Spain Gears Up for 2026 Winter Olympics with Historic Athletes and a Strong Delegation
Spain will field a 20-athlete team at the 2026 Winter Olympics, featuring veteran snowboarder Queralt Castellet and pioneering Paralympian Higinio Rivero competing in three different sports.
- • Spain sends 20 athletes to 2026 Winter Olympics, matching its largest delegation from 2014.
- • Queralt Castellet aims for a medal in her sixth Winter Olympics at age 36.
- • Higinio Rivero will be the first Spanish athlete to compete in three Paralympic sports: kayaking, skiing, and biathlon.
- • The Spanish Olympic Committee emphasizes the need for increased investment to boost winter sports performance.
Key details
Spain is preparing for a notable presence at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, sending a delegation of 20 athletes, matching its largest winter team in history from the 2014 Sochi Games. This delegation comprises competitors across winter sports, ice sports, and mountain climbing, highlighting the country's growing stature beyond its traditional reputation for sun and beaches.
Among the standout athletes is snowboarder Queralt Castellet, the most experienced athlete at 36, who aims to secure a medal in her sixth Olympic appearance. The youngest competitors, both aged 20, are Marc Colell and Nora Cornell. Key athletes include the figure skating pair Olivia Smart and Tim Dieck, and skiers Oriol Cardona and Ana Alonso. The team consists of seven ice athletes, nine winter athletes, and four mountain athletes.
Spain’s historical winter Olympic success has been limited, with only five medals won to date. Queralt Castellet described past medal wins as a "miracle," emphasizing the crucial need for increased investment in winter sports to raise both quality and quantity of participants. Alejandro Blanco, president of the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE), acknowledges steady improvement but stresses greater financial support is essential to advance Spain’s competitiveness in these disciplines.
Adding to the historic nature of the upcoming Games, Spanish Paralympic athlete Higinio Rivero will become the first Spaniard to compete in three different sports at the Paralympics, participating in kayaking, skiing, and biathlon. Rivero began skiing in 2022 following a spinal injury and has rapidly improved with support from the Federación Aragonesa. His goals for Milan-Cortina include a Top 10 finish in biathlon and Top 20 in cross-country skiing. Rivero calls his participation a "double dream come true," training extensively in locations like Candanchú, Panticosa, and Baqueira.
With this blend of experience, youth, and pioneering athletes, Spain is set to showcase its winter sports growth at the 2026 Winter Olympics, aiming to build on its limited historical success and inspire future generations in snow sports.
This article was translated and synthesized from Spanish sources, providing English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
Source articles (2)
Source comparison
Number of sports Rivero will compete in
Sources report different numbers of sports Higinio Rivero will compete in at the Paralympics.
marca.com
"Rivero will be the first to participate in kayaking, skiing, and biathlon."
mundodeportivo.com
"The article does not mention kayaking as one of the sports Rivero will compete in."
Why this matters: One source states Rivero will compete in three sports, while the other does not mention his participation in kayaking, implying he may only be competing in two sports. This affects the understanding of Rivero's historic achievement.