The wait is finally over for ice hockey fans around the world. After a 12-year Olympic absence, the National Hockey League (NHL) players are officially set to take the ice at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. This landmark decision was finalized on July 2, 2025, and marks the return of the best hockey talent on the planet to the Olympic stage for the first time since the 2014 Sochi Games.

A Long-Awaited Decision For The NHL 

It’s a moment that has been long in the making. The NHL, NHL Players’ Association (NHLPA), International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), and International Olympic Committee (IOC) came together in Zurich to ink the agreement that will allow the world’s top professionals to compete for their countries once again.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman summed it up perfectly: “Olympic participation will showcase the skill and talent of NHL players on an international stage.” This collaboration is not just a win for hockey but a global boost for the sport’s growth and visibility.

Why Is This Such A Big Deal?

For over a decade, Olympic ice hockey has missed the star power that NHL players bring. The last time these elite athletes donned their national jerseys at the Games was in 2014. Since then, the Olympics have been without the best of the best, leaving fans craving the intensity and drama that only NHL stars can deliver. Now, with Milano-Cortina 2026 on the horizon, anticipation is building for a tournament that promises to be a high-octane clash of hockey titans.

Lock The Dates At The Milano-Cortina 2026

The 2026 men’s hockey tournament will kick off on February 11 and run through February 22, featuring 12 countries, including powerhouses like Canada, the United States, Sweden, Finland, and host nation Italy. The return of NHL players means fans can expect the kind of electrifying gameplay, fierce rivalries, and unforgettable moments that define the sport at its highest level.

This agreement also sets the stage for the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps, ensuring that NHL players will continue to bring their world-class talent to the Olympic ice for years to come.

In short, the stage is set, the players are ready, and hockey fans worldwide have every reason to be excited. Milano-Cortina 2026 will not just be another Winter Olympics; it will be a celebration of hockey’s finest, a showcase of speed, skill, and passion that only the NHL can deliver on the grandest stage of all.

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Los Angeles will host the Summer Olympics for the third time in 2028 after 1932 and 1984. It will be the first time the city hosts the Paralympic Games. The City of Angels is set to be the third three-time host city in Olympics history (London in 1908, 1948 and 2012; Paris in 1900, 1924 and 2024) and the first non-European city to do so.

Five sports will be featured in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics that were not included in the Paris Olympics. Here are those sports: 

Flag football

Flag football is a no-contact sport and will be making its debut at the 2028 LA Olympics. Flag football is similar to usual football but with some modifications, namely a smaller field, less players (5-on-5 from 12-person squads), two 20-minute halves and no kickoffs (play starts at the team’s own five-yard line).

America is a dominant force in flag football, having won the last four men’s world championships and the last two women’s world championships. 

In the women’s game, Mexico is considered to be a team that could upset the USA as they beat the Americans in the final of the 2022 World Flag Football Games.

Baseball/Softball

While Baseball/Softball did not make the cut at the Paris Olympics 2024, the games will feature at 2028 LA Olympics. Both sports are not entirely new to the Games. Baseball was included as a medal event at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and softball at 1996 Atlanta Olympics.  

In the men’s event , Cuba won the gold medal in baseball’s Olympic debut and went on to win it three times in total before the sport was nixed for the 2008 Beijing Games.

Softball, on the other hand, has been dominated by American women. The US won the first three gold medals for the sport and enjoyed a 22-game winning streak before losing to Japan in the final at the 2008 Games. Neither sport was featured at Paris 2024.

Originally marked as separate sports at the Olympics, baseball and softball returned as a combined sport with two distinct events (men’s baseball and women’s softball) at theTokyo 2020 Olympics, where hosts Japan won both gold medals.

Cricket

Cricket has only made one previous appearance at the Olympics, and that was over a century ago at the first Paris Games in 1900. There are three official formats for cricket, according to the International Cricket Council: test matches, One-Day Internationals (ODI) and Twenty20 Internationals (T20).

While Test cricket is considered the “traditional form” of the game and ODI is the preferred format, the 2028 LA Olympics will feature the T20I format, which is the “newest, shortest and fastest form of the game,” usually taking about three hours.

The only difference between men’s cricket and women’s cricket is that the women use a slightly smaller and lighter ball.

Lacrosse

Often considered to be America’s oldest team sport, lacrosse will be back in 2028 after a 120-year hiatus. The sport was part of 1904 St. Louis Games and the 1908 London Games before making appearances as a “demonstration sport” in 1928, 1932 (the first time L.A. hosted the games) and 1948.

A whopping three nations have ever competed in Olympic lacrosse, and in the two Games it was included in, Canada took gold twice.

At the next Games, a slightly modified version of “lax” will be featured; regular lacrosse — known as field lacrosse — consists of two teams of ten players with faceoffs occurring at the start of the game and after each goal. In 2028, players will contest in World Lacrosse Sixes, which is played on a smaller field with less players and, like the T20I format in cricket, takes less time than a regular match.

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Squash

Squash is the only other sport besides flag football making its debut in 2028, although it was featured as a demonstration sport at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires in 2018.

There are no caveats to the squash event; it will be squash as you know it.

The Olympic gold is the ultimate dream of any athlete in the world. Athletes put their heart and sweat into the sport for the Olympic glory. The most decorated athletes have gold, silver and bronze medals in their cabinet.

Tradition of awarding medals to the top athletes in Olympics goes way back to the first modern Olympic Games, the Athens Olympics in 1896.

When the modern Olympic Games began in 1896 medals started to be given to successful Olympian competitors.

The tradition of bestowing Olympic medals to the top athletes in each event can be traced all the way back to the first modern Olympic Games, which was held in Athens in 1896. However, the tradition of bestowing gold, silver and bronze medals began only at the 1904 Olympic Games in St. Louis, Missouri.

The Making of Olympic Medals

The gold medal in reality is mostly made of silver and is simply plated with pure gold to give it the golden glow. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has set out criteria that gold medals must be made of at least 92.5% of silver. They also have about 6 grams of gold in each medal.

Here are the compositions of each medal:

Gold Medal: The gold medals contain only about six grams of pure gold which is plated on the exterior part of the medal. The gold medals consist mostly of silver with a purity of at least 92.5%. It is valued at approximately $750 to $850 dollars (based solely on the value of the materials).

Silver Medal: Silver medals are made out of pure silver.

Bronze Medal: Bronze medals are made of about 95% copper and 5% zinc.

In the past, medals have been made of scrapped materials. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, an estimated 30 per cent of the silver and bronze medals were brought in from recycled materials. The medals for the 2020 were made from recycled e-waste to reduce the carbon footprint.

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Medals for Paris Olympics 2024

Each medal at 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games will contain a 18-gram, hexagonal piece of wrought iron that was once a part of the Eiffel Tower and was and preserved during the 20th-century.

The hexagonal shape is a tribute to France which is also known as ““L’hexagone”, owing to the nation’s shape that resembles a hexagon.

The back side of the Olympic medals at Paris Games will feature the traditional Olympic rings and Nike—the Greek goddess of victory.

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Sports events have time and again been used by athletes to display their concern for a cause or as a mark of protest. They have utilized the stage to express their political statement through various gestures.

The grand platform of the Olympic Games has also witnessed such moments of show of resistance. One of the most iconic marks of protest was the Black Power Salute at the 1968 Mexico Olympics.

Two African-American athletes, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, each raised a black-gloved fist during the playing of the US national anthem to demonstrate against racial discrimination. 

The Making of Black Power Salute

The unusual sight occurred on the morning of October 16, 1968, after US athlete Tommie Smith won the 200-meter race with a world-record time of 19.83 seconds. Australia’s Peter Norman finished second with a time of 20.06 seconds, and the US’s John Carlos finished in third place with a time of 20.10 seconds.

During the medal ceremony, the three went to the podium. Tommie Smith and John Carlos went shoeless, but wearing black socks to represent black poverty. Smith wore a black scarf around his neck to replicate black pride. Carlos had his tracksuit top unzipped to show solidarity with all blue-collar workers in the US and wore a necklace of beads which he described “were for those individuals that were lynched, or killed and that no-one said a prayer for, that were hung and tarred.”

All three athletes wore Olympic Project for Human Rights (OPHR) badges after Norman, a critic of Australia’s former White Australia Policy, expressed empathy with their ideals. The project was established for the welfare of Black people globally and advocated for Black athletes. Specifically, they strived for the appointment of Black coaches. Some of the Black members of the US team had threatened to boycott the Olympic Games.

Smith and Carlos were also deeply perturbed by the events that occurred 10 days before the Olympic Games began. On October 2, 1968, Mexican military troops and police officers opened fire into a crowd of unarmed student protesters, killing as many as 300 youths.

The prevailing situation around human rights compelled the duo to make a political statement on the Olympic stage in what is now famously known as the black power salute.

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In his autobiography, Silent Gesture published nearly 30 years later, Smith cleared that his gesture was not a “Black Power” salute per se, but rather a “human rights” salute.

The Black Power Salute, however, spelled doom to their sports career. Following the incident, Smith and Carlos were suspended from the US team and banned from the Olympic Village. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) called their actions “a deliberate and violent breach of the fundamental principles of the Olympic spirit.”

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Smith and Carlos could never recover from the repercussions of their actions, in terms of professional sports careers. However, their gesture remains as one of the most politically surcharged statements at the Olympics.

The Olympic Games are a global celebration of athleticism, unity, and the pursuit of excellence. But there’s one symbol that truly embodies these ideals: the Olympic Flame. It’s more than just a fire; it’s a powerful journey that ignites the spirit of the Games.

The story begins in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Olympic Games. Here, a grand ceremony takes place to light the flame using the sun’s rays and a special mirror. Imagine a high priestess, dressed in traditional Greek attire, focusing the sun’s power to ignite the flame! This simple act connects modern Games to their ancient roots.

The lit torch is then entrusted to the first torchbearer, marking the start of the Olympic Torch Relay. This relay is a breathtaking show that unites people in a wave of excitement while carrying the flame across continents and through towns and cities. Each torchbearer – a celebrated athlete, a community hero, or even an everyday person – becomes a part of the Olympic story. They not only bear the flame but also the aspirations and hopes of both competitors and spectators.

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The journey of the torch is meticulously planned, often mirroring famous landmarks or historical routes. Imagine the flame dancing past the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the majestic Great Wall of China! Witnessing the torch relay firsthand is an electrifying experience a chance to be a part of something bigger than yourself.

As the torch relay reaches the host city, anticipation reaches a fever pitch. The final torchbearer often a legendary athlete, ignites the Olympic cauldron during the opening ceremony. This event marks the official beginning of the Games and the conclusion of months of travel. It is also a potent symbol of unity.

The flame continues to burn throughout the Olympics, a constant reminder of the spirit of the games. It serves as a beacon of hope and inspiration for athletes, urging them to push their limits and achieve greatness. It represents the pursuit of excellence and the unwavering determination to be the best.

The Olympic Flame’s journey is more than just a logistical feat; it’s a powerful narrative. It’s a story of unity, perseverance, and the enduring human spirit. It reminds us that even the smallest spark can ignite a global flame of passion and inspiration.

With the active participation of over 200 countries and over 400 events, the Olympic Games are often hailed as the world’s oldest and truly global athletic competition that features multiple sports.

The inaugural Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece in 1896 and the upcoming edition of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will commence from 26 July 2024 and continue till 11 August 2024, with active participation from a total of 206 nations and 10,714 athletes. Since its inception in 1896, the Olympic Games have been played at an interval of four years. Do you know why?

In this article, we will take a look at the major reasons why the Olympic Games are held after four years. 

The Ancient History of the Olympic Games 

Since the Olympic Games originated in “Olympia”, a city in Ancient Greece, the format of the tournament has been greatly inspired by their traditions. The ancient Olympic Games that took place in Olympia from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD were considered as a festival to honor the king of the Greek gods, Zeus. These ancient Olympic Games took place every four years. That’s how the tradition of the “Olympiad” came into existence. 

“Olympiad” and the Modern-Day Olympics 

French educator and historian Pierre de Coubertin established the International Olympic Committee (IOC), 130 years ago, on 23 June 1894, and successfully revived the ancient concept of “Olympic Games” with the inaugural 1896 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. 

Since the idea of the Olympic Games was inspired by the ancient tradition, the co-founder of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Pierre de Coubertin, honored the Ancient Greek schedule and took the decision to continue the centuries-old ancient tradition of the “Olympiad” and therefore the “four-year” cycle continued even in the modern-day Olympic Games. 

Summer Olympic Games 

An anecdote of the Summer Olympic Games as of July 2024 is provided below: 

Winter Olympic Games 

An anecdote of the Winter Olympic Games as of July 2024  is provided below: 

Additionally, the ancient tradition of the “four-year” Olympiad has also played a major role in maintaining the credo of the world’s oldest multi-sport tournament, as it allows adequate time for the athletes to train hard to represent their countries at the highest level of international competition and clinch the most coveted Olympic medals.

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