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What Are You Watching at The 2026 Olympics?

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CAPTION: 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina, ITALY

Maxwell Media Watch Collaborative: Charlotte Boisvert, Brenna Orton, Elise Williams, Meredith Flaherty, and Nancy Spencer

February 18, 2026

At tonight’s meeting of the Maxwell Media Watch, we welcomed Dick Maxwell, who is the namesake of this site. Mr. Maxwell began our round table discussion by encouraging us to write about sports we’ve been watching recently on TV. Two students (Elise and Charlotte ) provided their observations about figure skating and/or men’s hockey. Another student (Brenna) has been following the WNBA salary negotiations and is interested in the Unrivaled women’s basketball league. This entry provides student and faculty members’ insights into their impressions of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina (ITALY). Two faculty members describe their observations of the 2026 Winter Olympics as well as of previous Games. Future collaborative articles will examine our reflections on the WNBA negotiations as well as the Super Bowl Halftime show.

Charlotte Boisvert: Personally, I have kept up with Men’s and Women’s Olympic Hockey. During the France and Canada men’s Olympic hockey game on Feb. 15, France’s Pierre Crinon had been suspended by France from subsequent games for fighting Canada’s Tom Wilson.

It is important to note that Olympic hockey follows IIHF or International Ice Hockey Federation rules instead of NHL rules; these rules prohibit fighting within a hockey game. Crinon had broken IIHF Rule 46, which states: “Fighting is not part of international ice hockey’s DNA. Players who willingly participate in a brawl or fight, so-called willing combatants, shall be penalized accordingly by the referee and may be ejected from the game. Further Supplementary Discipline may be imposed.” The NHL differs, letting players finish a fight before a major penalty of five minutes is assessed.

The fight was unsportsmanlike, resulting in a suspension for the remaining games.

Wilson is currently one of the NHL’s strongest defensive players we see in the league, so it was no surprise that he took on the fight naturally. It is second nature for Wilson to drop his gloves when it comes to defending his teammates, in this instance it was Nathan MacKinnon, who had scored on the powerplay against France. Most players were all for Wilson dropping his gloves, because it was hardly a physical fight, mainly roughhousing.

CAPTION: Tom Wilson ignites rare Olympic Hockey Fight

“That guy obviously didn’t want to fight Tom,” MacKinnon said. “He just wanted to wrestle. I wouldn’t want to fight Tom either,” MacKinnon said (ESPN).

Crinon plays for the IIHF, so he knows these rules well, which is why this is so interesting to see this happen. He’s played by these rules his entire career and knows he could get penalized for it, so it could have been surprising to some when it comes to him going against Wilson.

Olympians are meant to be seen as respectable athletes, which is why they stray away from fights like these. It can stir up controversy when people should be focusing on the game instead. Crinon fighting Wilson was not to the standard of an Olympian and could taint the image of his country, so France had every right to suspend him when it came to Olympian standards.

Elise Williams: I’m watching figure skating and curling, interestingly enough. It appears that many people tend to forget that curling is a sport until they turn on their TV once every 4 years: I know I did. The few people I have talked to share the sentiment. It’s been very fun to watch the 3 Team USA figure skaters, Alysa Liu, Isabeau Levito, and Amber Glenn.

CAPTION: (L-R) Alysa Liu, Amber Glenn, and Isabeau Levito, U.S. Olympic Figure Skaters

Levito’s short program dedicated to Sophia Loren was stunning, and I loved Liu’s showing of Promise by Laufey. Amber Glenn is probably my favorite though, from the many videos of her previous routines that I have watched. It hurt to watch her fall so far in the short program. All three Team USA figure skaters skate with such joy and whimsy in their stride, and look so relaxed out on the ice. Liu commented on it, saying she didn’t want her program to end.

The story of Adeliia Petrosian has also been interesting, considering she is coached by the same person who coached Kamila Valieva, Ana Shcherbakova, and Alexandra Trusova in 2022: Eteri Tutberidze.

She is notorious for being incredibly hard on her young students, and many of them don’t end up competing again after the Olympics. Petrosian did decently well in the short program, taking 5th. I worry for her and the inevitable Hurricane Eteri if she doesn’t win gold. Another skater I have been watching is Kaori Sakamoto, and how this is her last Olympics. She took bronze against the 3 Russians in 2022, and is one of the favorites for gold this year. Her costume for the short program was beautiful, so I’m hoping to see some more beautiful skating from her as she makes her exit. Finally, shout-out to Sturla Holm Laegrid, who openly admitted to cheating on his girlfriend of 6 months in a post-competition interview, unprompted. Really strange. Hope she finds peace. Overall, figure skating has become a new interest of mine, and I hope to follow it more outside of the Olympics.

Dr. Meredith Flaherty: I have been watching the Olympics to help me cope with the end of football season. The storylines and national identities that get played up fascinate me. I have been particularly interested in how athletes express their shattered hearts when the Olympic dream doesn’t come true. I remember Simone Biles running into “the twisties” during the summer Olympics and the blow-back she got from admitting that she didn’t feel ready to compete.

CAPTION: Gymnast Simone Biles (pictured) did twisting rotations, flips and other amazing moves at the June 2021 U.S. Olympic trials in St. Louis, Mo. Then she got the twisties at the Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. As a result, she pulled out of several events.

Fast forward to Lindsay Vonn’s crash. that many attributed to trying to be too big for the sport by deciding she was ready to compete despite her injuries. I wonder how those two athletes would be characterized if they “blew it” in their primary performance, like Ilia Malinin said he had, or Atle Lie McGrath, whose error had him spiraling into a walk to the woods when he didn’t win gold.

CAPTION: Norway’s Atle Lie McGrath walks off the course after skiing out during an alpine ski, men’s slalom race, at the 2026 Olympics in Bormio, Italy, Monday, February 16, 2026.

How athletes deal with pressure, or I should say show the effects of pressure, is a story of its own. But how the public reacts to what athletes do, and how legacy media presents it, have me questioning what fans “love about the Olympics.” The reaction to Malinin owning his failure was a stark contrast to the reactions Biles received for taking ownership for her mental health and risk in competing. Lindsay Vonn wasn’t given any grace for choosing the opposite.

Shows of emotion around catastrophic heartbreak on the world stage, aren’t specific to sport, or speed, or age, or competition. But how women athletes choose to compete, how they show emotion, or what they do in their own best interests as an athlete don’t get the same degrees of freedom that the men athletes do. 

Dr. Nancy Spencer: After watching two weeks of Australian Open tennis matches, I wasn’t sure if I could embrace another fortnight of drama. Plus I didn’t come in to this year’s Games knowing many of the young Olympians. I was fascinated to see how the ‘Quad God’ would do with all the hype surrounding his talent. When he fell in his bid for gold, like Meredith, I thought of Simone Biles. A few days later, I read that the two had met up and considered it a good thing.

My first Olympic adventure came in 2002, just five months after 9/11. As a result, organizers of the Salt Lake City Olympics considered not allowing fans to attend but contemplated televising the events with empty stadiums. Many countries also “feared for the safety of their athletes and were reluctant to send them” (Davidson, 2018, para. 2). Security concerns may have dissuaded some ticket holders from attending the Salt Lake City Games, which worked to our advantage. Since my brother lived in SLC, I had a place to stay and family with whom to attend events. Best of all, because of security concerns, reduced ticket prices allowed us to attend more events, including cross country skiing, two women’s hockey games (one featuring the U.S. and another with Canada), downhill skiing, and luge. It was a once-in-a lifetime opportunity and I am grateful to have been there for the winter Olympics. Ten years later, I had the opportunity to attend the London Olympics, where I witnessed Serena Williams win the gold medal in Women’s Singles.

A Deep Dive on Kim Mulkey

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Mulkey points to the crowd, acknowledging their support. 

By: Lily Smith

Lily Smith is a first-year undergraduate at BGSU from Oregon, Ohio. She is majoring in Sport Management with a Marketing minor. 

March 30, 2024

Kimberly Duane Mulkey was born May 17, 1962 in the days of John F. Kennedy’s presidency. Kim was born in Santa Ana, California, but raised in Tickfaw, Louisiana. Growing up as one of the first girls to play organized boys’ basketball, she was predicted to be a star. This was proven by Hammond High School winning four state championships, led by Kim herself. This success foreshadowed her future playing and coaching careers. 

Many people have a lot of opinions about Mulkey, her coaching style, her political stances, and even her fashion choices. There is a lot to be said about all of these things, and I want to dive deeper into these choices and the reasons behind them, while also providing a history of this influential women’s basketball icon. 

History

Mulkey during her time at Louisiana Tech.

Kim’s persona didn’t start out being characterized by sparkles, ruffles, and hot pink. Her collegiate career was spent at Louisiana Tech University. Standing at just 5 ft 4 in, often with her hair in braids as pictured above, Mulkey made a name for herself as a point guard. During her college career, she earned the title of All-American. Mulkey and the Lady Techsters earned two national championships. In 1981, they claimed the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) championship. They also impressively gained the title of national champions of the inaugural National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament in 1982. Her accomplishments as a player led her to win the first women’s Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award (top college senior under 5 ft 6 in) in 1984. 

Mulkey poses in her Team USA uniform.

In 1983, Kim was selected to play for Team USA at the Pan American Games in Venezuela. She also played for the Jones Cup in Taipei during 1984, as well at the Olympics in Los Angeles that year as well. During her Olympic run, she averaged 5.3 points per game, and claimed the gold medal.

After her international playing stint, Kim returned to her alma mater, Louisiana Tech as an assistant coach to the women’s team. Later, in 1996, she was promoted to associate head coach under Leon Barmore. During her coaching tenure, the Lady Techsters reached seven Final Fours, had a 430-68 record, and clinched the 1988 NCAA Championship. Mulkey stayed with Louisiana Tech until 2000 when she took over as head coach at Baylor. The previous year, the Lady Bears had gone 7-20 and finished last in the Big 12.

Mulkey coaching at Baylor.

Kim’s takeover at Baylor was truly noteworthy. In her first season, Baylor had their first ever NCAA tournament bid. In 2005, Baylor took down Michigan State for the NCAA title. This feat crowned Mulkey as the first woman to have won an NCAA Division I title as a player and head coach. Years later, in 2012, the Lady Bears achieved a perfect season, going 40-0, the highest number of wins in a single season in college basketball history, women or men. That same season, Baylor took home the NCAA championship yet again.

Controversy

Mulkey with Baylor and WNBA star, Brittney Griner.

During Kim’s glorious reign at Baylor, there were some things going on behind the scenes. Mulkey was very critical of her star player, Brittney Griner. Since then, Griner has seen her own controversies, but she still stands as a women’s basketball icon. She is an openly gay black woman. However, during her time at Baylor under Mulkey things were a bit different.

Griner was reportedly forced to hide her sexuality, and even other things like her tattoos. She was not allowed to speak freely, and had to wear sleeves underneath her jersey. Griner did not feel comfortable coming out to her coach or her peers because there was kind of a “Baylor standard,” and this kind of thing would not be allowed. Later on, Kim was asked if she had ever had a gay player on her team and Kim responded, “Don’t ask me that. I don’t ask that. I don’t think it’s anybody’s business. Whoever you are. I don’t care to know that.”

Understandably, everyone involved in this situation was getting criticism. In a sense, Mulkey was trying to suppress her athlete’s lives. Which in some cases is alright to do, because those athletes are there to play their sport, but they are people, too. Everyone deserves to be known and allowed to express themselves, inherently, as a human.

Being smack dab in the middle of the Bible Belt comes with some challenges for people of color and queer people. Women also hold a different position in society as well, taking place in a more traditional way. Forbes has an article diving into the standards of southern women. You could be an astronaut, but you had to keep dinner on the table for your family. The whole goal is “serve” God properly, and to not be too “out-there,” wear “too-little” or clothing that is “too distracting,” you can be “pretty” but you can’t be overly confident, and of course you “can’t” be a tom-boy.

Tom-boy or hyper-feminine?

Historically, taking the position of a basketball coach, or any coach in the sport industry is easier if you are a male. Therefore, it is inherently a male-centered career. Any female head coach is a pioneer of the industry, and it comes with some tough battles. “Feminine” women are viewed as not tough, ruthless, or victorious. I believe as in the following source that there is quite an interesting boundary between being a female and being an athlete.

Throughout history, women did not typically become athletes especially in sports that required speed, strength, and agility. Think back to the first modern Olympic games in 1896, there were only male competitors. Right now, close your eyes and think about the perfect example of an athlete. Probably not a woman, right? It is probably a well-toned, muscly, oiled-up, big, strong man. Not a woman wearing pink, having long styled hair, wearing makeup, having her nails painted, AND having muscles and other athletic features. This is just not the way society has constructed the ideal athlete.

Now, think about a successful basketball coach. You are probably thinking about an older man, with grey hair, khakis and a sweater vest. This is where Kim Mulkey comes in. A lot of her colleagues, mentors, and former coaches, probably all fit this standard. Still to this day, this is the standard of coaches across all sports, leagues, and ages.

Maybe to combat this kind of male-focused standard, Mulkey feels like she has to hyper-feminize herself to make it known she is a woman. Maybe it is not about female empowerment, but stems from an inner-feeling cultivated in the Bible Belt. She is the perfect example of a Southern woman on paper; she just happens to also be a championship winning basketball coach.

Mulkey is a conventionally attractive woman. Her hair is always perfectly hair-sprayed into place, her makeup is always perfectly done, and her outfits never seem to be too revealing. She is showing off her femininity, and making it known she is a woman. You will never see her wearing sweatpants, a t-shirt, or any sort of comfortable looking clothing or anything that combats her femininity, which would make her more manly looking.

One of Mulkey’s most popular looks.

I personally, like her over-the-top pink, sparkle, feather, ruffle style. I think it’s a statement and if I was in her position I would probably dress a little dramatic. I would get a pink pantsuit and walk into a room full of men. However, I don’t have the idea of a “Southern woman” hanging over my head. I don’t feel as if I have to live up to a certain standard of femininity like she might. I don’t know if my take is right, and it could be that she just likes this style.

There is a lot to be discussed about Kim Mulkey, but I think however you view her, she is an all-round successful woman in the sport industry. She has so many accomplishments and that is nothing to belittle because of the way she dresses. Kim has had her issues, and still continues to have some questionable takes on coaching tactics and politics, and maybe even more that is not in the media. However, all of the female athletes, coaches, and advocates are making way for so many young girls who look up to them, especially during March Madness.