Off The Podium - An Olympics Podcast

You know our show’s obsession with a certain 2006 Olympic moguls champion, but what about the other medallists from Torino? Today we chat with silver medallist Mikko Ronkainen about THAT final, his incredible career, and of course, Dale Begg-Smith. Mikko takes us through how he first got into the sport, what freestyle skiing was like in Finland in the late ’80s and early ’90s, and how his international career actually bega...

Earlier this year, Rosie Fordham made history as the first Australian to medal at an international cross-country skiing event, claiming silver at the Under-23 Nordic Junior World Championships in Italy. At just 23, she’s firmly on the map as one of the sport’s rising stars. But how did her journey begin? Why did she choose a sport that gets so little attention in Australia? And what has driven her to reach such heights? In...

Another week, another Newscast, as we welcome Alex back to the show to run through all the latest Olympic news and bring you our newest sport preview ahead of the Milano Cortina Olympics. We dive into the announcement of a major name performer for the opening ceremony and debate how their music could actually work across certain winter sports. We also chat medal designs, team uniforms and British short-track speed skating,...

A special episode drops today as we explore the world of Olympic hospitality ahead of the Milano Cortina Winter Games. Joining us is Paul Caine, President of On Location, to reveal what goes into creating these premium experiences, from what’s on offer, to how they elevate the way fans watch the Olympics. We dive into the cost, the growing demand, and why this side of the industry is booming. It’s a fascinating chat that g...

As the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics draw closer, we’re back in the world of ski mountaineering — this time with our first-ever Canadian SkiMo athlete, Aaron Robson! Battling the USA for Olympic qualification, Aaron is pushing hard to secure Canada a spot on the world stage. From adventures in the Rockies to representing Team Canada in track, mountain running, and now SkiMo, his journey is anything but typical. In this ep...

It’s Newscast time once again as we welcome the incredible Raphael back to break down the latest Olympic headlines and bring you our newest Olympic sport preview ahead of Milano Cortina! We dive into the drama surrounding the ice hockey venue in Milan and explore the biggest threat yet to NHL players appearing at next year’s Games. We also look at major new funding headed Australia’s way for its Olympians, along with fresh...

American journalist Brian Pinelli is one of the leading voices covering the Olympics, having reported on ten different Games throughout his extraordinary career. Currently on the ground in Cortina ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics, Brian shares how the preparations are progressing and what to expect from Italy’s second Winter Games this millennium. We also hear more epic stories from his storied career and learn about his ...

Innika De Rosa’s journey into ski mountaineering is one of the most unique you’ll ever hear. Unlike many athletes, the Australian didn’t grow up in sport, but after moving to Norway, a series of unexpected events introduced her to SkiMo, a discipline now on the cusp of its Olympic debut. Earlier this year, her path took a dramatic turn when she broke her leg at the World Championships in Switzerland, but Innika remains det...

It’s that time again to dive into the latest Olympics news with our Newscast, as Patrick joins Ben to get you fully up to date! We break down the drama surrounding the ice hockey venues in Milano Cortina and whether we’ll actually see any action on the ice in a couple of months. We also revisit a certain New Zealand skier we mentioned last time, with some pretty big news we missed! Plus, we kick off our latest sports previ...

Ski mountaineering is a sport we’re still discovering, and one of the best guides on this journey is Aussie SkiMo athlete Brian Lichi. Brian has carved a strong path in the sport and is one of the key driving forces behind its existence and growth in Australia. His passion has taken him all the way to the top, where he currently serves as chair of the Australian SkiMo Committee within Snow Australia. In this epic chat, we ...

Cameron Smith is one of the leading faces of American ski mountaineering and is on the verge of making history as part of the sport’s Olympic debut in Italy next year. In this epic chat, we discover how a simple invitation to join his sister at an event more than a decade ago changed the course of his career, and how he climbed the ranks in a sport still growing on the world stage. We also explore the ski mountaineering sc...

 We’re speeding closer and closer to the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics, so much so that we’re bringing you a Newscast EVERY WEEK between now and the Games! To get you pumped, we’re keeping you up to date with weekly episodes, kicking things off with Colin returning to the show to deliver all the latest news and a massive sports preview. We dive into the start of the torch relay and why we’re so excited to see it finally get...

Aussie luger Alex Ferlazzo is a true icon of winter sports down under, the first Australian to compete in three Olympic Games in luge, most recently at Beijing 2022. There, he made history with a 16th-place finish, the highest ever by an Australian luger at the Olympics. Since then, Alex has gone from strength to strength, with multiple top-ten World Cup results and a record-breaking fifth place at the 2024 World Champions...

It’s a huge achievement to be an Olympian in one sport, let alone a three-time Olympian. But what about aiming for a fourth Olympics in the same sport while also adding a completely new discipline to your list? That’s exactly the journey Australian cross-country skier turned ski mountaineer Phil Bellingham is on right now, as he pushes to qualify for a fourth Olympics in cross-country skiing and the brand-new SkiMo discipl...

Get ready for the latest Off The Podium Newscast! Colin and Ben dive into the biggest Olympic news, from recent uniform drops for Team Canada, Team Australia, and Team Milano Cortina, to scheduling updates for LA and emerging future Olympic bids. Plus, we unpack the puzzling push to turn Australian medallists into New Zealanders. On top of that, we bring you a full Figure Skating preview ahead of Milano Cortina — who to wa...

We love bringing you content from amazing authors telling incredible stories, and today is no exception. We sit down with American author Doug Levy to discuss his remarkable book Hero Redefined, which shares powerful stories from extraordinary Olympic athletes you may not have heard of. We learn about Doug’s writing process, what inspired him to tell these stories, and why he chose the athletes he did. We also discover why...

Brianna Salinaro has had an extraordinary journey across two very different sports. The American represented her country in taekwondo at the 2020 Paralympics, just five years after making history as the first-ever female para taekwondo athlete to represent the USA at an international competition. After that, she switched to track and field and came close to making the US team for the Paris Paralympics. In this extraordinar...

We’re into another classic OPENING CEREMONY REVIEW as we track back to 2006 and the last time Italy hosted an Olympics, giving us a taste of what we might see again in Milano Cortina 2026. We take a fine-tooth comb to everything this Torino Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony had to offer — from flaming speed skaters and Pavarotti, to Ferrari F1 cars doing doughnuts and an Italian President who somehow managed a dirty mouth a...

Lara Hamilton is Australia’s number one ski mountaineer and could make history at Milano Cortina next year as the nation’s first-ever Olympian in the sport. But how does a former Nordic skier — and current champion trail runner — switch dreams and rise to the top of a completely different sport, all while managing a rare condition that sometimes makes it hard just to get out of bed? In this episode, Lara opens up about her...