The Village Behind the Games

Day 15: A century of evolution, scandals, and unexpected amenities

Feb 20, 2026

The Olympic Village, home to thousands of the world’s best athletes every four years, is an endless source of fascination for fans and Olympians alike. We eat up stories about viral desserts (pun fully intended), they get a break from celebrity (if they’re NHL players), and proving that sex always sells, the global media goes crazy when there’s a condom shortage (even though it was quickly remedied).

The roots of the Olympic Village go back to the ancient Greek Olympics, but the first modern one didn’t appear until Paris 1924. The Villages grew and evolved over time, first including women at Melbourne 1956, but segregating them until LA 1984. Amenities were also added over time, often reflecting local culture. Innsbruck 1976 had a discotheque and casino, Atlanta 1996 added laser tag, and Nagano 1998 had a sticker photo booth that was especially popular with athletes. Milan Cortina 2026 has four Olympic Villages to accommodate the spread out venues, but unfortunately the Biathletes don’t get to live in any of them.

After the Games early Olympic Villages were often torn down, but most were turned into housing or university dorms. Some had grimmer afterlives. The Berlin 1936 Village became a Nazi hospital then Soviet army base, while the Lake Placid 1980 facility was converted into a federal prison. This year’s Olympic Village will follow the more traditional path of student housing, if they can ever evict Team USA.

What To Watch Today

(All times Eastern. Full event replays available on-demand on Peacock)

Team USA has big Semifinal matches in Men’s Ice Hockey and Women’s Curling. It’s the final day of Short Track Speed Skating. Newly engaged Brittany Bowe looks the match her fiance’s Gold Medal.

6:00 am - Freestyle Skiing: Women’s Ski Cross 🥇 🇺🇸
8:05 am - Curling: Women’s Semi-Final Matches - 🇺🇸 vs 🇨🇭 ~and~ 🇨🇦 vs 🇸🇪
8:15 am - Biathlon: Men’s 15km Mass Start 🥇 🇺🇸
10:30 am - Speed Skating: Women’s 1500m 🥇 🇺🇸
10:40 am - Ice Hockey: Men’s Semifinals - 🇨🇦 🐐 vs 🇫🇮
12:00 pm - Bobsleigh: 2-woman Heats 1&2 🇺🇸 🐐
1:05 pm - Curling: Men’s Bronze Medal Match 🥇
1:30 pm - Freestyle Skiing: Men’s Halfpipe Finals 🥇 🇺🇸
3:10 pm - Ice Hockey: Men’s Semifinals - 🇺🇸 vs 🇸🇰
3:17 pm - Short Track Speed Skating: Men’s 5000m Relay Finals 🥇
3:56 pm - Short Track Speed Skating: Women’s 1500m Finals 🥇