By Sports Editor Erin Miller.

The opening ceremony kicks off tonight, and this year, Ireland sends four athletes to snowy Milan to compete in the 25th Winter Olympics.

This is Ireland’s 9th time participating since our debut in 1992, sending two bobsled teams to Albertville in France. 

Three Irish athletes will make their first time appearance in Milan, alongside Thomas Maloney Westgaard returning for his third winter games. He is only the second person in Irish history to compete in three games, rivaling snowboarder Seamus O’Connor.

30 year old Norwegian born, Westgaard, competes for Ireland thanks to his mother hailing from Galway. He competes in the 10km + 10km skiathlon and the 50km classic. 

He first represented Ireland in 2015, and placed 13th in the 2025 World Championships in the 50km. He also placed 14th at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.

He will ski the 10km + 10km on the 8th of February, the 10km free on the 13th, and the 50km classic on the 21st.

Our youngest ever participant in alpine skiing is Anabelle Zurbay who will be competing in the Slalom and Giant Slalom events at just seventeen years old. 

Originally born in Colorado, Anabelle qualifies to ski for Ireland through her grandmother, from County Westmeath. She has been skiing since she was small, and is also involved with gymnastics.

The giant slalom run 1 & 2 will take place on the 15th of February, and on the 18th she will also compete in the slalom run 1 & 2.

Westgaard and Zurbay will be the flagbearers at tonight’s opening ceremony.

Dublin’s Cormac Comerford will be competing in three skiing categories, the downhill, the slalom, the giant slalom and the Super G disciplines. 

The 29 year old first began skiing at 10 years old, and has competed in five World Championships, with a best place of 23rd.

He will race in the downhill on the 8th, the Super G on the 11th, the Giant Slalom 1 & 2 on the 14th and the Slalom Run 1 & 2 on the 16th.

Finally, Ben Lynch will compete in the freestyle skiing halfpipe. Born in Dublin but now living in Canada, his best place is 23rd in the most recent World Cup. 

The 23 year old will race on the 19th in the halfpipe, and if he qualifies, he will also race in the final on the 20th.

Including this year, Ireland has sent 36 athletes to the Winter Olympics, with our best place being Cliffton Wrottesley in the Skeleton in 2002 in Salt Lake City, where he placed 4th. 

Born in Dublin, Wrottesley self-funded his participation in the Skeleton after becoming inspired by his late fathers love for winter sports. 

He has a title of 6th Baron Wrottesley following his grandfather’s passing. He was .42 seconds behind third place, narrowly missing out on a bronze medal.

This was also the year Ireland sent our first ever female athlete, Tamsen McGarry in alpine skiing, finishing 35th overall. 

Ireland has come a long way since first sending 2 2-man bobsled teams in 1992. Despite not sending any athletes in 1994, we have been regular entrants since.

RTÉ plans to show as many events as possible live with Winter Olympic highlights each evening.

Image Credit: Team Ireland