Why Valentine’s Day Looks Different at the Winter Olympics

Valentine’s Day will arrive this year in the middle of the Winter Olympics, putting love, competition, and routine on the same schedule for athletes competing in Italy.

While most people associate the holiday with dinners and celebrations, Olympic athletes say the reality is far less glamorous, shaped by early alarms, intense focus, and the emotional weight of performance.

For U.S. ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates, a married couple competing together once again, Valentine’s Day will be spent at the Games. The pair say plans are still open, but skating alongside each other in a romantic setting like Italy already gives the holiday a special feel. Their approach, they explain, is to stay grounded in the routines and relationship that brought them to the Olympics in the first place.

Elsewhere in the Olympic and Paralympic fields, Valentine’s Day may look even simpler. Multi-sport Paralympians Oksana Masters and Aaron Pike, who are engaged, say the holiday often coincides with race days, training, or recovery.

For them, romance is less about ceremonies and more about shared understanding — knowing what it takes to compete, recover, and return to the start line.

Across sports, athletes say having a partner who understands the demands of elite competition can make the pressure easier to manage.

While flowers and reservations may have to wait, many describe the shared experience itself as the most meaningful part of the holiday.