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By Anne Erickson
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The 2026 Winter Olympics are taking center stage in Milan, Italy, and the competitions have been exciting. But, amid all the cold fun, there's concern that the environment in which these athletes compete "carry more risk."
It's not a new thing to rely on artificial snow for winter competitions. In fact, the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing used machine-made snow for many of its races, according to research from the Olympics.
There are benefits to using artificial snow, mainly being that if there isn't enough real snow to compete, it can bridge the gap. There are also negatives, and one of those points to safety.
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According to the Weather Channel, "machine-made snow creates a very different surface than natural snow, changing the race."
"Most of our races are on machine-made snow," 2026 U.S. Olympic team cross-country skier Rosie Brennan told the Weather Center ahead of the event. "TV production is great at making it look like we are in wintry, snowy places, but this year has been particularly bad."
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Brennan also told the Weather Channel that "courses built for natural snow feel completely different when covered in man-made snow."
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"They're faster, icier, and carry more risk than anyone might imagine for cross-country skiing," Brennan said.
According to NBC News, with artificial snow, skiers have more speed into downhill runs. Skiing in these conditions "requires a different style of skiing, skill sets and strengths than I grew up learning," Brennan added.
So, while the snow may look beautiful and pristine on camera, the artificial snow carries some extra precautions.
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As for a little history about the Olympics, according to the official event website, "the first-ever Olympics were held in Athens, Greece in 1896. Since then, the Olympic Games are held every four years. The maiden edition saw 241 athletes from 14 nations take part in nine sports" athletics, cycling, fencing, gymnastics, shooting, swimming, tennis, weightlifting and wrestling."
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