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Hollywood stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams are ready for their Olympic close-ups.
The stars of the sports romance TV series “Heated Rivalry” have been selected as torchbearers for the 2026 Winter Olympics. After portraying Olympic-level rivals Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov on screen, Storrie and Williams will now take part in the real Games.
Neither actor will actually compete on the ice at the Olympics.
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Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams attend the premiere of “Heated Rivalry” at TIFF Lightbox on November 24, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario. (Harold Feng/Getty Images)
Instead, Storrie and Williams will take part in the Olympic torch relay as it passes through Italy before ending at next month’s opening ceremony in Milan. The torch relay always starts in Greece, home of the original Olympic Games.
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As of Thursday, the torch was in Trieste, Italy, with 13 cities remaining on the route to Milan. The 2026 Winter Games will run from February 6 to February 22.
(L-R) Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams speak on stage during the 83rd Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton on January 11, 2026 in Beverly Hills, California. (Kevork Djansezian/CBS via Getty Images)
The specific roles of Storries and Williams in the relay have not yet been revealed.
Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena for Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics is seen. The picture was taken on Friday 9 January 2026. (Gian Mattia D’Alberto/LaPresse via AP)
“Heated Rivalry” is a TV adaptation of Rachel Reid’s novel series “Game Changers”. It follows an off-ice romance between Hollander, a fictional Canadian hockey star, and Rozanov, a fictional Russian pro. The show has been renewed for a second season.
