The Winter Olympics 2026 is in full swing, and while the focus is on the ice and snow for the most part, of course, the couples are drawing attention as fans wonder how they balance their real-life relationships while embroiled in fierce competition.
As a large portion of the winter games' fixtures feature paired events, it is perhaps unsurprising that a lot of this year's athletes are either dating or even married, but when it comes to accommodation does that matter or are they forced to spend time apart in the Olympic Village?
It seems the power to delegate living situations lies with each individual country as long as they abide by a strict set of rules laid out by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the specific Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (OCOG) of the host city, which is Milan, Italy this year.
Whether or not a couple can stay together while at the Games will largely depend on what sport they are competing in, where they are from and, as organisers have established six different villages across Northern Italy to cover the specific terrain needed for winter sports, where their competition zone is based.
What is the Olympic Village?
Put simply, the Olympic Village is a specially-constructed, restricted-access accommodation area for competing athletes at the Games. No matter the season, every competition will have a village that contains dining halls and blocks of rooms for the athletes, coaches, staff, and officials to stay in while they are actively competing or working.
The various types of accommodations are located near or next to the stadiums and arenas that showcase each event. That explains why, in Milan, six different villages were set up to allow for easily accessible athlete housing across the north of the country.
Widely documented by athletes on social media, the villages are lavish and packed full of food and entertainment for the athletes to keep busy while they wait to compete.
This year, the six villages are spread across Milan, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Livigno, Bormio, Predazzo, and Anterselva, and feature a variety of alpine cabins, lodges and hotels that already exist for winter tourism.
© Getty ImagesWhat do the rules say about couples staying together?
There are no official rules stating that couples can't stay together at the Games; however there are certain rules that exist that inadvertently apply restrictions to partners hoping to share a room.
Firstly, all accommodation blocks are country-specific, so if an athlete couple are competing for two different nations, they will automatically not be allowed to stay in the same room inside the Village as their delegated accommodation blocks will be in separate zones.
Family and friends are strictly prohibited from entering the Village, so anyone in a relationship with a non-competing athlete will have to share a room with someone who is not their partner, as they won't be granted access to the site.
Ultimately, the decision is in the hands of the couple's sports team as they decide and delegate roommates to each of their athletes. The number of people depends on the size of the team and who shares with whom is up to the team leader, meaning there is scope for couples who represent the same country to share a room, albeit in single beds.
Athletes do not have to stay in the Village while competing so there is always the option for couples to opt out of the official accommodation if their relationship doesn't fit within the rule structure.
© AFP via Getty ImagesWhat have athlete couples said about staying together in the village?
Emmy Award winning sports journalist, Jolene Latimer, who is on the ground in Milan, chatted to Canadian curling athletes and married couple, Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant, about their living arrangements at the Village and asked if they are staying in the same room on her podcast.
They revealed: "I think generally it's one gender in each room, but we're pretty confident that we will be able to have our own little hut. So single beds, they don't put the beds together, but we'll at least be in our own little building."
Pictures were also taken of gold medalist ice dancers and married couple Madison Chock and Evan Bates leaving the Olympic Village together.
Team GB ice dancer, Phebe Bekker, posted a tour of her room on TikTok and busted the myth that the notorious cardboard beds had returned for the winter Games. In a clip, she said: "Heard it here first: there are no cardboard beds. Well, as far as I know."
