The 2026 Winter Olympics were not something to miss, from cheating teams to injuries and relationship troubles. But what was done? And what should have been done?

Lindsey Vonn

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Lindsey Vonn, a 41-year-old alpine skier, competed in this year’s Olympics with a torn ACL. She fell 13 seconds into her race after clipping a flag with her right ski pole. CNN reported that after her crash, she had multiple surgeries at an Italian hospital, Ca’ Foncello, for a severe tibia fracture in her left leg due to the crash. When asked about the crash, senior Aubrey Greaves mentioned, “I think it’s really unfortunate for her, and it’s really heartbreaking because she trained all her life for the Olympics.” Even before her unfortunate fall, her choice to compete in the Olympics was already a controversial subject that raised conversation and concerns about age in sports. Many people mentioned that competing with a freshly torn ACL was an immature idea, but senior Julia Duerr said, “If I was given the opportunity to compete at the Olympics with an injury, of course I would want to do that.” Performing in the Olympics isn’t always a possibility for athletes, so with the opportunity, injured or not, the Olympics isn’t something to be missed. CNN also reported that she is now in stable condition.

Cheating Canadian Curling Team

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In the game of curling, players can either be “The Action,” the person who slides the curling stone, or “The Sweeper,” the people who skate in front of the stone smoothing out the ice. While playing as “The Action,” Canadian curling team player Marc Kennedy cheated by using an illegal double touch on the curling stone. Originally, when accused, he cursed the opposing Swedish team out on national television, but when a video was released as evidence, clearly showing he cheated on several different occasions, he had little to say for himself.

When asked why he may have cheated, Julia Duerr added, “I guess he’ll do anything to win, even putting his teammates in jeopardy.” Cheating is the price of horrible pressure on an athlete and isn’t always a reflection on their character, but it’s human nature to deny it when caught in a horrible lie. Juliar Duerr also mentions, “Humans get defensive when they get called out—maybe that was his first instinct.”

There have been many debates on whether Kennedy should be banned. When asked where she stands, 12th grader Sofia Hernandez said, “For other sports you’d get kicked out of the game,” and went on to say it wouldn’t be fair if he continued in the Olympics, especially without any sort of consequence. Interestingly enough, ESPN reported that even though both teams appealed to the judges, this did not change the results of the match because none of the double touches were visible to the umpire. The Canadian team also accused the Swedish team of improperly filming Kennedy because the footage came from a Swedish broadcaster. Canada went on to win gold in curling, and due to the controversy in this event, readers will have to form their own opinions about this incident.

Cheating Scandal

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Winter Olympic medalist Sturla Holm Laegreid confessed to cheating on his girlfriend on global television after only six months of dating. Apparently, the act of unfaithfulness happened just three months into their relationship, and he took his moment on the biggest global stage to confess to the world in hopes of winning her back. She has not been named, but according to the Norwegian news outlet VG, they are broken up. This turned into the most drama-ridden event at the Olympics and sparked many debates. Sofia Hernandez said, “I think you should keep your relationship private,” and Julia Duerr added on, saying, “Not only is he wrong for doing all of this, but he also took away from the other athletes.”

All of this drama has been found to significantly increase the viewership of the Olympics. “Definitely made me more interested in curling because I didn’t even know you could cheat in that sport,” Julia Duerr mentions. But does this drama take away from all the record-breaking athletes? Aubrey Greaves mentioned how “it does take away some of the integrity.” So overall, is this drama good for bringing in new audiences or taking away from the professionalism of the Olympics?

NBC News reported that despite the drama surrounding him, Laegreid has gone on to win 3 silver medals and two bronze medals. So maybe the drama hasn’t gotten to him yet since he is doing so well. NBC also reported that he said being in the Olympic village felt like being in a bubble, and maybe that is for the best given the precarious situation in his love life.