A Quebec costume designer is stepping into the global spotlight at the 2026 Winter Olympics, dressing some of the world’s top figure skaters as they compete on the sport’s biggest stage.

Mathieu Caron, a former ballroom dancer from Quebec, has been creating elaborate costumes for more than a decade. He says his fascination with glittering fabrics and dramatic designs began early.

“I was very fascinated by the costumes, all the bling-bling and the fabrics. So I decided to go to fashion school,” Caron told Global News.

After studying fashion at LaSalle College in Montreal, Caron launched his company designing clothing for ballroom dancers. His work soon expanded into the figure skating and ice dancing world.

By 2018, his creations had reached the Olympic podium. Caron designed the costumes worn by Canadian ice dancers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir during their gold medal-winning performance set to Moulin Rouge.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Now in Milan for the 2026 Winter Games, Caron says 28 athletes from 10 countries are wearing his designs. Among them are American ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates, as well as Japanese skater Ami Nakai.

1:30
Milano Cortina 2026: Canada’s Piper Gilles, Paul Poirier win bronze in Olympic ice dance

Caron says each costume can take up to 150 hours to complete, from the first sketch to the final rhinestone. Caron says the process involves close collaboration with athletes, coaches and choreographers to ensure the design complements the music and enhances movement on the ice.

“We have meetings with athletes, but also with the coaches, choreographers. We talk about the music and the vision of the program,” he said.

His studio team includes other designers, cutters, seamstresses, pattern makers, and painters — all working to bring the garments to life.

The price reflects the labour involved. Caron says costumes typically range from $3,500 to $8,000, depending on the hours required and the complexity of the design.

While figure skating remains a central focus, the designer said he hopes to expand into other creative fields, including Broadway musicals and designing full looks for touring artists.

For now, Caron says he feels fortunate to see his creations glide across Olympic ice, and in some cases, onto the podium.

For the full story, watch the video above.

1:43
Milano-Cortina Olympics: Canada’s speed skaters win gold, bronze after men’s hockey beats Czechia

Previous Video

Next Video

&copy 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

A husky with lots of enthusiasm but no credentials gatecrashed a women’s team sprint cross-country race on Wednesday, giving an impromptu performance that had spectators howling with delight.

The dog wandered onto the stadium course in Tesero during the qualifying event, spotted a couple of athletes on the finishing straight and decided to join the action.

The canine sniffed around for a bit before racing across the line ahead of the skiers to wild cheers from a crowd clearly entertained by the unexpected addition to the field.

“It was so fun. I like dogs, we have a dog at home,” said Sweden’s Jonna Sundling, who went on to win gold with teammate Maja Dahlqvist.

“When it came to the finish line I was like, ‘Okay we have a new member.’ He or she wanted to go through the mixed zone as well, so it was fun,” she added referring to the area where competitors speak to the media

Not all racers agreed.

“I was cooling down on the bike, and I saw the dog and I was like, ‘That’s crazy’ and I was just happy I wasn’t skiing next to the dog because I’m a bit afraid of dogs. I was happy I was already at the finish,” said Nadja Kaelin of Switzerland.

Watch: Husy gatecrashes women’s team sprint cross-country race

GIVE THE DOG A MEDAL.

🎥 @dog_rates | #WinterOlympicspic.twitter.com/1OJ2bRChzl

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) February 18, 2026

The Swiss skier won the silver medal with teammate Nadine Faehndrich in the finals race.

Officials eventually got hold of the tail-wagging interloper but not before timekeepers preparing for a photo-finish in the race captured an image of the dog crossing the line.

The online support for Swiss sports commentator Stefan Renna and his criticism is growing by the minute ever since he made controversial remarks regarding an Israeli athlete and his support for “genocide” in Palestine as he competed in the two-man bobsled race at the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.

The video of Renna commentating while Adam Edelman of Israel competed in the bobsled race on Monday has also gone viral.

Just as Israeli athletes were ready to launch their race, Renna could be heard saying, “Adam Edelman, Olympian for the first time, who describes himself as a ‘Zionist to the core,’ I quote, and who posted several messages on social media in support of the genocide in Gaza. I remind you that ‘genocide’ is the term used by the UN commission of inquiry into the region. Adam Edelman said in particular, about the Israeli military intervention, that it was, and I quote, “the morally most just war in history.

“He also mocked a free Palestine on a wall on Hameur Island on the sidelines of the World Cup stage. And he asked his followers to send strength to Fawarset when this member of the Israeli team, who is present here in Cortina, was engaged in an Israeli army operation in the Gaza Bank in 2023.”

🇮🇱🇨🇭 This Swiss commentator has balls of steel. While the Israeli bobsleigh team was racing, he kept reminding viewers of the war crimes the pilot has openly supported.

Absolute legend! pic.twitter.com/5aYOqJOKrK

— Dr. Simon Goddek (@goddek) February 16, 2026

He questioned how Edelman was allowed to compete at the Winter Olympics 2026 when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has already stated that athletes who have publicly supported war will not be allowed and that multiple Russian athletes are suspended due to showing support for their country’s war against Ukraine.

Renna also questioned how Edelman was allowed to compete while Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified from the Winter Olympics 2026 due to his decision to wear a helmet
honouring compatriots who died in the war with Russia.

Renna’s comments against Edelman, however, have not gone down well with Israeli supporters who have criticised him on social media, and also called for his removal from the Radio Tele Suisse.

“Imagine calling the Olympics and spending 90 seconds defaming an Olympian. @RadioTeleSuisse’s Stefan Renna did that. He says Israeli Bobsledder @reakajedelman supports genocide. I challenge the talking period cramp to show any proof of him supporting genocide,” Dahlia Kurtz wrote on X.

Imagine calling the Olympics and spending 90 seconds defaming an Olympian.@RadioTeleSuisse‘s Stefan Renna did that.

He says Israeli Bobsledder @reakajedelman supports genocide.

I challenge the talking period cramp to show any proof of him supporting “genocide.”

Sue him, AJ. pic.twitter.com/YJU6276s8l

— dahlia kurtz ✡︎ דליה קורץ (@DahliaKurtz) February 17, 2026

Another X user said: “Stefan Renna needs to be fired and sued.”

Meanwhile, Renna also found support from multiple users, with many claiming that he was only speaking the “truth.”

“Principled people appear in every space. Today it’s Stefan Renna from RTS, who spoke truth in his Olympics commentary, knowing it would put his livelihood on the line. But he still called out genociders because it’s the right thing. No one should remain silent in the face of such brazen, unrelenting criminality,” Susan Abulhawa said on X.

Principled people appear in every space. Today it’s Stefan Renna from RTS, who spoke truth in his Olympics commentary, knowing it would put his livelihood on the line. But he still called out genociders because it’s the right thing. No one should remain silent in the face of such… https://t.co/zvQuzvWsjS

— susan abulhawa | سوزان ابو الهوى (@susanabulhawa) February 17, 2026

Another user by the name Dr Nicholas Duron said: “Stefan Renna is a hero who told nothing but the factual truth about Adam Edelman and Israel’s genocide of Palestinians. Propagandists are working overtime to make sure that facts, including Edelman’s own words, are coded as anti-semitic. Meanwhile REAL anti-semites are growing.”

Stefan Renna is a hero who told nothing but the factual truth about Adam Edelman and Israel’s genocide of Palestinians. Propagandists are working overtime to make sure that facts, including Edelman’s own words, are coded as anti-semitic. Meanwhile REAL anti-semites are growing

— Dr. Nicholas Duron (@NicDuron) February 17, 2026

The IOC, Winter Olympic 2026 organisers and Radio Tele Suisse are yet to comment on the matter.

Free condoms distributed at the Olympic Village at Milano Cortina 2026 have run out in just three days, according to Italian newspaper La Stampa. The development has sparked conversation inside the village, with one anonymous athlete saying, “The supplies ran out in just three days. They promised us more will arrive, but who knows when.”

The distribution of free condoms at the Olympic Village is not new. The practice started at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul during the AIDS epidemic to promote awareness about sexually transmitted diseases. Since then, it has become a regular tradition at both Summer and Winter Games.

Also Read:
Italy’s Olympic food wins gold: Milano-Cortina Winter Games is winning hearts for pizzas, pastas and desserts

Why the drop in numbers?

However, the
2026 Winter Olympics saw a big drop in numbers. While around 300,000 condoms were reportedly distributed at the 2024 Paris Olympics, only about 10,000 were reportedly made available for the Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games. In comparison, the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio saw a record 450,000 condoms distributed.

It must be noted that the Winter Olympics has far fewer athletes. Around 2,900 competitors are taking part this year, compared to more than 10,000 at the Paris Games. Many athletes are also staying in Milan instead of Cortina, which may have prompted the organisers to distribute fewer condoms.

However, some athletes still feel the organisers underestimated the demand. An anonymous competitor told La Stampa that organisers were not “particularly generous with the numbers.” Interestingly, the report came out on the ocassion of International Condom Day on February 13.

Meanwhile, Lombardy Governor Attilio Fontana has praised the initiative of distributing condoms at the Games. He said there should be no embarrassment about providing condoms and reminded people that it is part of an established Olympic practice focused on health and prevention.

He even shared a viral video by Spanish figure skater Olivia Smart, who showed condoms stamped with the Lombardy Region logo and joked that the village has “everything you need.” Smart shared a video on her TikTok account captioned, “Yes, there are OLYMPIC condoms,” showing condoms placed in the athletes’ village.

The Winter Olympics 2026 in Milano-Cortina has earned a bad name recently, with medals breaking as athletes celebrate their historic moments. The situation is so bad that the Games organisers have been forced to launch an investigation.

“We are fully aware of the situation and you have seen the pictures,” Milano Cortina Chief Games Operations Officer Andrea Francisi said on Monday. “We are looking into what exactly the problem is.

“We will pay maximum attention to the medals … so that everything will be perfect because this is one of the most important things for the athletes.”

The pressure on the organisers was built after multiple athletes complained about chipped medals. So far, USA downhill skiing champion Breezy Johnson, American figure skating gold medallist Alysa Liu, German biathlete bronze medal winner Justus Strelow and Sweden’s cross-country silver medallist Ebba Andersson are among the prominent names who have complained about defective medals.

“Don’t jump in them. I was jumping in excitement, and it broke,” Johnson said after her win Sunday. “I’m sure somebody will fix it. It’s not crazy broken, but a little broken.”

While most have complained about damage to the medals, some have also highlighted the ribbon coming off the medal.

Strelow’s medal was damaged when he was dancing in celebration. The bronze medal fell off the ribbon around his neck, and was damaged after falling on the floor. The whole incident was captured on live TV in Germany.

US figure skater Alysa Liu has posted a clip on Instagram, showing how her gold medal has been detached from its official ribbon.

“My medal don’t need the ribbon,” Liu wrote Monday.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD

Why are Winter Olympics medals breaking?

A source has explained to Reuters that the problem could be arising from the medals’ cord, which is fitted with a breakaway mechanism required by law. It has been designed in a way that the cord can be released automatically when pulled with force. The idea is that such a mechanism would prevent the wearer from getting choked.

For the unversed, the Winter Olympics medals have a clean-cut design. It represents the “discs of ice” made of two halves that join through the Olympic and Paralympic symbols in the middle.

The halves represent the individual athlete and network behind their success, made up of family, team and coaches. They also have two different textures, a frosted and polished one.

The gold medals weigh about 500 grams (1.1 pounds) – as much as the silver medals – and contain 6 grams of gold. The bronze medals are slightly lighter at 420 grams.

Frankly speaking, it is a controversy that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) could have lived without. They faced a similar controversy during the 2024 Paris Olympics, when 200 medals had to be replaced due to different types of defects.

With agency inputs

• Home
• Sports
• Medal mishap at Milano Cortina 2026: Why Winter Olympics medals are breaking

End of Article

The Winter Olympics 2026 in Italy’s Milan and Cortina have been struck by a “Penisgate” scandal in which ski jumpers are allegedly injecting their penises with hyaluronic acid to help them fly further. So far, no ski jumpers at the Milano Cortina 2026 are using such malpractices, but similar things have happened in the past, and there’s a fear some may do the same at the world’s biggest stage.

Keeping the concerns in mind, World Anti-Doping Agency president Witold Banka was recently bombarded with questions over athletes injecting hyaluronic acid into their penises to gain a competitive advantage. Banka didn’t have a clear answer as he said with a smile that “Ski jumping is very popular in Poland [his home country], so I promise you I’m going to look at it.”

It may be new for WADA, who are tasked with catching the wrongdoers and dopers, but it’s not some conspiracy theory. German newspaper Bild reported in January that there are “heated discussions behind the scenes” in the ski jumping community that athletes might be turning to injections before undergoing the 3D scan for their competition suit.

How does it help?

Injecting hyaluronic acid into a penis could result in increasing the size of the athlete’s package just before the 3D scanning. This way, a jumper would be able to get a larger size suit. Now, if you are wondering that even with the help of the injection, the change in size might be just a few centimetres, it’s important to note that a 2cm change in the suit size could also lead to a massive competitive advantage.

According to a study in the scientific journal Frontiers, a 2cm increase in suit size circumference increased the lift by 5% and reduced drag by 4%. Reportedly, with a 2cm size, an extra 5.8 metres in jump length can be gained.

Last year, two Olympic medallists from Norway, Marius Lindvik and Johann André Forfang, were handed a three-month suspension after it was found that their team had illegally altered the seams of their suits around the penis area during the World Ski Championships 2025.

The suspension was handed because a larger size suit reduced the descent rate due to a bigger wingspan, giving unfair advantage to the jumpers.

Norway head coach Magnus Brevik, assistant coach Thomas Lobben, and staff member Adrian Livelten were also suspended for 18 months.

Ski jumpers using injection, clay to increase penis size

According to Bild, jumpers do not want to take the risk of adjusting their suits, and have moved on to more ingenious methods like injecting penises with hyaluronic acid or putting clay inside underwear before the 3D scan that is taken from the lowest point of their genitals.

This helps athletes make their genitals larger temporarily, resulting in much bigger suits and better performance. After the 3D scan, the injection would be dissolved or removed.

Talking about the news performance-enhancing malpractices, Dr Kamran Karim of the Maria-Hilf Hospital in Germany told Bild, “It is possible to achieve a temporary, visible thickening of the penis with injections of paraffin or hyaluronic acid. However, this does not result in any lengthening. Such an injection is not medically indicated and carries risks.”

But organisers are not yet alarmed.

Oliver Niggli, the director general of the Winter Olympics 2026 organisation team, has said that he was “not aware of the details of ski jumping and how it can improve, but if anything was to come to the surface, we would look at anything if it is actually doping related.”

“We don’t do other means of enhancing performance, but our list committee would certainly look into whether this would fall into this category. But I hadn’t heard about that until you mentioned it.”

Only time will tell how many athletes inject their penises with chemicals or use clay to gain an advantage, but it’s clear that some are ready to go to ‘great lengths’ to win a medal.