The 2026 Winter Olympics are set to officially begin on Feb. 6 and will run for two weeks, ending on Feb. 22. The games will take place in Northern Italy, primarily in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
The Winter Olympics have been taking place for over 100 years, with the first held in the French Alps in 1924. 16 countries participated in 16 events covering nine sports, including figure skating, bobsleigh, and speed skating. Since then, the games have evolved to have 116 events in 16 sports and over 90 countries competing for medals. New sports have continued to be added to the games each year, with ski mountaineering or Skimo making its first appearance this year. Skimo combines skiing and mountaineering, with athletes ascending up a mountain.
“We are very excited to hear about the announcement to include ski mountaineering in the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics,” the President of the United States Ski Mountaineering Association Ram Mikulas said. “We are very thankful to the IOC, International Ski Mountaineering Federation (ISMF), Italy and everyone that helped make this possible.”
This year marks the fourth time Italy has hosted the Olympics and the third time they have hosted the winter games. The last year they hosted was the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. Additional events, like Alpine Skiing and free style skiing, will be held in locations like Bormio and Livingo.
“I think it’s really cool that the games are in Italy, in Milan and Cortina,” senior Jonathon Slegar said. “It’s the perfect spot for the Olympics, especially Milan, since it’s a city with a lot of culture and history, so it’s a perfect spot.”
Although some events, like curling and snowboarding, have preliminary events starting on Feb. 4, the opening ceremony will take place two days later at the Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium. Italian singer Andrea Bocelli, along with Mariah Carey, will perform at the opening ceremony. The Parade of Nations and the lighting of the Olympic cauldron by the Olympic torch will also be performed during the ceremony.
“Bocelli’s performance will create a powerful and emotional moment, in which music becomes a shared language, echoing the athletes’ journeys and stories,” Olympic organizers said. “His performance will stand as one of the event’s most iconic moments, combining artistic performance with the essence of Olympic values, and creating a powerful bridge between music and sport.”
Athletes from all over the world compete for Olympic medals and many popular U.S. athletes are set to return. Snowboarder Chloe Kim, skier Lindsey Vonn, and skater Evan Bates have all competed at the Olympics before and are expected to medal again this year. New and rising stars, like figure skater Ilia Malinin and biathlon athlete Luci Anderson are also favored to do well. Skater Maxim Naumov is also expected to compete a year after his parents died in the Flight 5342 crash. The mix of experienced Olympians and new faces will allow for fans to cheer on their favorites.
Not only do the games provide a space for athletes to compete against other high-achieving athletes in high class facilities, the Olympics are a way for people from other countries to be together. According to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), there are three values of olympism: “excellence, respect, and friendship.”
“There is more that unites us than divides us,” The International Olympic Committee said. “Olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind.”
