Twenty-seven Olympians and Paralympians have received professional broadcast training at IMG Studios in London, with the opportunity to join Olympic Broadcasting Services -OBS- as commentators at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games. The initiative is part of the Olympic Commentary Training programme run by OBS for the Athlete365 community.

Participants were selected through an application process. The group first attended an online seminar, after which 27 were invited to take part in in-person training in the United Kingdom, where they had access to practical sessions with experienced OBS professionals.

Tested in the commentary booth

During the training, athletes took part in group workshops and individual sessions with expert commentators, who provided direct guidance and detailed one-on-one feedback. In these hands-on sessions, participants stepped into the shoes of professional commentators and called a recorded Olympic event from the commentary booth.

Jess Gallagher, a five-time Paralympian for Australia in alpine skiing, athletics and cycling, highlighted the value of the programme: “This is a great opportunity to learn the basics, understand how commentary works, and practise it in real life with experts. It’s been a wonderful experience to develop my skills.”

“The same nerves and adrenaline”

Following the training, ten athletes will be selected for commentary roles at Milano Cortina 2026. Two additional positions will be available for the Paralympic Games, making this initiative a concrete pathway into the Olympic environment from a new professional angle.

Paul Rosen, Canada’s gold medallist in Paralympic ice hockey at Torino 2006, shared his impressions of the studio sessions: “The thing I loved the most was being in the studio. Having the producer and the commentary person with me… they were incredible. They made me feel so unbelievably comfortable.”

Meeting between athletes and journalists

For some participants, the intensity of commentary preparation echoed the emotions of competition. Laura Deas, bronze medallist for Great Britain in skeleton at PyeongChang 2018, compared the experience to her pre-race routine: “When I was getting ready to commentate, I felt like I was preparing for an event. I had the same nerves, the same adrenaline, the same mental focus. It’s nice because it makes me feel like I’m reconnecting a bit with my competitive days.”

A new career path rooted in sport

The programme’s aim is to offer athletes a real opportunity to explore a professional path linked to their sporting experience. For Nikki La Rochelle, a ski mountaineering athlete from the USA, the training opened the door to a potential role at the Games where her discipline will debut: “I don’t know where this will take me, but having the door open and trying something new is totally worthwhile.”

French Nordic combined athlete Maxime Laheurte, a three-time Olympian, emphasised the value of this opportunity: “If you’re in love with your sport and you want to share it with the entire world, don’t hesitate – this is for you.”