Heated Rivalry co-stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie were announced on January 22 as official torchbearers for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Williams, who plays Shane Hollander in the series, and Storrie, who plays Ilya Rozanov, have seen their careers skyrocket since the series dropped, with its staggering reception offering a welcome surprise to the show’s creators.
The Milano Cortina Games will kick off on February 6 with the Olympic Torch Relay at the opening ceremony. Fans are already counting down the days to see the beloved Heated Rivalry icons on another world platform. The pair recently graced the stage at the Golden Globes as presenters, and Connor Storrie also presented at this year’s SAG Awards. But this is just the beginning!
Heated Rivalry, the sensational show based on Rachel Reid’s novel, hit Irish screens on January 10, after much anticipation. The series was released in Canada in November, followed by the US, and had viewers hooked from episode one.
The steamy sports romance has swirled up an internet storm, as well as making real change across the world for LGBTQ+ fans and sportspeople. Former hockey player Jesse Kortuem was inspired to come out after watching the fun yet profoundly heartfelt series.
While the actors from the smash-hit series may not be real-life sports stars themselves, they have come to represent so much for the queer athletic community over the course of their rise to stardom. As torchbearers for the Winter Olympics, they will certainly shine a light on the importance of representation and authenticity within the industry, as well as highlighting the need for better support structures for LGBTQ+ athletes.
However, this won’t be the only queer story for these Winter Games, with athlete Amber Glenn making history as the first openly queer figure skater to compete in the Olympics.
Just as Scott Hunter is inspired to come out in the TV series (spoiler if you’ve been living under a rock!), here’s hoping these on and off-screen representations translate into even more change within the sports world.
And with a second season of the show in the works, there is much more in store for Ilya and Shane, too!
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