NIGUARDA OLYMPIC
Niguarda Hospital becomes the "Olympic Hospital" with Regional Resolution No. 1827 of January 31, 2024; the text of the resolution states that Niguarda is the “public reference facility for the organizational, support, and executive aspects of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Games.”
Niguarda was chosen as the reference hospital for the Olympics based on the criteria established by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), namely the guarantee of the availability of all health services and the very high level of care, especially in the field of emergency services. To ensure these services in the areas near the competition venues, Niguarda collaborates, as specified in the regional resolution, with the Morelli Hospital in Sondalo and the Regional Emergency Agency (AREU). The role of other hospitals in the area becomes that of "partner hospitals" coordinated by the Olympic hospital. The entire system has a single goal: to ensure a complete and efficient network of health services in the regional territory throughout the Olympic Games.
THE 2026 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES
The Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will take place from February 6th to 22th and from March 6th to 15th, 2026, respectively, and for the first time in the history of the event, it will not be limited to a single hub but will span multiple regions: Lombardia, Veneto, Trentino, and Alto Adige. This will be the fourth Olympic event held in Italy (after Cortina d'Ampezzo in 1956, Roma in 1960, and Torino in 2006) and the third Paralympic event (after Roma 1960, which was the first edition of the Paralympic Games, and Torino 2006).
How Many Athletes and Spectators
More than 3,500 athletes from 93 countries are expected to compete for 198 medals in 16 Olympic disciplines (biathlon, bobsleigh, curling, Nordic combined, ice hockey, figure skating, speed skating, ski jumping, freestyle skiing, alpine skiing, ski mountaineering, cross-country skiing, short track, skeleton, luge, snowboarding) and six Paralympic sports (paralympic biathlon, wheelchair curling, para ice hockey, paralympic alpine skiing, paralympic cross-country skiing, paralympic snowboarding).
Based on the analysis of the final reports from previous similar events (Torino 2006 and Beijing 2022), it is estimated that over 50,000 people directly involved in the event (closed loop) will be present, categorized as follows:
• Olympic family (Olympic committees, sports federations, CONI)
• National Olympic delegations (athletes, coaches, technical support staff, and security)
• Technical and organizational staff of the Games (including healthcare operators and volunteers)
• Communication and broadcasting operators (press, TV, radio, etc.)
• Local authority representatives (municipalities, mountain communities).
A second group of event participants is also expected:
• Local population directly and indirectly involved in the activities outlined in the program.
• Public (spectators)
Based on previous experiences and considering that Lombardia hosts 50% of the competition venues in the two clusters of Milano and Valtellina, an overall daily attendance of about 400,000 people are estimated.
Where the Competitions Will Take Place
The 2026 edition will be the first with officially two host cities, but also the second in which the opening and closing ceremonies will be held in two different locations, after Sarajevo 1984 (in this case in Milano and Verona, which will also host the opening ceremony of the Paralympics).
In addition to Milano and Cortina d'Ampezzo, competitions will take place in Rho (MI), Assago (MI), Bormio (SO), Livigno (SO), Predazzo (TN), Rasun-Anterselva (BZ), and Tesero (TN).
The Journey of the Olympic and Paralympic Flames
The Olympic flame will be officially lit, as per tradition, in Olympia, Greece, on November 26th, 2025, and from there it will begin its long journey to the Milano-Cortina Games. A 63-day journey, 60 cities along the way, and 12,000 kilometers to cover, touching 20 regions and all 110 provinces of the peninsula, carried by 10,001 torchbearers. After the lighting of the sacred fire, it will arrive in Italy, in Roma, on December 4th, from where, two days later, it will begin its journey. It will be in Napoli on Christmas 2025 and will celebrate the New Year in Bari. On January 26, it will return to Cortina d'Ampezzo, exactly 70 years after the Opening Ceremony of the 1956 Games, and will conclude its journey in Milano, entering the San Siro Stadium on the evening of Friday, February 6th, 2026, for the official start of the Olympics.
The Paralympic Flame, on the other hand, will be lit on February 24th in Stoke Mandeville, England, the historic birthplace of Paralympic sport. After being lit in the UK, it will animate five Flame Festivals from February 24th to March 2th in Milano, Torino, Bolzano, Trento and Trieste, with the ceremony uniting the Flames on March 3th in Cortina d'Ampezzo. From March 4th, the Flame will reach Venezia and Padova, making its entrance on March 6 th at the Arena di Verona for the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games after traveling two thousand kilometers in the hands of 501 torchbearers.
The Mascots
The mascots of the XXV Olympic Winter Games in Milano and Cortina are two stoats, a sister and brother named Tina (short for "Cortina") and Milo (short for "Milano"). The mascots were chosen through a public survey based on over 1,600 proposals created by Italian students aged between 6 and 14 years. Tina and Milo, designed by students from the Comprehensive Institute of Taverna in Calabria, won with 53% of the votes.
Tina, the Olympic mascot, has a white coat, while her brother Milo, the Paralympic mascot, has a brown coat and was born without a paw, but uses his tail to help him walk. The student designers of Tina and Milo explained that stoats are symbols of innocence and purity, and that the two different coat colors represent duality and diversity. The two main mascots are also accompanied by six snowdrop flowers, called "The Flo."
