UK Sport has announced its medal ambitions for the upcoming Winter Olympics held this February in Milan-Cortina.
The Games have the potential to be the best ever from a British perspective, with UK Sport setting a target range of 4-8 medals for the Olympics and 2-5 for the Paralympics.
Britain’s highest total at a Winter Olympics is five medals, a landmark achieved at Sochi 2014 and Pyeongchang 2028.
The previous Winter Games in Beijing 2022 were comparatively disappointing with only two medals won against a target of three to seven: gold in women’s curling and silver in men’s curling.
UK Sport is approaching the Games with “cautious optimism”, with medal potential across a wide range of sports, from curling and skeleton to figure skating and the snowsport disciplines.
The medal target range for the Paralympics is slightly lower than for Beijing to reflect a series of injuries and a lack of access to competitions athletes have faced throughout this four-year cycle.
Dr. Kate Baker, Director of Performance and People at UK Sport said: “Our medal ranges reflect the fact that British athletes are arriving at the Games in hugely competitive form with enormous potential to deliver memorable, extraordinary sporting moments for the British public to enjoy.”
Britain have never won more than one gold medal at a Winter Olympics but a haul of 21 medals, eight of them gold, across winter world championships in this cycle has provided cause for optimism.
Team GB’s Chef de Mission Eve Muirhead said: “We’ve been meticulous in our preparations for Milano Cortina 2026. I know first-hand the difference the right environment can make at an Olympic Games, and our focus has been on creating the conditions that allow athletes to deliver when it matters most.
“The potential within this team is exceptionally high, and while we don’t always benefit from the same ease of access to snow and ice as some of our rivals, when I look at the class of 2026, I see a real opportunity to challenge the status quo.
“Our athletes are focused, driven and hungry to succeed, and our responsibility is to put the right foundations in place so every one of them can perform to their potential. We are heading to Italy as a credible force across more disciplines than ever before, and I’m excited to see the nation get behind them.”
