Olympics has been unable to save itself from public commentary on social media
With the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics having just passed, I am sure many people have noticed the communities that have sprouted online dedicated to the events. Within the past few years, an increasing number of fans and athletes have been posting about the Olympics. So much so that it is near impossible to keep up with all the content.
But fear not! I have compiled a few social media highlights that grabbed the online community’s attention during the 2026 games.
Curling cheating scandal
The Canadian curling team was accused of “double touching” the stone which happens when a player touches the stone for the second time after releasing it. The move is considered as foul play and can cause the stone to be removed from the play.
During a match between team Sweden and team Canada, Swedish curler Oskar Erikson claimed Canadian curler Marc Kennedy touched the granite of the curling stone after already having released it. Canadian skip, Rachel Homan, was accused of the same a day later by an umpire and was penalized.
Both denied the accusations and many professional curlers have come to their defense and expressed that the double touch would not be advantageous at all. The drama of it all spread and soon many memes were being created, making fun of the Canadian curlers for double touching.
US men’s hockey team
Both women’s and men’s hockey teams of the United States won gold this year, against Canada. The victory was very exciting for the American hockey fans.
Though the women’s team has been consistently winning medals, this was the first gold win for the men’s team since 1980. Unfortunately, the men’s gold win was overshadowed following a leaked video of the team laughing at the women’s team while on call with President Donald Trump.
This was majorly disheartening for many of the fans and considering none of the men have apologised and instead attended dinner at the white house, online community’s view of the team has soured. The love for the women’s team, on the other hand, has only increased with them receiving support from the Americans and the rest of the world.
Many, including myself, have noticed the amount of love and recognition female athletes have been receiving in the online spaces. Communities on TikTok or Instagram have been doing a good job of highlighting the incredible female athletes in all kinds of sports.
Many, including myself, have noticed the amount of love and recognition female athletes have been receiving in the online spaces. Communities on TikTok or Instagram have been doing a good job of highlighting the incredible female athletes in all kinds of sports.” – Anya Peppler
Eileen Gu
A Chinese-American freestyle skier and model, Eileen Gu, has had some of the most viral press conference moments of the Olympics. Her snappy replies to reporters has had fans gushing over her on social media.
“I am the most decorated female free skier in the history,” is what Gu said to a reporter who asked her about “losing two gold” when she won two silver medals.
The online communities of Americans, however, are not Gu’s biggest fans as she chose to represent China in the Olympics instead of America despite being born and raised in the States.
Alysa Liu
Figure skating has always been a popular sport in the Olympics with both its artistry and skill. This year has truly been its time to shine, with many viewers becoming invested in the lives of the competing athletes and discussing their routines.
A 20-year-old American figure skater, Alysa Liu, left quite the mark on this year’s Olympic games. Many of her fans admire the unabashed joy she expressed while competing.
Liu has previously retired from the sport following the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics when she was 16-years-old. Her return to the sport caused quite the ruckus and has made her a favourite amongst the figure skaters. Her popularity was also amplified by her two gold wins.
The quad god, Ilia Malinin
Ilia Malinin, the 21-year-old American figure skater, gained his nickname of quad god from his use of the quadruple axel. A quadruple axel is considered one of the most difficult jumps in figure skating requiring 4.5 revolutions in the air.
He gained traction online, with many of his fans predicting a gold win for the men’s free skate. He unexpectedly fell twice during his performance and ended up finishing eighth overall. This left both the athlete and his fans quite disappointed.
Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov
The winner of the men’s free skate claimed Kazakhstan’s first ever gold medal in figure skating.
Mikhail Shaidorov executed five clean quadruple jumps beautifully, after having struggled with them for the whole season. The athlete dedicated the victory to his country. This win left the Kazakhstanis and Shaidorov fans exploding with celebration for his well-deserved victory.
CAD’s hockey team’s BTS
The online communities dedicated to dissecting and discussing this year’s Olympics created a multitude of dedicated fans and people who religiously watched the games.
The internet also saw athletes like those in the Canadian women’s hockey team and many others creating behind-the-scenes videos from the games for fans to watch. This opened a whole other side to the Olympic games for the fans.
