The 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics are spread across a vast area in Northern Italy, resulting in a distinct Olympic experience with various sports segregated from one another.
The upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina will take place over an extensive area of 22,000 square kilometers in Northern Italy, creating a unique setup as compared to traditional Olympic Games. This distribution means that athletes from different sports are not necessarily housed or competing in close proximity, leading to a fragmented experience for the participants.
In Milan, representatives from speed skating and ice hockey will be located together, while in Cortina d'Ampezzo, curling athletes, bobsledders, skeleton racers, and female alpine skiers will be present. In this context, biathletes find themselves separated from other sports entirely, which can detract from the communal and celebratory atmosphere traditionally associated with the Olympics. The feeling of being isolated from the wider Olympic community may impact their experience and performance.
This unique logistical arrangement poses both challenges and opportunities for the Olympic spirit. While it aims to showcase the beauty and diversity of the host regions, the lack of a cohesive environment may make it difficult for athletes to fully engage with the spirit of the Olympics, fostering an atmosphere that some feel is more akin to a World Cup event rather than the Olympic Games that emphasize unity and shared celebration among athletes from all disciplines.
