2026 Olympics, beaten Sweden, Italy celebrates: the Winter Games will be in Milan-Cortina

• 2026 Olympics, today the verdict: Milan and Cortina challenge Stockholm
• Games 2026: video message from Mattarella al Cio
• Games 2026, the endorsement of Lindsey Vonn: "Vote Cortina, it's the maximum"
• 2026 Olympics, Giorgetti delivers government guarantees letter to Cio
• Malagò launches Milan-Cortina 2026: "Dream will be reality". The candidacy logo in Tokyo

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Italy has made it. The members of the IOC have elected Milan-Cortina as the city that will host the Winter Games of 2026. Competition from Sweden, a Stockholm-Aare candidate, has been broken.

"You have confirmed once again your commitment to the Olympic candidacy, you have embraced the 2020 Agenda and you have put the sustainability of the Games at the heart of the project" said the President of the IOC, Thomas Bach, at the end of the presentation of the Italian candidacy.

An Italian delegation perhaps without precedent that for the Winter Olympics and Paralympics 2026 in Milan-Cortina. In Lausanne, to realize "the dream of all of Italy", there was the premier Conte, the minister Giorgetti, the number 1 and the secretary general of Coni, Malagò and Monati, that of the Pancalli paralympic committee. There were the mayors of Milan and Cortina, the governors of Lombardy and Veneto; Olympians and also the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella through a video message: "We'll make you all feel at home" guaranteed the head of state.

All together at the IOC, bound by a passionate and charismatic support for the Italian candidacy. "We worked well," repeated the CONI president, Malagò. And Giorgetti, who used to sing the Abba to dilute the tension while waiting for the verdict, confided in his speech to the IOC, to which he explained, in detail, the legacy post Games, the transport system, the opportunity to study protocols with African and Asian nations not very involved in the Winter Games, and all the economic guarantees.

When Thomas Bach announced the winning city, the cry of joy exploded in the room as if in one voice, the hugs, the emotion and the long and liberating applause of our delegates.

And a long applause, to which President Mattarella joined, was raised in the Grassi hall of the Piccolo Teatro in Milan, where the head of state participated in the VII special edition of the Giorgio Ambrosoli award.

Conte: "A united and compact Italy has won"
"We are proud of this great achievement! Italy has won: a whole country that has worked together with the ambition to create and offer the world a" memorable "sporting event", wrote the President of the Council, Giuseppe Conte, on twitter.

🇮🇹 We are proud of this great result! Italy has won: a whole country that has worked together with the ambition to create and offer the world a "memorable" sporting event # Olimpiadi2026 #MilanoCortina pic.twitter.com/rP59s0q32P

The premier learned of the Italian victory just arrived at Geneva airport, before taking off from Switzerland to Rome. Hugs were immediately taken with his delegation, as his staff let it be known.

Malagò: "We are a very strong team"

Joy in Milan
A shout of joy exploded in Piazza Gae Aulenti, in the area of ​​the Porta Nuova skyscrapers, where the verdict that saw Milan-Cortina win the 2026 Winter Olympics was broadcast live. Sport and Tourism, Lara Magoni, and security Riccardo De Corato; for the municipality the deputy mayor Anna Scavuzzo and the councilors for Social Policies, Pierfrancesco Majorino and for Digital Transformation and Civic Services, Roberta Cocco; the parliamentarian of the PD Mattia Mor and that of Fratelli d'Italia, Carlo Fidanza. Applause started after opening the customary bottle of champagne. Choreographies were organized by the city speakers. Around 200 people were present in the square, so a "Milan, Milan" choir started.

Thomas Bach: that's why Milan-Cortina won

Charm and sustainability, it is Milan-Cortina 2026
The combination of the dynamism of the metropolis and the charm of the Dolomites is one of the keys that have opened the door to success for the Milan-Cortina candidacy. A project that focuses on sustainability, with estimated costs of 1.3 billion euros (400 million charged to the IOC), with positive economic effects on GDP for 2.3 billion according to a study by La Sapienza, with the possibility of revenues of up to 3 billion euros according to a Bocconi analysis.

The Games will be spread over four 'clusters' between Lombardy, Veneto and the provinces of Trento and Bolzano: Milan, Valtellina, Cortina and Val di Fiemme. The opening ceremony in front of the 80 thousand spectators of the San Siro would be the most attended in the history of the Winter Games together with Beijing 2022. The closing one will instead be staged in the suggestive scenery of the Arena di Verona, UNESCO heritage site. 93% of the 14 competition venues already exist (10, of which 4 will be restructured) or temporary (3), only one will be built from scratch (by private investors): it is the PalaItalia Santa Giulia (15 thousand spectators) for the hockey, destined to become a multi-purpose space after the Games. Flanked by the Arena Hockey Milano, a facility closed in 2010 that will be renovated with 7 thousand seats. Figure Skating and Short Track competitions will be held at the Mediolanum Forum.

In Valtellina the men's alpine skiing medals will be awarded on the Stelvio track in Bormio, one of the most spectacular in the world, with a lighting system that allows you to compete at night. For women's alpine skiing there is another venue, in Cortina, on the Tofane. The Pearl of the Dolomites will also be home to curling at the Olympic Stadium (renovated with original wooden stands), bobsleighing, sledging and skeleton at the E. Monti Sliding Center. For biathlon there is the Sudtirol Arena di Anterselva. Snowboarding and feestyle on stage in three locations in Livigno (Carosello 3000, Sitas-Tagliede, Mottolino). In Val di Fiemme speed skating will be the protagonist on the Piné track, for which there is a project the complete coverage that will make it the highest structure in Europe (1,030 meters above sea level). Cross-country skiing is intended for Tesero. For ski jumping there are the Predazzo trampolines, with a spectacular setting. The Medal Plazas would be set up in Piazza Duomo in Milan and in Cortina.

Athletes and technicians will stay in 6 Olympic villages, on average 20 minutes from the competition venues (5,670 beds): one in Milan (to be built at the abandoned Porta Romana airport), two temporary in Cortina and Livigno, and three in hotels already Existing. Adjacent to the village of Cortina, the Mountain Media Center, to which is added the Milan Media Center of the Fiera di Rho-Pero.

The 2026 Games also aim at environmental sustainability, with the commitment to recycle 100% of urban waste and 80% of packaging, the prohibition of wrappings and disposable packaging for food and beverages as well as the choice of materials for the maintenance of ice with less ammonia, and the use of solar panels to feed the plants for artificial snow.