Games. In celebration of the women of the Winter Games, we’ve also created an ‘honourable mentions’ list to highlight a few more moments that deserve recognition.
Nicole Silveira (BRA) – Finished 11th in skeleton, delivering Brazil’s best-ever result in the sport.
Ariana Fontana (ITA) – Became Italy’s most decorated Olympian, with a remarkable 13 medals.
Alysa Liu (USA) – First American woman to win Olympic gold in figure skating since 2002.
Yongqing Lamu (CHN) – The first Tibetan athlete at the Olympics, finishing 27th in snowboard cross – China’s best result in the event.
Choi Ga-on (KOR) – The youngest athlete on Team Korea and the nation’s first Olympic gold medallist in a snow sport.
Lisa Vittozzi (ITA) – Won Italy’s first ever Olympic gold medal in biathlon.
Megan Oldham (CAN) – The first Canadian woman in freestyle skiing to win two medals at a single Games.
Laura Nolte (GER) – Claimed silver in monobob, securing Germany’s first Olympic medal in the event.
Kellie Delka (PUR) – Puerto Rico’s sole athlete at Milano Cortina 2026, with much of her journey self-funded.
Ana Alonso (ESP) – Won a historic bronze in the ski mountaineering sprint, Spain’s sixth Winter Olympic medal ever, despite competing with a torn ACL.
What Milano Cortina 2026 showed us (and what we’re constantly reminded of at Redtorch) is that the power of women’s sport lies not just in podium finishes, but in the stories that reshape perceptions and open doors for those coming next.
Because when women’s journeys are truly seen and supported, their impact extends far beyond the Games themselves.
Jess Reus
I am a food-loving, dog-appreciating, hockey player.
My most memorable sporting moment is…
Full on face planting on the Spine Ramp at FISE Montpellier in front of a crowd of 6,000 people and a load of professional Skateboarders...
I am happiest when …
I have food in my mouth.
The sports person that best represents me is …
Kate Richardson-Walsh.
The three things at the top of my bucket list are …
1. Travel around China and Japan
2. Meet Trixie Mattel
3. Learn a second language
A quote I live my life by is …
“They say I'm the Hottest MC in the Game. If you label me that, I will live up to it. Trust me.” – Lil Wayne.
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