At the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, several prominent athletes faced unexpected setbacks in their quest for a third consecutive Olympic victory. The notion that 'there are no eternal champions' was once again highlighted as Dutch speedskating star Kjeld Nuis could only earn a bronze medal in the men's 1500m race, despite being a strong contender after previously dominating the podium in Pyeongchang and Beijing. Chinese skater Ning Zhongyan outperformed him to secure gold, marking his emergence as a new hero for China in the sport.

Similarly, Czech snowboarder Ester Ledecká, known as the 'snowboarding queen', saw her aspirations for a three-peat crumble during the women's snowboard parallel giant slalom event, where she was eliminated in the quarterfinals due to a timing error. This miss allowed her competitors to advance while she ended her race with disappointment, showing how quickly fortunes can change in competitive sports.

In women's halfpipe, two-time Olympic champion Chloe Kim also fell short of her goal for a third consecutive gold medal, missing the top spot to South Korea's Choi Ga-eun after an impressive comeback performance. Although Kim had led during much of the competition, a fall in her final run forced her to settle for the silver medal. The outcome emphasizes the fierce competition facing returning champions, with hopes now resting on Choi Min-jung, who is set to compete in the women's 1500m short track event, as she aims for her own third consecutive Olympic triumph on the world stage.