It is just over a week until the Olympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony will dazzle the San Siro at Milano Cortina 2026.
Team GB’s winter superstars are gearing up for the event of a lifetime but how do the numbers break down?
Athletes – 53
The announcement of biathlon duo Jacques Jefferies and Shawna Pendry took the number of athletes in the squad to 53.
This is an increase of three from the cohort at Beijing 2022, while it does not include Alex Cartagena or Kya Placide, who are the travelling reserves in bobsleigh.
Women – 23
This is the same number as Beijing, and includes medal hopes Mia Brookes, Kirsty Muir and Charlotte Bankes.
Men – 30
This is where the increase from 2022 comes, with three more men part of the squad than last time out.
Matt Weston, Bruce Mouat and Brad Hall are among those bidding to etch their names into Winter Olympic folklore.
Sports entered – 11
This is also the same number as four years ago. On that occasion, Team GB were represented in luge. That is not the case this time, but biathlon makes up the difference and ensures it is as you were for the number of sports being competed in by British athletes.
Returning Olympians – 28
Just over half of the class of 2026 have had a taste of the Olympic Winter Games before.
Chief among them are veterans Dave Ryding and Andrew Musgrave, who are back for a fifth shot at the big time having made their debuts at Vancouver 2010.
Returning medallists – 5
The quintet are all curlers, with Bruce Mouat, Grant Hardie, Hammy McMillan Jnr, Bobby Lammie and Jen Dodds hoping to occupy a spot on the podium again.
Technically, Gus Kenworthy makes it six, but he won his Sochi slopestyle silver while representing the USA.
Teenagers – 3
Youth is very much on the side of this trio.
Freestyle skier Liam Richards celebrated his 18th birthday on January 7, while Mia Brookes turned 19 just 12 days later.
Txema Mazet-Brown, meanwhile, turns 20 shortly after the conclusion of the Games. His teenage years come to an end on March 13.
World champions (since Beijing 2022) – 10
This bodes well…
British athletes have excelled on the global stage in this Olympic cycle.
Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale won mixed team snowboard cross gold at the 2023 World Championships, while Mia Brookes and Zoe Atkin have also topped the podium.
Matt Weston is a two-time world champion, while Team Mouat have also doubled up, winning World Championship gold in 2023 and 2025.
Youngest competitor - Liam Richards
Born in Switzerland to British parents before moving to New Zealand, fresh-faced Liam Richards has had a snow-filled upbringing.
“I didn’t realise it (skiing) was going to be something amazing,” he said. “Then I started getting better and thought ‘this is awesome’.”
Oldest competitor - Dave Ryding
There is no substitute for experience and the Rocket has it in bucketloads.
The 39-year-old from Chorley has a best Olympic finish of ninth in the slalom, at PyeongChang 2018, and will be looking for a fairytale finish in his final Games before retirement.
Most popular names - Sophie and James
Both Sophies – Jackson and Sinclair – are in the women’s curling squad, while Hernandez (figure skating) and Clugnet (cross-country skiing) make up the James duo.
Team – 1
One team, countless dreams.
Keep up with every twist and turn from Milano Cortina on TeamGB.com and through the live blog on the Team GB App.