JUST seven years ago, Samer Tawk questioned if he would ever walk again. Now, he is preparing to compete at the Winter Olympics in Cortina. Tawk, 27, thought his career was over when he suffered a

With just over a week to go, The Athletic answers 21 questions on the weird and wonderful events of the Milano Cortina competition

In 2018, Samer Tawk became the first athlete to represent Lebanon in cross-country skiing at the Winter Olympics. A year later, he was lying in a hospital bed wondering if he would ever walk again.

There will be 93 countries, plus numerous athletes from Russia and Belarus, competing at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.

From deserts to snow-covered peaks, the Middle East and North Africa are making some serious noise at the Winter Olympics. Milano Cortina 2026 (February 6–22) isn’t just about medals, it’s about trailblazers rewriting what winter sport looks like.