Seven athletes from Saskatchewan are set to compete at the 2026 Olympic Games in Milano-Cortina, Italy. Events begin for the games on Feb. 4, ahead of the opening ceremonies on Feb. 6, and run until Feb. 22. The province’s representation comes from across the field, including curling, ice hockey, snowboarding, freestyle skiing and biathlon. Ben Hebert – Curling Regina-born Ben Hebert is back in red and white on the pebbled sheet, joining Team Jacobs as Canada’s representative in curling. Dubbed the “Premier of Saskatchewan” by teammates, Hebert has curled primarily in Alberta for the last two-plus decades. “I grew up [in Saskatchewan],” Hebert said Monday. “I was 22 when I moved to Alberta. I still get messages today from my high school football coaches, my coaches at North Regina Little League who still keep in touch to this day.” “All the people I met along the way are still probably my best friends in my whole entire life,” he added. In 2025, Team Jacobs donned the maple leaf at the Men’s Curling World Championships in Moose Jaw, the first time Hebert wore the country’s colours in Saskatchewan. After winning the Canadian Olympic Trials, Hebert, skip Brad Jacobs, third Marc Kennedy and second Brett Gallant will go for gold in Italy. The 2026 games are Hebert’s third time at the Olympics. “All I’ve dreamt of going to the Olympics maybe once, or going to a couple of Briers,” he said. “To be going three times is a little bit surreal. It never becomes an old hat by any stretch, the Olympics and getting a team up with the other athletes.” “I don’t take it for granted,” Hebert added. The men’s curling competitions are set from Feb. 11 to Feb. 22 (Day 5 to 16) at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium in Cortina d’Ampezzo. Maïa Schwinghammer – Moguls Saskatoon skier Maïa Schwinghammer will make her Olympic Games debut in the moguls. Growing up in the city, her earliest memories of being on skis are being pulled behind a snowmobile and sliding down Blackstrap Mountain where her parents ran the hill. “[My dad] always pushed me in the sport,” Schwinghammer told reporters Monday. “I’m really grateful for that.” “Now here we are. It’s pretty crazy to be heading to the games as an athlete from Saskatchewan and just to really feel the community back home,” she added. Schwinghammer is currently the top-ranked Canadian woman in moguls and pre-qualified for the 2026 games by claiming bronze at the 2025 FIS World Championships. She also has stood on four World Cup podiums in her career. However, her Olympic dreams began in 2010 at just eight years old. “Jennifer Heil was always a huge inspiration to me,” Schwinghammer said. “I remember watching her get the silver medal [in 2010] and knowing I had to go become an Olympian one day.” “It’s a pretty surreal feeling I’ll compete at the Olympic Games alongside my wonderful teammates. I’m just so excited. It’s something I’ve dreamt of my whole life,” she added. Freestyle skiing will take place in Livigno, at the Livigno Snow Park and the Livigno Aerials and Moguls Park. With so many events, the competitions will run throughout the duration of the Games, from Day 1 on Feb. 7 to Day 15 on Feb. 21. Mark McMorris – Snowboarding Regina snowboarder Mark McMorris will yet again be headed to the Olympic games representing the maple leaf. McMorris will be making his fourth Olympic appearance, meaning he will have competed in every men’s snowboard slopestyle event since it debuted at the 2014 Olympic games in Sochi. He has won three straight Olympic bronze medals, making him the only athlete to be on the slopestyle podium at all three games in which it has been included. Now 32 years old, McMorris is regarded as one of the all-time snowboarding greats. His 25 medals at the Winter X Games, which includes a gold medal he won in Aspen, Co. on the weekend, is a record for an individual athlete. The snowboard big air competition at Milano Cortina 2026 will get started on February 5, prior to the opening ceremony, and continue to Feb. 9. The slopestyle events will follow Feb. 16-18. All snowboard events will be contested at the Livigno Snow Park. Logan Pletz – Biathlon Regina’s Logan Pletz has been named to Team Canada’s Olympic roster in the sport biathlon, also making his Olympic debut in 2026. He has competed in three consecutive IBU World Championships (2023, 2024, 2025). Pletz made his IBU World Cup debut during the 2022-23 season. He set personal best results in Hochfilzen, Austria during the 2024-25 season when he finished 55th in the pursuit and 56th in the sprint. Pletz first represented Canada at the 2019 IBU Youth World Championships where he was 19th in the sprint. He competed in the IBU Junior World Championships in 2021 and 2022. At the latter, he finished 14th in the 15km individual event and sixth with the men’s relay. Pletz competed in his first IBU Cup events during the 2021-22 season. Pletz won gold in the 12.5km individual event at the 2019 Canada Winter Games after serving as Team Saskatchewan’s opening ceremony flag bearer. Biathlon will take place Feb. 8 to Feb. 21 (Days 2 – 15) at the Anterselva Biathlon Arena – one of the most renowned race venues on the World Cup circuit. Emily Clark – Ice Hockey Saskatoon’s Emily Clark is chasing her third Olympic medal with Canada’s national women’s hockey team. After earning a silver medal in 2018 and a gold in 2022, Clark returns for her third Olympic appearance with Team Canada. Now playing in the Professional Women’s Hockey League with the Ottawa Charge, Clark has won six total gold medals between World U18, World Championships and Olympics – with an additional seven other medals, six silvers, in her career. In 12 previous Olympic games played, she has three goals and one assist. Darcy Kuemper – Ice Hockey Saskatoon’s Darcy Kuemper is also set to represent the province at the games, named to Canada’s men’s hockey roster last month. The 35-year-old goaltender has played for Team Canada on two previous occasions (2018 and 2021), including winning a gold medal at the World Championships in 2021. This season with the Los Angeles Kings, Kuemper has a 13-9-9 record in 33 games, a 2.56 goals against average and .902 save percentage with two shutouts. Brandon Hagel – Ice Hockey Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel will join Kuemper in Italy as part of Team Canada. Born in Saskatoon, Hagel is listed as from Morinville, Alta by Hockey Canada – where he played the majority of his minor hockey growing up. Hagel was a part of Canada’s run through the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, where the red and white won gold. He adds two other World Championship appearances – including a gold medal in 2021 – in his career. The 2026 Olympic games will be his first such tournament. Canada has won gold at both the Vancouver 2010 and Sochi 2014 Games - the last two Olympic tournaments that NHL players have attended - but were held to bronze at Pyeongchang in 2018 before failing to medal altogether in Beijing in 2022. The 2026 Games are set to open from Milan on Feb. 6. The knockout rounds of the hockey tournament will begin with the quarter-finals, set to be played on Feb. 18, and will run through the gold medal game, which will take place on Feb. 22. -With files from Hallee Mandryk and Drew Postey
