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Hollywood stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams are ready for their Olympic close-ups.
The lead actors of the romantic sports TV series “Heated Rivalry” have been selected as torchbearers for the 2026 Winter Olympics. After playing their on-screen Olympic rivals Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, Storrie and Williams will now compete in the real-life 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 the opening ceremony next month in Milan. The torch relay always begins in Greece, home of the first Olympic Games.
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As of Thursday, the flame was in Trieste, Italy, with 13 cities remaining on its route to Milan. The 2026 Winter Games will take place from February 6 to 22.
(L to R) Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams speak onstage during the 83rd Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton on January 11, 2026 in Beverly Hills, California. (Kvork Djansezian/CBS via Getty Images)
The specific roles of Storrie and Williams in the relay have not yet been revealed.
The Milan Santagiulia ice hockey arena is seen for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. The photo was taken on Friday January 9, 2026. (Gian Mattia D’Alberto/LaPresse via AP)
“Heated Rivalry” is a television adaptation of the “Game Changers” novel series by Rachel Reid. It follows an off-ice romance between Hollander, a fictional Canadian hockey star, and Rozanov, a fictional Russian pro. The series has been renewed for a second season.
