Summer Olympians Cross Over to Winter Games at Milan-Cortina 2026

The 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics features a wave of "two-way players" reminiscent of MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani, who excels as both pitcher and hitter. These true utility athletes crossing between summer and winter sports are drawing admiration from fans with their remarkable athletic versatility.

According to the International Olympic Committee on February 12, Christania Williams, who won silver in the women's 4x400m relay at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics representing Jamaica, will compete in women's two-man bobsled at these Winter Games. Having naturalized to Austria, she makes her Winter Olympics debut on February 21 (Korea time). Britain's Adele Nicoll, competing in the same event, is also a former shot put star.

Germany's Georg Fleischhauer and Thalea Preppens of the men's and women's bobsled teams are likewise familiar with the athletics track. Fleischhauer, who swept six medals including one world championship gold over the past three years, may seem like a natural bobsledder but was a 400m hurdles powerhouse with European Athletics Championships experience. Preppens won bronze in the women's 4x400m relay at the 2025 Rhine-Ruhr Summer Universiade before claiming another bronze at last month's European Bobsled Championships. She is a strong medal contender at these Games. Sliding sports attract particularly many track and field athletes because explosive starts are crucial for faster times. South Korea's bobsled team pilot Kim Jin-su was also a track athlete.

Belgium's Maximilien Drion du Chapois, competing in the newly added men's ski mountaineering event, won the 2022 El Paso European Athletics Off-Road Running Championships. After completing the 47.7km mountain course in 3 hours 43 minutes 1 second, he will now climb mountains on skis, racing up a 610-meter course at lightning speed.

Kelsey Mitchell of Canada, gold medalist in women's cycling sprint at the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics, is competing in two-man bobsled. Ayumu Hirano of Japan, seeking his third consecutive Olympic title in men's snowboard halfpipe, competed in skateboard park at the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics.