Briar Cliff Students Share Mixed Interest as 2026 Winter Olympics Approach

Worldwide flags in Heelan Hall.
Photo by Kaden Allred

The 2026 Winter Olympics are set to begin Feb. 6 in Milan-Cortina, Italy, but students have varying levels of interest in the international sporting event.

Some students say the Olympics are not a major priority, while others see the Games as a meaningful source of national pride and global connection.

Aidan Doyle, a sports management major from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, said he does not closely follow the Olympics.

“I never really pay attention to the Olympics at all,” Doyle said.

When asked about his favorite Olympic sport, Doyle said he does not have one, but recalled watching snowboarder Shaun White when he was younger.

“As a kid, I loved watching Shaun White when he would do the halfpipe,” Doyle said.

Doyle said he watched much of the 2024 Summer Olympics, though largely by chance.

“I really watched a lot of the 2024 Summer Olympics, but that’s because I was at the lake and it was on the TV,” he said.

In contrast, international student Giuseppe Matrix said the Olympics are taken very seriously in his home country of Italy, which will host the 2026 Winter Games.

“For me, the Olympics are cool to watch,” said Matrix, a business administration and management major. “Back home, during the Olympics, the TV is on that channel most of the time, and we watch every sport, especially the ones Italy is strong in.”

Matrix said hosting the Olympics brings attention and pride to Italy.

“Obviously it’s cool that Italy is hosting the Olympics,” he said. “A lot of people will talk about Italy and how Italy is as a country.”

While Matrix said he does not know any Olympic athletes personally, he enjoys watching Italy compete and track its medal count. He added that the Olympics are widely discussed in Italy and viewed as a point of national pride.

“I think it’s taken seriously in Italy,” Matrix said. “During the Olympics, everyone is talking about it.”

Matrix, who is from Naro, Sicily — about 930 miles from Milan — said he does not have a single favorite Olympic sport and enjoys watching a variety of competitions. He also said his interest in the Olympics was stronger when he was younger.

“I would say I enjoyed it more as a kid,” Matrix said. “I just enjoyed sports more than I do now.”

As the 2026 Winter Olympics approach, students continue to view the Games through different lenses, shaped by personal interest, upbringing and national identity.