Milano Cortina emphasises hopes for the Olympic Winter Games 2026 in Italy
Milano Cortina celebrates the decision to host the Olympic Winter Games 2026, and expresses gratitude following the host city announcement at the 134th Session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
“This is a very, very important result. Not for me, but for the whole country. In particular, I am really proud of this fantastic team that we created all together,” said Giovanni Malagò, IOC Member and President of the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI). “Initially it was quite complicated… What we have done this afternoon represents perfectly the images of my country. Thanks to all of you.”
IOC President Thomas Bach said, “Congratulations to Milano Cortina for this victory. For the IOC, this is a great day. We have the Olympic Winter Games 2026 in a traditional winter sports country with great experience in winter sport, with passionate fans and great athletes.
“With this project aligned with Olympic Agenda 2020, we have seen how we can also lower the complexity of the Games and how this can be addressed in a better way, and how the use of existing facilities is facilitating sustainability and legacy goals. In this respect, the candidature of Milano Cortina stood out with 93 per cent use of existing or temporary facilities.
“With this enthusiasm we have seen there, and with this great support of the Italians, the foundation is laid and therefore excellent preparations; and in this respect, this is not only a victory for Milano Cortina, it is a victory for the Italian sports fans who have so greatly supported the Olympic Games: their great athletes,” President Bach added.
Milano Cortina was chosen to host the Olympic Winter Games in 2026 after receiving 47 out of a total of 82 votes, and Stockholm-Åre receiving 34 votes, with one abstention.
Inspired by the IOC`s Olympic Agenda 2020 and New Norm initiatives, both candidatures exemplified the positive impact of these reforms.
“What was impressive today was the focus on both candidatures of Stockholm-Åre and Milano Cortina on the reforms of Olympic Agenda 2020, presenting Olympic projects which have sustainability with a clear focus on the use of existing facilities that have been caring about legacy,” said President Bach. “The results can benefit in significantly reduced costs with regard to the organisation of the Games, but also with regard to the candidature, where the average costs were down 75 per cent compared to the candidatures before.”
The IOC will support the staging of the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina with a contribution of 925 million US dollars.
The Milano Cortina delegation expressed their sincere gratitude to the many individuals who supported their bid, and said that they were looking forward to working on the Games.