65 Days until the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympic Opening Ceremonies.
PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA – FEBRUARY 25: Nico Walther, Kevin Kuske, Alexander Roediger and Eric Franke of Germany compete in their final run during the 4-man Boblseigh Heats on day sixteen of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Olympic Sliding Centre on February 25, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
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Germany ranks third in Winter Olympic medals, just behind Norway (405 medals) and the USA (330 medals), with 287 medals overall. And in gold medals, specifically Germany and the USA are neck and neck with 113 and 114 medals respectively. This is despite the USA having a huge advantage in population over Germany (340 million versus 83 million respectively), with similar climate, resources, etc..
German Winter Olympic Participation Since 1924
WHISTLER, BC – FEBRUARY 21: Gold medalist Magdalena Neuner of Germany celebrates after their victories in the Women’s 12.5km Mass Start Biathlon on day 10 of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics at the German Haus on February 21, 2010 in Whistler, Canada. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images)
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Germany was not invited to the 1924 and 1948 Winter Olympics due to its role in World War I (1914-1918) and World War II (1939-1945). Also, following the end of World War II, Germany was occupied and divided between the USSR and its Western allies (the USA, Great Britain, and France). Germany was a devastated country after the war and had lost over 5.4 million soldiers and upwards of 3 million civilians. In spite of this 20th-century catastrophe, German athletes would compete as a unified team (United Team of Germany) from 1956 to 1964. After that, East and West Germany sent separate teams until reunification in 1990.
UNSPECIFIED – NOVEMBER 09: Poster for the Olympic Winter Games in Garmisch Partenkirchen in Germany in 1936 (Photo by Apic/Getty Images)
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Notwithstanding the aforementioned 20th century political, economic and social upheavals, Germany, as a country, has achieved remarkable Winter Olympic success. And especially since reunification in 1990, Germany has been a major force topping the medals tables in 1992, 1998, 2002 and 2006.
Famous German Winter Olympians
Katja Seizinger became the first woman in history to win gold in the downhill in successive Olympics in Lillehammer in 1994 and Nagano in 1998.
15 FEB 1994: KATJA SEIZINGER OF GERMANY IN ACTION IN THE WOMEN’s SUPER GIANT SLALOM AT THE 1994 LILLEHAMMER WINTER OLYMPICS. Mandatory Credit: Chris Cole/ALLSPORT
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Also in Nagano in 1998, German luge great Georg Hackl became just the sixth Winter Olympian to win the same event (men’s singles luge) in three consecutive Games.
CESANA PARIOL, ITALY – FEBRUARY 12: Georg Hackl of Germany competes in his final run in the Mens Luge Single Final on Day 2 of the 2006 Turin Winter Olympic Games on February 12, 2006 in Cesana Pariol, Italy. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
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German speed-skater Claudia Pechstein is the first female Winter Olympian to win medals in five consecutive Olympics (1992–2006); she won the gold medal in the women’s 5000 meter race in three consecutive Olympics (1994, 1998, 2002), with bronze in the first (1992) and the silver medal in the fifth (2006).
SOCHI, RUSSIA – FEBRUARY 09: Claudia Pechstein of Germany competes during the Women’s 3000m Speed Skating event during day 2 of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at Adler Arena Skating Center on February 9, 2014 in Sochi, Russia. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
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Ski Jumper Jens Weisflog won two gold medals in the individual large hill and team large hill events at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics. Prior to reunification, and while competing for East Germany in Sarajevo in 1984 Weisflog also won a gold and a bronze medal.
Alpine skier Ulrich Wehling won the nordic combined event in three consecutive Winter Olympics in Sapporo in 1972, in Innsbruck in 1976, and in Lake Placid in 1980.
Ulrich Wehling, der Nordische Kombinierte aus der DDR, zeigt einen Sprung im olympischen Wettbewerb am 18.02.1980 in Lake Placid. Der 27jährige Oberwiesenthaler gewinnt am Ende den ersten Teilwettbewerb sichert sich tags darauf mit einem schnellen 15-km-Lauf bei den Olympischen Winterspielen im US-Wintersportort zum drittenmal in Folge die Goldmedaille – ein einzigartiger Erfolg. (Photo by Heinz Wieseler/picture alliance via Getty Images)
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Alpine skier Rosi Mittermaier would win three medals in Innsbruck in 1976, including two gold medals in the downhill and slalom races and a silver medal in the giant slalom.
Alpine skier Maria Höfl-Riesch won gold medals in slalom and super combined in Vancouver in 2010. She defended her super combined title in Sochi in 2014 to win her third Olympic gold medal, and also won a silver medal in the super-G.
WHISTLER, BC – FEBRUARY 26: Maria Riesch of Germany celebrates winning the gold medal during the medal ceremony for the ladies alpine skiing slalom on day 15 of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics at Whistler Medals Plaza on February 26, 2010 in Whistler, Canada. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
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On to the 2026 Winter Olympic German hopefuls:
The German Men’s Hockey Team
TOPSHOT – Germany’s Danny aus den Birken (R) bites his silver medal on the podium during the medal ceremony after the men’s gold medal ice hockey match between the Olympic Athletes from Russia and Germany during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Gangneung Hockey Centre in Gangneung on February 25, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / Brendan Smialowski (Photo credit should read BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
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The men’s hockey team shocked many in PyeongChang in 2018, winning a silver medal. This was followed by only a tenth-place finish in Beijing in 2022. They return in 2026 with at least six NHL players on their roster: Leon Draisaitl, Moritz Seider, Tim Stutzle, Lukas Reichel, Philipp Grubauer, and Nico Sturm. Many experts, therefore, think they will have enough top-level talent and Olympic experience to get to the quarterfinals and could even sneak into the semifinals.
Bobsledder Francesco Freidrich
PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA – FEBRUARY 19: Francesco Friedrich and Thorsten Margis of Germany reacts in the finish area following their final run during the Men’s 2-Man Bobsleigh on day 10 of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Olympic Sliding Centre on February 19, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
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Francesco Friedrich has consistently piloted Germany to Olympic and world titles in two-man and four-man bobsled. He swept both events at each of the last two Winter Olympics, and his four gold medals are tied for the most in the sport. A fifth gold medal would break the tie and put Friedrich atop his sport’s all-time leaderboard. It’s hard to bet against the 35-year-old.
Biathlon Franziska Preuß
Germany’s Franziska Preuss poses on the podium after winning the women’s 7,5 km sprint event of the IBU World Cup on December 13, 2024 in Hochfilzen, Austria. (Photo by KERSTIN JOENSSON / AFP) (Photo by KERSTIN JOENSSON/AFP via Getty Images)
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Despite amassing an envious number of World Championships medals, Preuß has yet to win an individual Olympic medal. She’s been close, finishing fourth in the 15km individual event in PyeongChang in 2018, but she’s never stood on the podium outside of her relay bronze in Beijing in 2022. Maybe 2026 will finally be her Olympic year.
Alpine Skier Linus Strasser
SAALBACH, AUSTRIA – MARCH 17 : Linus Strasser of Team Germany in action during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Finals Men’s Slalom on March 17, 2024 in Saalbach Austria. (Photo by Christophe Pallot/Agence Zoom/Getty Images)
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Strasser, who specializes in the slalom event, won a silver medal in the mixed team event in Beijing in 2022. He has continued to improve since then and finished third in the slalom at the 2025 World Championships.
Bobsledder Laura Nolte
YANQING, CHINA – FEBRUARY 19: Gold medal winners Laura Nolte and Deborah Levi of Team Germany celebrate on the podium during the flower ceremony following the 2-woman Bobsleigh Heat 4 on day 15 of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at National Sliding Centre on February 19, 2022 in Yanqing, China. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
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Laura Nolte won the 2023 and 2024 World Championships in monobob. In the 2022 Beijing Games, she won the gold medal in the two-woman bobsleigh, becoming the youngest woman in bobsleigh history to win the title.
Snowboarder Ramona Hofmeister
Germany’s Ramona Theresia Hofmeister competes in the snowboard women’s parallel giant slalom elimination run during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at the Genting Snow Park P & X Stadium in Zhangjiakou on February 8, 2022. (Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP) (Photo by BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images)
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Hofmeister competed in the PyeongChang Games in 2018, winning a bronze medal in the parallel giant slalom.
Curling Mark Muskatewitz
Muskatewitz, 29, started playing curling in 2003, where he had a successful junior career. He would go on to compete in seven World Championships from 2016 to 2025. At the 2025 World’s, team Muskatewitz would finish with a 5–7 record, finishing outside of the playoffs in 8th place. However, Muskatewitz’s performance over the last two world championships earned Germany enough points to qualify directly for the 2026 Winter Olympics. This would be his first Olympics, notwithstanding his ten years of experience on the world stage.
Pairs Skating Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin
Fabienne and Volodin have achieved significant success since teaming up in 2022. They are the reigning European champions and 2025 World silver medalists, and they have won the Grand Prix Final twice. Their rapid rise to the top of their sport includes winning multiple Grand Prix events and a bronze medal at the 2024 World Championships.