Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics: Key Developments and Challenges One Year Out

The upcoming Winter Games in Italy promise historic moments and logistical hurdles as preparations continue across eight venues.

Milan Cortina will host the largest Winter Olympics ever, spanning 116 medal events across eight venues in northern Italy, with new events like ski mountaineering debuting.
Logistical challenges arise from the wide geographic spread of venues, requiring careful planning for both athletes and spectators to navigate the distances between events.
The Cortina Sliding Centre, set to host bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton, faces construction delays, with Lake Placid, NY, prepared as a backup venue if the track is not completed by March.
Athletes to watch include Mikaela Shiffrin, Chloe Kim aiming for a snowboarding three-peat, and NHL players returning to the Olympics for the first time since 2014.
Russia remains banned from most events due to the ongoing Ukraine conflict, while gender equality at the Games improves, with women making up 47% of competitors.