American athletes reveal Olympic crushes at Milan Cortina Winter Games
Several American athletes competing at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games participated in a lighthearted video for Self magazine, revealing their Olympic crushes to viewers, reports BritPanorama.
The segment featured prominent Team USA competitors discussing which fellow Olympians caught their eye during the Games. Among those featured were gold-medal-winning figure skaters Alysa Liu and Amber Glenn, along with Brittany Bowe, a four-time Olympian in speed skating.
The video provided fans a glimpse into the personal lives of these elite athletes, with several naming gymnasts and hockey players as their admired counterparts during the Winter Olympics in Italy. Liu, at only 20 years old, made headlines as the first American woman to win the figure skating singles gold in nearly 25 years.
Liu expressed her admiration for gymnast Suni Lee, stating, “I think my Olympic crush is probably Suni Lee. She’s so pretty and very stylised. You know what I’m saying? I like that, yeah.” Despite her fondness for Lee, Liu has indicated that she is currently enjoying single life and prioritising friendships amid her demanding training schedule.
Glenn, who secured gold in the team figure skating event, shared that her Olympic crush is fellow gymnast Laurie Hernandez. “I love that she’s openly queer and that she is completely herself,” said Glenn, conveying admiration for Hernandez’s authenticity.
Hernandez publicly embraced her queer identity through an Instagram post in December 2022 and has since become a notable figure in the LGBTQ+ community. Likewise, Glenn has been open about her identity, revealing her pansexuality in 2019, suggesting a mutual appreciation between the two athletes.
Bowe, who named her fiancée Hilary Knight, captain of the US women’s hockey team, as her crush, noted, “Oh my gosh, the one and only Hilary Knight. There’s no thinking outside the box on that one.” Knight proposed to Bowe during the Winter Games, just before the American hockey squad’s dramatic overtime victory against Canada for gold.
While Bowe did not secure a podium finish in the 1500m speed skating event, her impressive career spans 91 World Cup medals, 22 national titles, and six world championships, underscoring her status as one of the sport’s elite.
The informal video serves as a reminder that behind the competitive drive, athletes often share personal connections and mutual respect within their sporting community.
