Twenty years after the Turin 2006 Winter Games, Italy returns to the forefront with Milan Cortina 2026. Rather than comparing the two editions, it’s interesting to observe how the way of thinking about and organizing an Olympic event has changed.
Turin marked a turning point, bringing indoor competitions to the heart of the city and initiating a profound transformation of the Piedmont capital, from an industrial hub to a destination for major events and tourism. Milano Cortina continues that legacy with a widespread and efficient model, structured into four clusters—Milan, Cortina, Valtellina, and Val di Fiemme—and with a sustainable approach: a single new permanent facility, the Santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena. There will also be three Olympic Villages, with the Milanese one set to later become a student residence.
On the sporting front, the number of competitions is growing: from 84 in Turin, there will be 116 in Milan-Cortina, with 9 men’s, 13 women’s, and 10 mixed events. Freestyle competitions are particularly on the rise, and a new Olympic discipline is making its debut: ski mountaineering (SkiMo), which combines uphill and downhill skiing on snow-covered slopes. Overall numbers are also growing: from 2,494 athletes at Turin 2006, representing 79 nations, there will be approximately 2,900 participants from over 90 countries. This is a clear sign of how the Winter Games have become, now more than ever, a global event.
On this journey toward 2026, our region will also play a leading role. On January 20th, the Olympic Flame will pass through Abano Terme, bringing with it a message of energy and rebirth. This passage carries strong symbolic value for a city that has always made a healthy lifestyle and maintaining a state of well-being its calling. The AbanoRitz, with its thermal baths and on-site spa, ideal for athletes, offers accredited thermal protocols for preventive health, strengthening/rehabilitation programs, and restoring balance between body and mind.
Cortina d’Ampezzo is approximately 150 kilometers from the AbanoRitz: the drive takes just over two and a half hours, passing through some of the most picturesque areas of the Veneto region and the Dolomites. It takes about three hours to get there from Milan by car, mainly via the A4 motorway towards Venice and exiting at Padova Ovest.
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