Winter Olympics 2026 Milano Cortina Opens with 17-Day Race for 116 Gold Medals

The global festival of snow and ice has begun.

The 25th Winter Olympics, officially known as the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games, kicked off with an opening ceremony at Milan's San Siro Olympic Stadium at 4 a.m. Korean time on Friday, launching 17 days of competition through February 23.

Approximately 2,900 athletes from 92 countries will compete for 116 gold medals across 8 sports and 16 disciplines, including the newly added ski mountaineering.

This marks Italy's first Winter Olympics in 20 years since the 2006 Turin Games. It is Italy's fourth Olympic Games overall, combining both summer and winter editions. The country's only Summer Olympics was the 1960 Rome Games.

Winter Olympics are typically divided between ice and snow events held in different locations. The 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics similarly hosted ice events in Gangneung and snow events in PyeongChang.

With a focus on sustainability, these Games minimize new construction and are more geographically dispersed than previous editions. Milan, the hub for ice events, and Cortina d'Ampezzo, the center for snow events, are approximately 400 kilometers apart. Ski and snowboard events are further split between the Valtellina and Val di Fiemme clusters located between the two cities. This geographic spread explains why two place names appear in the official Olympic title. Cauldrons will be installed in both Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo.

At the previous 2022 Beijing Games, approximately 2,900 athletes from 91 countries competed for 109 gold medals. Norway topped the medal standings with 16 golds, followed by Germany with 12 and the United States with 9. Host nation China also won 9 golds, tying with the U.S., but finished fourth due to a lower total medal count.

Canadian sports analytics firm Gracenote Sports projects Norway (14), the United States (13), and Germany (12) to lead the gold medal count at these Games, while China is expected to win only 4 golds.

South Korea has sent a delegation of 130 members, including 71 athletes, with a goal of winning at least 3 gold medals and finishing in the top 10 overall. At the 2022 Beijing Games, Korea placed 14th with 2 golds, 5 silvers, and 2 bronzes. Gracenote projects Korea to finish 14th again with 3 golds, 2 silvers, and 2 bronzes.

The men's parallel giant slalom snowboard event at Livigno Snow Park on Saturday (Korean time) represents Korea's first medal hope. Short track speed skating, traditionally Korea's strongest event, begins on Monday. Figure skater Cha Jun-hwan and speed skater Park Ji-woo will serve as flag bearers at the opening ceremony.

San Siro Stadium, the opening ceremony venue, is a sacred ground for Italian football. The 75,000-seat stadium serves as home to Serie A clubs AC Milan and Inter Milan. Celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, the stadium will be demolished following these Olympics.

Approximately 1,200 performers will grace San Siro's final major event at the opening ceremony. The lineup includes "Queen of Pop" Mariah Carey, world-renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, and Chinese pianist Lang Lang. Regarding the selection of an American artist, the Milano Cortina Organizing Committee explained that Carey is "one of the figures who best embodies the ceremony's theme of harmony." The Associated Press noted the choice "aligns with the power of music's universal language" and represents "a strategy to attract global viewers and enhance the Games' brand value."

Meanwhile, controversy arose after reports emerged that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents plan to support Italian security authorities during the Games.