Ciao!
Greetings from Italy, where I'm covering the 2026 Winter Olympics
We’re a few days into the Milano Cortina Olympics, and I’m currently (mostly) running on espresso and pizza. These are actually the two most important food groups here in Italy … well, outside of pasta/olive oil/bread. OK, so maybe there are more than two important food groups. I need to make a new food pyramid or something while I’m out here.
Anyway!
I’m so excited to share with you all that I’m NBC’s on-air reporter for the Predazzo region, which means I’m covering cross-country skiing, ski jumping and Nordic combined. I’ve already gotten to see two incredible skiathlon races and the first women’s ski jumping competition of the Games. It’s been awesome. These sports are incredible up close, and I hope you are enjoying them on TV, too!
I’ve covered three Summer Games, two for USA TODAY, and one for The Athletic/New York Times. But this is my first Winter Olympics — and my first Olympics with NBC. And it’s reminded me why I love covering the Olympics so much. I love learning about sports that are brand-new to me. I love sharing stories of athletes who pursue these sports while working “real” jobs or getting college degrees at the same time. I love asking athletes how they get interested in a sport like ski jumping or luge — because I can’t imagine my parents ever considered signing me up for something like that at age 5!
I love both the pageantry and the emotion of the Olympics. And I absolutely loved getting to be a small part of our coverage of the Opening Ceremony by spending a few minutes giving viewers a glimpse of downtown Predazzo, a village in the center of a gorgeous valley in the middle of the Italian Alps. This place is pretty magical.
Where to find me during the Olympics
I put together this helpful Google doc that includes my upcoming events and their broadcast schedule. It changes daily, so I am trying to keep it as up-to-date as possible!
I’m also sharing a lot of behind-the-scenes content (and food pics!) on Instagram, so be sure to follow me there: @Nicole_Auerbach. I shared there — and will share here — the view from the top of the large ski jumping hill. It’s UNREAL!
I was too nervous to even walk all the way up to the ledge. I’m in awe of the men and women who actually jump off these hills!
OK, that’s all I’ve got for now. Back to work! Hope you all enjoy the coverage :)