Debbie Laskey's Blog: Introducing the #OlympicsLeadershipSeries2026 on #DebbieLaskeysBlog

Since the Paris Summer Olympics were incredibly inspiring (both in Paris and also here on my Blog!), I'd like to announce the launch of a new series to celebrate the 2026 Winter Olympics, which I’ve named, my #OlympicsLeadershipSeries2026.

I’ve invited 14 thought leaders to answer the five questions below, and to kick off the series, I’ve provided my responses. I hope this series provides some new ways to think about leadership, personal branding, and the Olympics as you watch the exciting competitions!

SHARE THIS: The Olympic Games have the power to unite us because we can all find something inspirational or something we can relate to in each athlete’s story, whether it’s a story of success or of disappointment. –Tatjana Schoenmaker (South Africa’s most decorated Olympian) #OlympicsLeadershipSeries2026 #DebbieLaskeysBlog

Mark your calendar to swing by my blog each day during the next two weeks for a new perspective about the Olympics – there will be a short series interruption on February 20 to celebrate “National Leadership Day" – but the series returns to my blog on February 21, and then a series recap will appear on the day of the closing ceremony on February 22.

QUESTION: What is your favorite WINTER Olympics sport, and why?

DEBBIE LASKEY: It’s a tie between two: CURLING because it's such an unusual sport to watch, and MOGULS because they make all athletes look graceful. In addition, for moguls, a person is completely defined by their athletic ability. Due to the ski pants, jacket, gloves, and head covering, the person's ethnicity and physical description are totally irrelevant. Athletes are judged solely by their ability, which is the entire point of the Olympics!

QUESTION: What WINTER Olympics sport most “visually” demonstrates teamwork, and why?

DEBBIE LASKEY: The visual aspect of the sport of bobsledding – with athletes running alongside a fast-moving sled, jumping into the sled in unison, and then moving in unison once inside the sled – is the perfect definition of teamwork in action. The athletes make the sport look effortless – which shows just how talented they are, because the sport definitely requires years of practice and hard work!

According to Britannica, “Bobsledding, the sport of sliding down an ice-covered natural or artificial incline on a four-runner sled, called a bobsled, bobsleigh, or bob, that carries either two or four persons. It developed in the 1880’s both in the lumbering towns of upstate New York, and at the ski resorts of the Swiss Alps. The first organized competition (among teams consisting of three men and two women) was held in 1898 on the Cresta Run at Saint Moritz, Switzerland. The sport earned its name after competitors adopted the technique of bobbing back and forth to increase the speed of the sled. In 1924, bobsledding became an internationally recognized sport due to its inclusion in the first Olympic Winter Games in Chamonix, France. The start of the race is crucial to a team’s success. Riders, wearing cleated shoes, run alongside the sled, pushing it to achieve maximum velocity. As it builds speed, the riders jump in, the driver in front, and the brakeman, pushing the back of the sled, entering last. The heavier four-person sleds attain speeds approaching 160 km (100 miles) per hour; the smaller, lighter two-person sleds are only slightly slower. A race consists of four descents by each team, the total time for the four heats determining the winner. Germany is the dominant country in the sport, with the United States, Switzerland, Canada, and Latvia as medal threats.”

QUESTION: According to Suzanne Robb, COO of Alloy, “Define what victory means to you, and keep that vision in mind. You’re the one who gets to determine when you’re making progress, what success means, and what your focus should be. When you get a win, take time to celebrate. In business as if life, you’ve got to run your own race.” With this quote in mind, which Winter Olympics event or result stands out in your memory, and why?

DEBBIE LASKEY: Figure skating is a much-anticipated popular sport in all Winter Olympics. In 1980, despite being favorites to win a gold medal, American athletes and figure skaters Tai Babilonia (age 19) and her skating partner Randy Gardner (age 21) had to pull out of the competition at the last moment due to an injury to Gardner. This incident taught me at an early age that sometimes, even the best, most talented among us fall or fail – but we should not give up on our dreams or working toward our goals. These athletes definitely “ran at their own race” because, while they left the competition, they still embodied hard work, dedication, and inspiration – and were heroes!

QUESTION: During the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, entertainer and businessman Snoop Dogg used the hashtag #FollowTheDogg and shared his Olympic experiences on social media. My favorite story and related photos were when he and friend Martha Stewart dressed in equestrian clothing and attended the dressage competition. According to reports, Snoop’s involvement was intended to attract a new audience to the Olympics. If you were in charge of the Winter Olympics, who would you invite to attract a new audience, and why?

DEBBIE LASKEY: I would invite Taylor Swift. In fact, I would offer the opportunity for her to get married at the end of the Olympics somewhere in Italy. Since her appeal is international, if she appeared at various Olympic events, the interest would grow, and the television ratings would increase (think, advertising dollars!). She could also interview athletes and appear in lots of selfies with athletes and fans. She could even design a “Taylor Swift Olympics” bracelet – and donate sales to Team USA or the Paralympics.

QUESTION: The 2026 Winter Olympics will be the first Olympic Games under the leadership of International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry. She is a former Zimbabwean politician, sports administrator, and former Olympic swimmer and world record holder. She is also the first woman, first Zimbabwean, and the first African to serve as IOC President. According to Reuters, “Kirsty Coventry smashed through the IOC’s glass ceiling in March 2025 to become the organization’s first female President in its 130-year history.” What are your thoughts about this development for the world’s biggest multi-sport organization – and its future?

DEBBIE LASKEY: This is an incredible step forward for women on the world stage – especially with all the backward steps happening for women in the United States and also around the world. Coventry was an interesting choice for IOC President due to her gender when so many sports are male-dominated. I wonder if she will be outspoken about any gender bias or gender discrimination that she faces in her new role. I also wonder what issues she will choose to emphasize during her 8-year term.

I hope Coventry will address the following three key issues in her early days as IOC President:

FINANCIAL COMPENSATION

Did you know that medals can equate to a financial reward other than advertising endorsements? According to Business Insider, “US athletes receive $37,500 for a gold medal, $22,500 for a silver medal, and $15,000 for a bronze medal. Hong Kong offers the highest reward with gold medalists earning up to $768,000.”

The concept of financial compensation for winning medals at the Olympics seems to be a conflict, so I hope that Coventry addresses this issue.

EQUALITY AMONG ATHLETES

At the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, 206 countries participated, and of those countries, 11,000 athletes participated. The United States, France, and Australia had the largest country representations – each between 450-600. And the least represented countries were Belize, Liechtenstein, Nauru, and Somalia – each sent only one athlete to compete. Russian and Belarusian athletes competed as “Individual Neutral Athletes” because the IOC voted to suspend both countries from competition due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The most important athlete news was that, for the first time in the history of the Olympic Games, an equal number of men and women athletes competed at the Olympics. I hope that Coventry keeps this issue of athlete gender equality on her radar during future Olympics.

SUSTAINABILITY THEME

Lastly, during the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, there was a significant focus on creating a “green” Olympics. The city closed more than 100 streets to motor vehicles, tripled parking fees for SUV’s, removed 50,000 parking spots, and built more than 800 miles of bike lanes since 2014. According to city officials, the changes contributed to a 40 percent decline in air pollution. Despite years of tests and conflicting reports about too much pollution, some events even took place in the Seine River. And the purple track at the Stade de France had a secret ingredient: shells. In addition, the more than 14,000 mattresses made from recycled plastic used in the Olympic Village were given to the French army. The tennis balls used at Roland-Garros Stadium were donated to French sports clubs, as well as much of the other sports equipment from javelins to shot puts. Two swimming pools, the climbing wall, and the skateboarding parks were dug out and moved – most of them to the deprived Seine-Saint-Denis suburb northeast of Paris. And officials planned to retrofit athlete apartments from the Olympics Athletes' Village into housing for local residents. I hope that Coventry continues this sustainability trend.

A final reminder, as you watch the competitions, swing by #DebbieLaskeysBlog each day for leadership and marketing inspiration – and I hope you enjoy the Opening Ceremony!

Debbie Laskey's Blog

Friday, February 6, 2026

Introducing the #OlympicsLeadershipSeries2026 on #DebbieLaskeysBlog

SHARE THIS: 12 countries have participated in every Winter Olympics since 1924: Austria, Canada, Finland, France, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, and the US. #FunFact #OlympicsLeadershipSeries2026 #DebbieLaskeysBlog

SHARE THIS: Can you name the oldest sport at the Winter Olympics? It's figure skating. #FunFact #OlympicsLeadershipSeries2026 #DebbieLaskeysBlog

No comments:

Post a Comment