Aussie Winter Olympians encouraged to "have a go"

ACT Ice Sports Federation media release issued on 5 February 2026

ACT’s ice sports community today sent a message to the 53 Australian Winter Olympic athletes competing in 10 sports in Italy from Friday (6 February) to "have a go” and show the world what Aussie sunshine and commitment can do in the snow and on the ice.

The Australian team – 33 women, 20 men – includes five ice sports athletes: figure skaters Holly Harris and Jason Chan are ice dancers, while Hektor Giotopoulos Moore and Anastasia Golubeva are pairs skaters; and Brendan Corey returns from his 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics appearance in short track speed skating.

“All of these Olympians' sports journeys began somewhere in, or at a local community facility," ACT Ice Sports Federation spokesman Sandi Logan, said today. “That is why getting on with the new twin-sheet community ice sports facility to replace the ageing Phillip rink is crucial.

“If Canberrans and the community around the ACT do not have a modern, safe, built-for-the-21st-century ice sports facility, we won't be sending any children from the national capital to the Winter Olympics any time soon.”

Australian 23-year-old figure skating representatives Hector (Giotopoulos Moore) and Holly (Harris) both started their figure skating careers at local facilities: Hektor trained at Canterbury ice rink in Sydney (recipient of $18M of NSW Government funding in 2023 to replace its roof and major restoration works), while Holly first strapped on a pair of ice skates at the same rink in 2007, and later in Brisbane, began figure skating at Iceworld Boondall.

Both skaters and their respective on-ice partners now base themselves overseas to benefit from the coaching and facilities unavailable to them in Australia.

“It is for the entire ACT community as much as it is for high performance athletes and representative teams that the new twin-sheet ice sports facility in Tuggeranong is built now,” Logan said.

“Who knows from where the next Australian Winter Olympian will come, let alone where they will first skate or learn curling, but we know that without making progress on this much anticipated facility, Canberrans will continue to be disadvantaged.”

Australia has been at 20 Winter Olympics since 1936, absent only from the 1948 Games. The 2026 Milano Cortina Games will be the 21st time Australia has competed in the Winter Olympics.

“Australia’s first Winter Olympics medal was in short track ice racing in 1994, and our first gold medals were in 2002, again in short track ice racing and skiing,” Logan said.

“A new ice sports facility will open up a whole new range of activities including short track ice racing, curling and even para hockey and inclusive skating for the ACT and surrounding region,” he added.

The Winter Olympics will be broadcast in Australia from 6 February on Nine and 9Now.