The Winter Olympics Milano-Cortina 2026 are set to begin on Tuesday, featuring five Mexican athletes, among whom Donovan Carrillo stands out as the one with the highest expectations. This will be Carrillo's second Olympic appearance, building on his previous experience as a finalist in PyeongChang 2018. He is the sole athlete receiving financial aid from Mexico's National Commission for Physical Culture and Sport (Conade) for training camps and scholarships, emphasizing the importance of financial support in competitive sports.

Carrillo's current scholarship provides him with 12,000 pesos monthly, although this amount is relatively low compared to the needs of Olympic-level training. Nevertheless, the artistic figure skater has been given opportunities to attend training camps and competitions that have been vital in his preparation. Notably, last year, he received 589,000 pesos to aid his preparation in Canada under coaches Myke Gillman and Jonathan Mills, who have significantly contributed to him refining his techniques leading up to the Olympics.

Currently based in Toronto, Carrillo has been training there for over a year, and this preparation has culminated in his successful qualification for the Olympics during a qualifying event held in Beijing in September. His journey highlights the challenges that many athletes face in securing adequate funding and support, yet also showcases the dedication and resilience needed to excel on an international platform like the Olympics.