Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics: Your Complete Guide to the Historic Games
The countdown is well and truly underway for the highly anticipated 2026 Winter Olympics, set to take place across Italy. With the torch relay already in motion and top athletes generating significant buzz, excitement is building for what promises to be a spectacular sporting event. A total of sixteen sports will feature, including exciting new additions, with one hundred and sixteen gold medals up for grabs when the competition commences in less than a month's time.
A Historically Dispersed Winter Games
This edition of the Winter Olympics will be the most geographically spread-out in history. The two primary competition hubs are the bustling city of Milan and the picturesque winter resort of Cortina d'Ampezzo, nestled in the Dolomites. These two locations are separated by over four hundred kilometres by road. Beyond Cortina, athletes will also compete in three additional mountain clusters, while the closing ceremony is scheduled for Verona, situated approximately one hundred and sixty kilometres east of Milan.
Key Dates for Your Calendar
Competition officially runs from February 4th to February 22nd, 2026. Here are some of the essential dates to mark:
- February 4: Competition begins with curling events.
- February 6: The grand opening ceremony.
- February 7: The first gold medal events of the Games.
- February 8: Gold medal awarded in the women's Alpine skiing downhill.
- February 13: Gold medal event in men's figure skating.
- February 18: Gold medal event in women's Alpine skiing slalom.
- February 19: A major day featuring the gold medal in women's figure skating, the gold medal game in women's ice hockey, and the first-ever Olympic gold medals in the new sport of ski mountaineering.
- February 22: The final day includes the gold medal game in men's ice hockey and the closing ceremony.
How to Watch the Games
Dozens of countries worldwide will stream or broadcast each day's events live. However, some broadcasters may delay coverage until primetime slots to accommodate different time zones. This will notably be the case in the United States, where Eastern Time is six hours behind Milan and Cortina. In the U.S., NBC will air showcase events during evening hours while providing extensive streaming coverage on its Peacock platform.
Top Storylines and Athletes to Watch
The Games are brimming with compelling narratives. In Alpine skiing, all eyes are on two of the most decorated skiers in history: forty-one-year-old Lindsey Vonn and Mikaela Shiffrin, both of whom opened the World Cup season in dominant form, raising American hopes for a golden performance in Cortina. Freestyle skiing sees the return of Eileen Gu, while Chloe Kim is back in snowboarding. Furthermore, NHL players are returning to Olympic ice for the first time since 2014, with stars like Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid expected to draw significant attention.
Venue Developments and New Sports
Venue preparations are a key focus, particularly the hockey arenas in Milan, which were still under construction as of January. Notably, the main rink will be approximately three feet shorter than the standard used by NHL and PWHL players. The athletes' village in Cortina will comprise a collection of over three hundred and fifty mobile homes. In terms of new events, ski mountaineering will make its Olympic debut. Additionally, skeleton has introduced a mixed team event, luge has added women's doubles, and large hill ski jumping now includes women's and men's super team events.
The Situation Regarding Russian Athletes
A significant ongoing storyline involves the participation of Russian athletes. Individual sports federations are in the process of deciding whether to allow them to compete as neutral athletes. This permission would only be granted after an independent review clears them, ensuring they have not publicly supported the war in Ukraine and are not affiliated with Russia's military or security forces.
