With less than 100 days remaining until the start of the 2026 Winter Olympics, organizers are hopeful that all venues will be prepared for the influx of athletes and fans in northern Italy this February.
In just over three months, Italy will host the winter sports spectacle for the third time, marking the first occasion in Western Europe since the 2006 Turin Games.
The 20-year gap from the traditional hub of winter sports has seen the event hosted in Vancouver, Sochi, Pyeongchang, and Beijing, with some criticized for environmental concerns and high costs.
“Following these major events, there have always been challenges, but this edition is truly for and by the local area,” stated Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini at an event marking 100 days to go in Milan. The estimated total cost for the Milan-Cortina Games is $6.05 billion, significantly lower than the amounts spent on the previous three Winter Olympics.
The 2026 Games, scheduled from February 6-22, will span a vast region from Milan to the Dolomite mountains in Italy’s northeast. Ice sports will take place in Milan, while alpine skiing will be hosted in Bormio and Cortina.
The biathlon will occur in Anterselva, Nordic skiing in Val di Fiemme, and snowboarding and freestyle skiing in Livigno, located in the Italian Alps.
Due to this wide geographic distribution, organizers are prioritizing existing infrastructure, with only two of the 13 venues being newly constructed.
The two Olympic villages in Milan and the Cortina d’Ampezzo ski resort were completed earlier this month. The controversial bobsleigh track in Cortina, built despite opposition from the IOC, will soon host its first international event.
However, the multi-purpose Santa Giulia arena in Milan, set to host ice hockey tournaments, is still under construction by a private developer and won’t be tested until less than a month before the opening ceremony.
Santa Giulia remains a significant concern for organizers after missing a crucial test date in December, when the under-20 world championships were relocated to the Games’ secondary ice hockey arena in Rho, outside Milan. Santa Giulia is now set to be tested from January 9-11 during Italian league matches at the 16,000-capacity venue.
“Let’s be honest, we’ll need those 100 days and we’ll have to use them,” said Giovanni Malago, president of the Milan-Cortina organizing committee. “But I don’t think there’s been anything different from many other events, not just sports, where work continues up until the last few days, or even hours, before they begin to ensure everything meets expectations.”
SimiCo, the company responsible for delivering the Olympic venues and overseeing the construction and renovation of 51 transportation and 47 sports facilities, shares Malago’s optimism.
“Everything will be ready for unforgettable Games,” insisted CEO Fabio Saldini.
The organizers also revealed the podiums on which Luciano Buonfiglio, head of Italy’s Olympic committee (CONI), hopes Italy’s athletes will improve their medal count from three years ago. “After winning 17 medals in Beijing in 2022, we must achieve at least 19 medals,” said Buonfiglio.
Buonfiglio’s goal is one shy of Italy’s record medal haul of 20 at a Winter Olympics, set at the 1994 Lillehammer Games when the country won seven golds and finished fourth in the medal standings. Three years ago, Italy secured only two golds, in curling mixed doubles and through Fontana in the short track 500 meters.
