How Australia became a consistent Winter Olympics performer

Australia has won medals at every Winter Games since 1994 and Milano Cortina 2026 is already its best ever Winter Olympics, with most success coming in moguls and snowboarding.

Australia has moved from a lone Winter Olympian in 1936 to a team of more than 50 athletes at Milano Cortina 2026. Kenneth Kennedy was the country's sole competitor in 1936 and Australia did not win a Winter Olympic medal until 1994, when the men's 5000m speed skating relay took bronze and included Steven Bradbury. Australia has since won medals at every Winter Games and recorded gold successes in 2002 and 2010, plus a four-medal haul in 2022. Milano Cortina 2026 is already described as Australia's best ever Winter Olympics, with a concentrated run of five medals in four days, including three golds. Key facts: - Australia first sent a single athlete, Kenneth Kennedy, to the 1936 Winter Games. - The nation's first Winter Olympic medal came in 1994 with a bronze in the men's 5000m speed skating relay, a team that included Steven Bradbury. - Australia has won medals at every Winter Games since 1994 and reached a strong performance at Milano Cortina 2026, with five medals in the first four days and a current ranking of 11th. - All of Australia's Milano Cortina medals so far are in freestyle skiing (moguls) and snowboarding; the moguls program, started in 1998, has delivered multiple world championship medals and four Olympic golds. - Targeted facility investments include the Perisher "Toppa's Dream" moguls course upgraded with extra snow guns, and a Brisbane water ramp for aerial and mogul training; the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia has been involved in these projects. - Concerns exist about future funding as federal focus shifts toward summer sports ahead of Brisbane 2032; Snow Australia received $1.7m in high performance funding in the latest financial year and the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia received additional funding. Summary: Australia's recent medal surge reflects concentrated investment in a small set of winter disciplines and purpose-built facilities. Questions remain about future funding as government support shifts toward summer sports ahead of Brisbane 2032. Efforts to resolve those anxieties and plan for the next four-year cycle are expected to begin in the weeks ahead.