As of February 23, 2026, the XXV Winter Olympic Games—better known as Milano Cortina 2026—have just concluded their historic run across Northern Italy. This event was a landmark in Olympic history, redefining sustainability, gender equality, and the regional hosting model.

Milano Cortina 2026: The Ultimate Guide to the XXV Winter Olympic Games

By: DailyGameBonus Editorial Team | Updated: February 23, 2026

The eyes of the world were on Italy from February 6 to February 22, 2026. For the first time, the Winter Games were hosted by two primary cities—Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo—alongside several mountain clusters across Lombardy, Veneto, and the provinces of Trento and Bolzano.

This guide breaks down the venues, the debut of new sports, the historic performances, and the legacy of the most spread-out Olympics in history.

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📅 Key Facts & Dates

• Opening Ceremony: February 6, 2026 (San Siro Stadium, Milan)
• Closing Ceremony: February 22, 2026 (Verona Arena, Verona)
• Motto: “Dream Together” (Italian: Sogniamo Insieme)
• Athletes: ~2,900 from 92 Nations
• Events: 116 across 8 sports and 16 disciplines
• Mascots: Tina and Milo (Stoat siblings)

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🏟️ The Venue Clusters: A Regional Masterpiece

Unlike previous Games that centralized events in one city, Milano Cortina 2026 utilized 92% existing or temporary venues to ensure sustainability.

1. Milan Cluster (The Urban Heart)

Milan served as the logistical and cultural hub.

• San Siro Stadium: Hosted a star-studded Opening Ceremony.
• Milano Sant’Agulia Ice Hockey Arena: A brand-new, sustainable venue that saw the return of NHL players to the Olympic stage.
• Mediolanum Forum: Hosted Figure Skating and Short Track Speed Skating.

2. Cortina d’Ampezzo Cluster (The Dolomite Queen)

Returning to the spotlight after 70 years (last hosted in 1956), Cortina was the home of technical mountain sports.

• Olimpia delle Tofane: Venue for Women’s Alpine Skiing.
• Cortina Sliding Centre: A controversial yet state-of-the-art new track for Bobsleigh, Skeleton, and Luge.
• Olympic Ice Stadium: Hosted the Curling competitions.

3. Valtellina, Val di Fiemme, & Antholz

• Bormio (Stelvio Run): Known as one of the world’s most difficult slopes, it hosted Men’s Alpine Skiing and the Olympic debut of Ski Mountaineering.
• Livigno: The freestyle and snowboarding capital of the 2026 Games.
• Anterselva/Antholz: The world-famous biathlon arena.

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⛷️ What Was New in 2026?

The 2026 Games introduced eight new events and one entirely new sport to modernize the program and move toward 1:1 gender parity.

🏔️ Ski Mountaineering (Skimo) Debut

The most anticipated addition was Ski Mountaineering. Competitors raced uphill using “skins” on their skis, carried their skis on their backs for steep climbs, and then raced downhill.

• Events: Men’s Sprint, Women’s Sprint, and Mixed Relay.

🆕 New Medal Events

1. Dual Moguls: Head-to-head freestyle skiing.
2. Women’s Large Hill (Ski Jumping): Achieving better parity in jumping.
3. Skeleton Mixed Team Relay: A thrilling new format pairing one man and one woman.
4. Luge Women’s Doubles: Replaced the “Open” doubles to ensure gender-specific categories.

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🌟 Top Performances & Storylines

The Return of the NHL

After a 12-year hiatus, NHL players returned to the Olympics. The final between Canada and the USA was the highest-viewed event of the Games, featuring legends like Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby in what many called “the game of the century.”

Shiffrin vs. The Dolomites

Mikaela Shiffrin added to her legendary status by taking home multiple medals on the Cortina slopes, solidifying her place as the greatest alpine skier of all time.

The Rise of “Skimo”

Italian athletes dominated the debut of Ski Mountaineering, fueled by a home crowd in Bormio. This sport proved to be a “high-intensity” broadcast favorite, similar to the rise of Sport Climbing in the Summer Games.

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🌿 Sustainability & The “Legacy” Model

Milano Cortina 2026 is the first Games to be fully delivered under the Olympic Agenda 2020+5.

• Circular Economy: All venues were powered by 100% renewable energy.
• No “White Elephants”: Instead of building massive stadiums that would sit empty, Italy focused on upgrading existing infrastructure that will now serve as regional sports centers for the next 30 years.
• The Olympic Village: The Milan village is currently being converted into sustainable student housing, a much-needed resource for the city’s universities.

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🎟️ Spectator Info & Travel Logistics

For those who attended, the “Olympic Train” system between Milan and the mountains was the primary mode of transport.

• Traffic Management: High-altitude venues like Livigno and Bormio used Park-and-Ride shuttles to prevent environmental damage.
• Digital Tickets: 2026 was the first “paperless” Winter Olympics, with all entry handled via the official Milano Cortina 2026 App.

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🏆 Final Medal Table (Top 5)

As of the final day, February 22, 2026:

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	Norway	16	11	12	39
2	Germany	12	10	8	30
3	USA	10	9	11	30
4	Italy (Host)	9	12	10	31
5	Canada	8	8	10	26