Australia’s campaign at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics wrapped up with a strong hint of even greater achievements ahead. The nation’s athletes delivered their best-ever performance, securing three gold medals, two silvers, and one bronze to finish 14th overall—surpassing expectations and outpacing traditional powers like Great Britain while trailing giants such as Canada, Japan, and China.
Young Phenom Indra Brown Steals the Show
Sixteen-year-old freestyle skier Indra Brown capped the Games with a remarkable fifth-place finish in the halfpipe final. Falling just 5.5 points shy of the podium, her effort marks the highest placement ever by an Australian under 18 at the Winter Olympics. Brown made history by landing a 1080 spin—three full rotations—the first time she executed it in competition and one of only two athletes to do so that day.
Despite her youth and limited senior experience, Brown displayed exceptional poise. She now heads to the FIS Park and Pipe Junior World Championships in Canada, delaying her flight due to weather-related postponements. Balancing elite competition with schoolwork, Brown recently tackled linear equations homework between qualifying runs.
Cross-country skier Rosie Fordham also impressed in the 50km event, rounding out a strong final day for Australia’s team.
Strategic Investments Fuel Medal Surge
Australia’s success stems from innovative training facilities compensating for limited natural snow. The Geoff Henke Winter Olympic Sports Training Centre in Brisbane offers a unique water-based practice area for aerial and mogul skiers—the only such facility in the Southern Hemisphere. It played a key role in most of Australia’s medals.
Silver medalist Danielle Scott in women’s aerials credits the 2021-opened center for keeping her in the sport. “I would have quit without it,” she stated.
Snow Australia’s Jindabyne training center features a world-class dry slope airbag, enabling year-round practice for skiers and snowboarders. The organization’s head explains, “We excel most in sports that train effectively off snow.” All but one medal—Josie Baff’s snowboard cross gold—came from such disciplines. Both facilities launched within the last five years, amplifying their immediate impact.
Calls Grow for Boosted Winter Sports Funding
Australian chef de mission and former gold medal aerial skier Alisa Camplin-Warner urges more investment. “Winter sports have been disproportionately funded,” she noted. “We’re grateful for current support, but equalizing resources could elevate us further and inspire more athletes.”
Winter disciplines received under $40 million in federal high-performance funding over the Olympic cycle, dwarfed by summer sports like swimming, which gets nearly $20 million this year alone for able-bodied and para-athletes. Concerns linger that preparations for the Brisbane 2032 Summer Olympics might sideline winter efforts.
Many winter athletes operate on tight budgets, including rising star Brown, who crowdfunds via the Australian Sports Foundation. In the halfpipe final, judges shifted emphasis to amplitude over technical skill; Brown’s max height of three meters trailed bronze medalist Zoe Atkin’s five meters—a gap expected to close with maturity.
Over half of Australia’s 50-plus Olympians were debutants, positioning the team for substantial growth by the next Games.
