Best Winter Olympics Sporting Event
Originating in France in 1924, the Winter Olympic Games offer a chillier, more slippery, and significantly more clothed alternative to the iconic Summer Olympic Games. With the 2026 Winter Olympic Games set to take place in Milano-Cortina, Italy, February 6-22, the Great Pop Culture Debate wanted to take the ski lift and take in the whole competition as we attempt to name the Best Winter Olympic Sporting Event.
Events discussed: figure skating, ski mountaineering, snowboarding, alpine skiing, ski jumping, cross-country skiing, skeleton, ice hockey, curling, biathlon, freestyle skiing, speed skating, luge, Nordic combined, short-track speed skating, bobsled/bobsleigh
Join host Eric Rezsnyak and GPCD panelists Joelle Boedecker, Kara Austin, and Trey Radu-Blackburn as they discuss and debate all 16 of the competitive events taking place at the 2026 Olympic Games.
Play along at home by finding the listener bracket here. Make a copy for yourself, fill it out, and see if your picks match up with ours!
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Round 1 Match-Ups:
Not a Patreon subscriber? Here’s a primer on how we came up with the bracket.
Match-Up 1: Figure Skating (1) vs. Ski Mountaineering (4)
Match-Up 2: Snowboarding (3) vs. Alpine Skiing (2)
Match-Up 3: Ski Jumping (1) vs. Cross-Country Skiing (4)
Match-Up 4: Skeleton (3) vs. Ice Hockey (2)
Match-Up 5: Curling (1) vs. Biathlon (4)
Match-Up 6: Freestyle Skiing (3) vs. Speed Skating (2)
Match-Up 7: Luge (1) vs. Nordic Combined (4)
Match-Up 8: Short-Track Speed Skating (3) vs. Bobsled/Bobsleigh (2)
Want to play along at home?
Download the Listener Bracket and see if your picks match up with ours!
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Episode Credits
Host: Eric Rezsnyak
Panelists: Joelle Boedecker, Kara Austin, Trey Radu-Blackburn
Producer: Derek Mekita
Editor: Eric Rezsnyak
Theme Music: “Dance to My Tune” by Marc Torch
