Winter Olympics: The leading contenders from Team Belgium
Team Belgium has 30 athletes competing at the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, the largest winter delegation ever. The 16 women and 14 men are competing in disciplines including figure skating, speed skating and ski mountaineering. As the competition kicks off in Italy, Belga English takes a look at some of the country's leading athletes.
Loena Hendrickx and Nina Pinzarrone have high hopes of success in the figure skating. Hendrickx's European title in 2024 is probably the highlight of her career, but she is also a two-time world medallist and winner of two Grand Prix events. After a season disrupted by injury, she has her sights on a top 5 finish. Nineteen-year-old Pinzarrone is competing in her first Olympics.
Skeleton specialist Kim Meylemans will try to wipe away the memories of her experience from the last Games in Beijing, where she was quarantined after contracting Covid-19. In 2024, she firmly established herself among the world’s elite as she became European champion and runner-up in the World Championships. Last monthe she won the World Cup for the first time.
Maximilien Drion will be one of the medal contenders in ski mountaineering. Drion was born in Uccle and lives in Rixensart, Walloon Brabant, but he grew up in Vercorin, Switzerland, where he discovered the sport as a teenager. The sport makes its Olympic debut this year.
Just like at the previous Winter Olympics, siblings Hanne and Stijn Desmet are representing Belgium in short track skating. Stijn will compete individually and in the relay, with the 1,500m expected to be his main focus, after he won silver at the World Championships in Beijing in March.
Hanne’s strongest event is the 1,000m. She won World Championship gold in Beijing and claimed Olympic bronze over the same distance in 2022.
Two athletes in particular have been putting Belgium on the Alpine skiing map this season: Walloon slalom specialist Armand Marchant and Flemish giant slalom skier Sam Maes. Their breakthrough performances follow several years of steady progress at World Cup level.
"I now feel that every time I skate it goes better. That does a huge amount of good"
In the mass start speed skating event, Bart Swings has high hopes despite a persistent injury. He set a new Belgian record in the 10,000m at the opening World Cup meeting of the season in Heerenveen, with a time of 12:44.75.
The Winter Olympics takes place from 6-22 February.
Team Belgium staff in Milan ahead of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, 4 February 2026 © PHOTO BELGA PHOTO JASPER JACOBS
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