LGBTQ+ Sports Show Stars Hudson Williams & Connor Storrie Honored as 2026 Olympic Torchbearers

HBO Max announced on Thursday that Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, stars of the hit series Heated Rivalry, have been chosen for a special honor. The two actors will serve as official torchbearers for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.

On the show, Williams and Storrie play Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, two hockey players who are secretly in love. The series, based on books by Rachel Reid, has become a major success over the past year, especially after HBO Max acquired the U.S. rights in November. Before that, not many people knew about the show or the actors.

Connor Storrie told the TODAY show how surprised he was by the series’ success. “I knew it was going to be something. I did not know it was going to be HBO. I think HBO was kind of like a pie-in-the-sky moment for all of us,” he said. Storrie also added that the platform is prestigious and a great home for their story.

HBO Max shared a statement confirming their participation in the Olympic Torch Relay. “Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, stars of the Crave Original series Heated Rivalry, have been selected to take part in the Olympic Torch Relay as official torchbearers for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026,” the network said.

The announcement did not specify exactly when or where the actors will carry the torch, though the torch has already traveled through Trieste and is now heading to Udine. The opening ceremony is set for February 6, but some sports, including skiing and curling, will begin two days earlier.

Real hockey action at the Olympics starts on February 11, with Team USA playing its first game against Latvia on February 12. Latvia, a small country, has several players in the NHL and is considered a strong team. Fans of Heated Rivalry may recognize the nod to Latvia from the show itself, where the writers included a scene of Latvia defeating Russia. Now, the actors from the series get to be part of the real Olympic celebrations in Italy.

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