Winter Olympics: Team GB confident of record medal haul as UK Sport sets target for Milan-Cortina Games
Team GB have been set the target of winning in the range of four to eight medals at the Winter Olympics; their previous best was five in 2014 and 2018; ParalympicsGB have set the target of winning between two and five medals
Tuesday 13 January 2026 14:24, UK
Never before have Team GB Winter Olympic athletes been selected for a Games with the expectation of winning more medals than in the previous 102 years of competition.
UK Sport, the body responsible for distributing public money and National Lottery funds to elite GB athletes, has set a medal range of four to eight medals for Team GB to secure at Milan-Cortina 2026.
The best medal haul achieved previously has been five medals which happened at Sochi in 2014 and four years later at Pyeongchang in South Korea.
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UK Sport along with Team GB are quietly confident the team could usurp their best medal haul because it's felt their athletes are more competitive in more sports at a Winter Games that ever before. This is backed up by statistics which show this season more British athletes are succeeding at the highest world championship level than before.
Twenty-one Team GB athletes have secured either bold, silver or bronze at winter sports world championships during the Olympic cycle leading up to Milan-Cortina 2026. This level has never been witnessed before.
Eve Muirhead OBE, who won gold at the last Games at Beijing 2022 as skip of the women's curling team, has since retired from elite sport, but stepped straight into a senior leadership role within Team GB, leading them as Chef de Mission for Milan-Cortina 2026.
"We've been meticulous in our preparations for Milano Cortina 2026," she said.
"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."
The Winter Olympics begin on February 6 with the opening ceremony taking place at the iconic San Siro Stadium in Milan, more akin to hosting to football and AC Milan and Inter. The venue will be the centrepiece on the opening day as Italy hosts its third Winter Olympics.
While the Olympics take place during February, the Paralympics follow in March and UK Sport has also set a medal range for Paralympics GB athletes of winning between two to five medals.
The overall range is slightly lower than for Beijing 2022, although the team is still expected to be medal competitive across a wide range of disciplines.
Phil Smith, ParalympicsGB's Chef de Mission for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games said: "ParalympicsGB will be represented across five sports, with an exciting mix of experienced Paralympians and Games debutants already selected and the full team set to be confirmed next month.
"I am confident we have a plan in place to give each and every athlete the best possible chance to deliver incredible performances that will excite and enthral the British public.
"With the Paralympic Winter Games taking place close to home and in a European time zone, Milano Cortina 2026 presents a fantastic opportunity for ParalympicsGB's talented athletes to show fans - whether in Italy or supporting from back home - just how captivating and thrilling Winter sports can be."
