The 2026 Winter Olympics will feature athletes from 92 countries. Among them are three particularly eye-catching nations, all of which are set to send competitors to the Winter Games for the first time in their history.

The first debutant is Benin. The West African nation will be represented by a single male athlete who is expected to compete in ski mountaineering — a discipline making its Olympic debut in 2026. The athlete’s name is yet to be officially confirmed.

The United Arab Emirates will also make their first appearance at the Winter Olympics. The UAE team is expected to include two athletes:

- Alex Atridge, an alpine skier and the UAE’s first home-grown winter athlete, developed domestically, including training at the Ski Dubai indoor facility;
- Piera Hudson, the second member of the team, who previously competed for New Zealand.

Finally, Guinea-Bissau is preparing for a historic Olympic debut of its own. The country is expected to be represented in Italy by a single alpine skier, Winston Tang, who will make his first-ever Olympic start in the discipline.