Early Events Pave Way for Olympic Festivities
The Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics officially began on February 6, 2026, with a series of preliminary competitions setting the stage for the highly anticipated opening ceremony. Athletes across various disciplines commenced their quests for Olympic glory in venues spread across northern Italy. This marks the first time the Olympic Games are officially co-hosted by two cities: Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo.
Figure Skating and Curling Action Underway
Among the first sports to see action were figure skating and curling. The figure skating team event, held at the Milano Ice Skating Arena in Assago, featured the rhythm dance, pairs' short program, and women's short program. The United States quickly established a lead in the team event, accumulating 25 points after the first day. American ice dance pair Madison Chock and Evan Bates delivered a strong performance, earning 91.06 points in their rhythm dance, while Alysa Liu secured a second-place finish in the women's short program.
Meanwhile, the mixed doubles curling round robin sessions began at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium in Cortina d'Ampezzo. Team USA's mixed doubles pair, Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin, started their campaign impressively, achieving a 4-0 record in early play.
Other preliminary events on February 6 included women's ice hockey preliminary rounds, men's and women's training events for Alpine skiing, and training runs for luge and ski jumping.
Grand Opening Ceremony Unites Nations
The official opening ceremony took place on the evening of February 6, 2026, at the iconic Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium. The spectacle, produced by Balich Wonder Studio, embraced the theme of 'Armonia' (Harmony). The event featured performances by international artists including Mariah Carey, Laura Pausini, and Andrea Bocelli. In a historic first for the Winter Games, two Olympic cauldrons were lit simultaneously, one in Milan and another in Cortina d'Ampezzo, symbolizing the dual host cities.
The XXV Winter Olympic Games will continue until February 22, 2026, bringing together 2,871 athletes from 92 nations to compete in 116 events across 8 sports and 16 disciplines.
5 Comments
Donatello
Mariah Carey at the Olympics? Feels more like a concert tour than a celebration of sport.
Leonardo
What an incredible start to the Games! So much talent on display already.
Donatello
Two cauldrons are just doubling the cost and complexity. Unnecessary spectacle.
Michelangelo
While the opening ceremony sounds like a grand spectacle with big names, I hope the focus remains on the incredible athletes and sportsmanship, not just entertainment value.
Donatello
It's exciting to see Team USA performing so strongly in the early events, but co-hosting across two cities will undoubtedly present significant logistical challenges for both organizers and spectators.