The Winter Olympics are right around the corner starting Feb. 6, so this week we’re taking a deep dive into the sports you’ll see, the Italian destination, and the history of the Games.

2026 is a special year, indeed. As we count down to the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding, we’ll be sharing stories from our America 250 collection. Just scroll to the bottom of this newsletter to check it out, and click here to learn more.

Yours in media,
Elizabeth He, Visual Communications Editor

Support for GBH is provided by:
Become a GBH sponsor

P.S. For the full printable primetime schedule, visit gbh.org/explore

This is a web edition of GBH's The Deep Dive, a weekly newsletter bringing you the best GBH has to offer.

Sign up here to get it in your inbox.

Winter Sports

Gold Medal Dreams? Learn Olympic Sports in Greater Boston (article)

Check out these local (and not so local) venues where adults can try Winter Olympics sports such as skating, curling, snowboarding, and more. Time to get out and play!

Everything to Know About the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games (article)

This will be the most geographically spread-out Winter Games in history, with events in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo – over 400 kilometers apart. Check out this guide for all the details you’ll want to know.

Support for GBH is provided by:
Become a GBH sponsor

“Ice Meisters” Create Perfect Olympic Skating Surfaces (article & 4 min audio)

Skilled technicians have honed their expertise over years of crafting the perfect surface. How is Olympic ice prepared?

Field Trip: This Is Not What We Expected Curling to Be (7 min clip)

From throwing stones and sweeping the ice to discovering just how much strategy and skill goes into the game, learn how curling actually works.

Fleet Players Prepare to Represent Their Countries and the PWHL in Upcoming Olympics (7 min clip)

This will be the first Winter Olympics since the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) launched its inaugural regular season in 2024. Some Boston Fleet players will be competing this year on the world stage.

Also, local figure skater Max Naumov and pairs team Emily Chan and Spencer Howe will represent the U.S. in Milan. Learn more about these Skating Club of Boston athletes. (article & 4 min audio)

Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo 2026

Rick Steves’ Europe: Milan and Lake Como (25 min episode)

See Milan’s fashion, delis, and opera house, as well as Lake Como, where Italy meets the Alps. Explore this Winter Olympics destination from the comfort of your own home.

Italy Made with Love: Generations (57 min episode)

Explore the passion of Italian artisans, from hat-makers and truffle hunters to painters. Meet the stewards of Italy’s timeless traditions.

Outside: Beyond the Lens: Italy Family Trip (26 min episode)

Milan, Lake Como, Venice, and Portofino are explored in this vibrant, cinematic journey through northern Italy’s destination hot spots. Andiamo!

Recipe of the Week

Risotto with Mushrooms from Chef Lidia Bastianich (recipe)

Enhance the chicken stock by simmering mushroom and leek trimmings to deepen the flavor. Serve as the first course for an elegant Italian meal.

History of the Olympics

Ancient Olympics: Gods and Athletes (47 min talk)

Donald Kyle discusses the origins, setting, operation, and events of the ancient Games, highlighting recent archaeological discoveries and new interpretations of athletics at Olympia. Journey into Olympic history.

ANTIQUES ROADSHOW: 1932 Lake Placid Olympics (30 sec clip)

How much are these photos and postcards from the 1932 Winter Olympics worth? Let’s find out.

Olympic Skier Gretchen Fraser (1 min clip)

Meet Gretchen Fraser, the first American skier to win an Olympic gold medal. Learn about her story.

Dive into America 250

Despite Scrutiny in Life and Death, Phillis Wheatley Endures as a Trailblazing Poetess (article & 7 min audio)

The Boston poet has long been recognized as the first person of African descent in North America to publish a book in North America. What did she write?

Off Topic

  1. Meet a New England-based recipient of a MacArthur “Genius” grant in Under the Radar’s “The Genius Next Door.” Jeremy Frey shows us how he elevates basketry from craft to high art. (article & 21 min audio)
  2. Take a look at the symbols Massachusetts uses to represent itself: the state songs, the sweet treats, and a quest to make asparagus the official state vegetable. Here are the emblems that make Massachusetts. (article)
  3. Remember Pong? Travel back with GBH Archives to learn how this early video game came to be. (4 min short)