#milan-cortina-2026

#milan-cortina-2026

The design has been revealed and it is a sun-like structure that is inspired by Leonardo's intricate knot patterns. Leonardo spent almost 25 years of his life in Milan and many of his most famous works are from his time in the city. The cauldrons have been designed to open and close with a diameter that expands from 3.1 meters to 4.5 meters and will contain the Olympic flame at their core, encased in a glass and metal container.

If Goldilocks were a speedskater, hockey ice would be medium hard, for fast puck movement and sharp turns. Figure skating ice would be softer, allowing push off for jumps and so the ice doesn't shatter on landing. Curling ice is the softest and warmest of all, for controlled sliding. For speedskating ice to be just right, it must be hard, cold and clean. And very, very smooth.

Cross-country skiing, the rugged grandfather of snow competition, will give its brightest stars a defining stage at the Milan Cortina Winter Games. Sporting greats such as Jessie Diggins of the United States and Italy's own Federico Pellegrino arrive at the Feb. 622 Games still in form but nearing the end of their careers. A cornerstone winter event, cross-country skiing traces its roots to centuries-old Nordic traditions and is considered one of the purest tests of endurance.

Long track speedskating sometimes referred to simply as long track or just speedskating was a part of the original Winter Olympics back in 1924, when only men participated, and is quite different from short track. In most long track events, two skaters compete against each other on a 400-meter oval, racing counterclockwise in an attempt to record the fastest time. There are two lanes, and the athletes alternate which portion of the course they are in during each lap.

That's normal. The local fans get interested closer and I think the beginning of the torch relay will be a very important moment for people realizing that,

Italy's President Sergio Mattarella on Friday called for an Olympic truce to be respected during the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games as conflicts in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip continue. Speaking in Rome at the Olympic torch lighting ceremony, Mattarella urged that hostilities stop for the duration of the sprawling winter sport showcase which opens on February 6. "Peace is coded into the DNA of the Olympics... Italy has asked that the truce be renewed and we hope that it is possible," Mattarella said.

Construction on the arena that is set to welcome NHL players back to the Olympics for the first time in more than a decade is behind schedule and going right down to the wire. A test event at the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena - the new, 16,000-seat venue that is being built on the outskirts of Milan - had to be moved, and new ones won't be until Jan. 9-11.