Quick Read
- The 2026 Winter Olympics will be held in Milan and Cortina, Italy, from February 7-22, 2026.
- The opening ceremony is scheduled for Friday, February 7, 2026.
- The U.S. delegation will be its largest ever, with 232 athletes, including 98 returning Olympians.
- Ski mountaineering will debut as a new Olympic sport at the Milan Cortina Games.
- Lindsey Vonn plans to compete despite a recently ruptured ACL, while Aleksander Aamodt Kilde will miss the Games due to injury.
MILAN (Azat TV) – Italy is gearing up to host the 2026 Winter Olympics, with the vibrant cities of Milan and the historic alpine resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo serving as the primary venues. As the official kickoff, the opening ceremony, is just days away on Friday, February 7, 2026, preparations are reaching their peak, marked by a flurry of athlete announcements, venue readiness, and a palpable sense of anticipation across the host nation.
This marks Italy’s fourth time hosting the Olympic Games, having previously welcomed the Winter Games in Cortina in 1956 and Torino in 2006, alongside the Summer Games in Rome in 1960. The 2026 Milan Cortina Games are set to run through February 22, promising a spectacle of winter sports and international camaraderie.
Anticipation Builds for Opening Ceremony and Athlete Showcases
The upcoming opening ceremony on Friday will feature the traditional Parade of Nations and the lighting of the Olympic cauldron, officially commencing the Games. Meanwhile, athletes from around the world are making their final preparations. The United States is sending its largest-ever delegation to a Winter Olympics, comprising 232 athletes, including 98 returning Olympians. This robust team has led analysts to suggest that the U.S. could challenge its records for total medals (37 in Vancouver in 2010) and gold medals (10 in Salt Lake City in 2002).
Amidst the excitement, several high-profile athletes are making headlines. American skiing legend Lindsey Vonn, 41, has confirmed she will compete despite rupturing the ACL in her left knee during a recent training crash. Vonn, who previously raced with an ACL injury before the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, has expressed determination to compete, stating she will wear a brace and test her pain tolerance. Dr. John Torres, an NBC News medical contributor, noted the significant challenge Vonn faces, emphasizing the ACL’s critical role in knee stability.
Team Selections and Surprising Developments
National teams are finalizing their rosters and making key appointments. USA Hockey announced Hilary Knight, 36, as the captain of the U.S. women’s hockey team for her record fifth Olympic appearance. Knight, a gold medalist in 2018, will lead a team looking to continue its strong form against rivals like Canada. On the men’s side, USA Hockey General Manager Bill Guerin has set a clear expectation: ‘gold or bust,’ reflecting the team’s confidence with the return of NHL players to the Olympics for the first time in over a decade.
However, not all news has been positive. Norwegian alpine skier Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, 33, a bronze medalist from the 2022 Beijing Games, announced he would miss the Olympics due to a persistent back injury, ending his season early. In figure skating, Spanish champion Tomas-Llorenc Guarino Sabate, 26, was forced to change his Olympic routine days before the Games due to a music clearance issue involving the ‘Minions’ film franchise. Canadian pairs skater Deanna Stellato-Dudek, 42, an Olympic debutant and 2024 world champion, was ruled out of the team event due to a training injury, though her participation in individual pairs is still being assessed. Australian freestyle skier Laura Peel, 36, also sustained a knee injury in training, raising doubts about her fourth Olympic appearance.
Venue Readiness and New Sports Debuts
The Italian mountain venues are showing excellent readiness for the upcoming competitions. Heavy snowfall blanketed northern Italian ski sites, including Livigno, which will host snowboarding and freestyle skiing, alleviating previous concerns about snow levels. American snowboarder Ollie Martin praised the conditions, noting the abundance of snow compared to other regions.
The 2026 Games will also mark the debut of ski mountaineering as an Olympic sport, introducing sprint and mixed relay events. This discipline, combining elements of cross-country skiing, climbing, and downhill racing, promises to add a thrilling new dimension to the Winter Olympics, the first new discipline since skeleton debuted in 2002. From the Olympic Village in Milan, American speedskaters Greta Myers and Casey Dawson shared their excitement, with Dawson noting the ability to explore the city and mingle with other athletes, a stark contrast to the pandemic restrictions of the 2022 Beijing Games.
As Italy prepares to welcome the world, the Milan Cortina Games are poised to blend sporting excellence with cultural celebration, showcasing both established Olympic heroes and the emergence of new talent and disciplines on the global stage.