South Africa are set to be the best-represented African country at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics (Feb. 6-22), with five athletes expected to participate among a total 13 from the continent.

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For many decades, Olympic Games included "demonstration sports." Some, like curling, became part of the permanent roster. But others, like skijoring, didn't stick around.

When it comes to both overall medal count and gold medal count, Norway is the odds-on favorite at the Winter Olympics. The nation has 405 medals overall, 148 of them gold. Compare that to the United States, which sits in second position in the all-time medal table, with 330 total, 114 gold.