The Olympics are often framed as a stage for youth, a place where rising stars leave their first mark on the world. But they are also a proving ground for legends.

At 41 years old, Slovak biathlete Anastasiya Kuzmina returned to the Olympic Games in Milan in 2026, years after many believed her career had reached its final chapter. A three-time Olympic gold medalist and the most decorated Olympian in Slovak history, Kuzmina came back  to test herself against the sport’s new generation.

She had already competed for Slovakia in three Olympic Games: 2010, 2014, and 2018. Across those appearances, she won six Olympic medals, three of them gold. In 2026, simply qualifying again was a statement. Competing at 41 in a sport that demands peak endurance, shooting precision, and recovery capacity is rare. 

This time, Kuzmina did not stand on the podium. Her highest individual finish was 36th as France, Sweden, and Norway dominated the medal table. But measuring Kuzmina’s 2026 Games by placement alone misses the point.

For Slovakia, a nation of just 5.4 million people, Kuzmina’s career has reshaped what feels possible. She remains the country’s most decorated Olympian. She became the first Slovak athlete to win gold at three different Olympic Games. In a country with limited winter sport infrastructure and fewer sponsorship opportunities compared to powerhouse nations, her achievements were exceptional.

Small nations face structural disadvantages in elite sport: reduced funding, smaller talent pools, limited media exposure, and fewer commercial partnerships. That ecosystem shapes who continues in sport and who drops out. It also shapes which young girls believe they belong in high-performance spaces.

“Over the past three years, I focused on refining every detail, building new habits, and rediscovering myself in a completely new way.”

Anastasiya Kuzmina

Kuzmina understands that tension personally.

Born in Russia, she chose to represent Slovakia in 2008 after being removed from the Russian national team following the birth of her child. In Slovakia, she found something different. “The big difference for me was that in Slovakia they allowed me to be with my family while I was in training,” she once reflected. 

In a sport that often demands total sacrifice, that support mattered.

Slovakia may not have matched Russia in resources, but it offered community. And with that community behind her, Kuzmina became a biathlon legend.

Her 2026 return was not about reclaiming dominance. It was about agency,  longevity, and proving that motherhood does not close the door to excellence. For Kuzmina, the 2026 Olympic Games were about showing that an athlete’s value is not limited to the speed of her final lap.

When asked about her comeback, Kuzmina said, “Over the past three years, I focused on refining every detail, building new habits, and rediscovering myself in a completely new way.”

She knew the field had grown faster and the sport had changed. But her return was never solely about beating the clock. It was about answering a personal question: Am I still capable?

Her legacy was secure long before Milan. Watching her step onto the Olympic course at 41 sends a different message to young Slovak girls and to women athletes everywhere: longevity is  possible and success doesn’t expire.

Some will remember the placements. Others will remember the image: a legend choosing to compete again, on her own terms.

And that, in many ways, is the greater victory.