By Matteo Morelli
Italy is able to host the XXV Winter Olympic Video games, introducing a number of new options that make these Video games completely different from earlier editions. Let’s undergo among the important issues you want to know, and don’t miss some helpful Italian vocabulary on the finish!
The 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Video games
The Winter Olympic Video games begin on February sixth and finish on February twenty second.
Roughly 2,900 athletes from over 90 Nationwide Olympic Committees are anticipated to compete at these Winter Olympics, making it one of many largest in historical past.
These Video games would be the most gender-balanced Winter Olympics ever, with round 47% of athlete quota locations allotted to feminine rivals (up from 45.4% at Beijing 2022).
There may even be a record-breaking variety of LGBTQ+ athletes (a minimum of 41 out) competing at these Video games, the most important at a Winter Video games.
For the primary time in Winter Olympics historical past, the Video games will span throughout two areas of Northern Italy, Lombardia and Veneto, in addition to the autonomous provinces of Trento and Bolzano.
The competitors might be shared throughout a number of areas, or clusters. They’re Milano, Cortina, Valtellina and Val di Fiemme. Every cluster will host particular disciplines, as follows:
- Milano: Determine Skating, Ice Hockey, Velocity Skating, Quick Monitor Velocity Skating.
- Cortina: Alpine Snowboarding, Biathlon, Bobsleigh, Curling, Luge, Skeleton.
- Val di Fiemme: Cross-Nation Snowboarding, Nordic Mixed, Skii Leaping.
- Valtellina: Alpine Snowboarding, Freestyle Snowboarding, Ski Mountaineering (Olympic debut), Snowboard.
Due to this widespread geography, Olympic Villages may even be situated throughout the completely different clusters, for a complete of 6 completely different areas.
The Olympic Flame and Cauldron
The Olympic Flame has already been going via among the most breathtaking locations throughout Italy. The overall journey of the Olympic Torch Relay is 12,000 kilometres throughout 110 Italian provinces, with 10,001 Torchbearers carrying the Olympic flame earlier than it arrives on the Opening Ceremony.
The Milano-Cortina Video games will introduce a brand new strategy to the Olympic Cauldron: for the primary time, there might be two of them, one in Milano and one in Cortina. Every night, the Cauldron will supply a light-weight and music present, primarily based on authentic music composed by Roberto Cacciapaglia.
Opening and Closing Ceremonies
The Opening Ceremony might be hosted at Milano’s San Siro Stadium on February sixth, and for the primary time there might be a multi-site celebration with actions additionally going down within the mountain clusters. It’s anticipated to have 1,200 volunteer performers from over 27 international locations, with the youngest being 10 years outdated and the oldest 70 years outdated, and over 500 musicians concerned within the recording of music. It’s already being anticipated as one of the vital thrilling opening ceremonies in Olympic historical past. The lineup of stars contains Mariah Carey, Andrea Bocelli, Laura Pausini, Lang Lang, Cecilia Bartoli and lots of others.
The Closing Ceremony will happen on February twenty second and will probably be in one other location, the beautiful Area in Verona, an historic Roman amphitheatre. This would be the first time {that a} Winter Olympic ceremony might be held at a UNESCO World Heritage website.
Determine Skating at Milano-Cortina
Determine Skating will begin on February sixth, the identical day of the Opening Ceremony, with its final competitors on February nineteenth and an Exhibition Gala on February twenty first.
The Workforce Occasion kicks off the competitions, with the ten certified Nationwide Olympic Committees dealing with one another to find out the highest 5 finalists, who then compete for the medals.
We are going to then swap to the person occasions, with medals awarded within the following order: ice dance (23 groups), males (29 athletes), pairs (19 groups), ladies (29 athletes).
Determine Skating competitions will happen on the Milano Ice Skating Area, which has a gross capability of practically 10,000 spectators. This venue just isn’t new to our sport: in 2018, the World Championships have been hosted at this exact same location.
Some Italian phrases for you
Let me finish by sharing a couple of Italian phrases that might be helpful if you’re in Milano, or if you wish to put up about it and need to take issues a step ahead:
- Do you need to say hello? Simply say this: Ciao! That is used each to greet once you arrive and once you depart, and it’s an off-the-cuff, pleasant solution to greet somebody. Be aware: when assembly, Italians are inclined to both shake fingers in formal conditions or kiss on the cheeks in casual ones.
- If you wish to be extra formal or well mannered, you may say Buongiorno throughout the day, or Buonasera within the night. These aren’t solely a extra formal solution to greet somebody, however they’re additionally needs in themselves (you actually want somebody to have a pleasant day or night). For completeness, let’s additionally point out Buona Notte – good evening.
- Grazie is the Italian for thanks. In case you are very grateful for one thing, you may say Grazie mille, which accurately interprets as “thanks a thousand (instances)”.
- How do you say Winter Olympics in Italian? Olimpiadi Invernali!
- Speaking about our sport: determine skating is pattinaggio di figura, whereas ice dance is danza sul ghiaccio.
- We love utilizing adjectives to explain issues. Bellissimo means lovely, however remember that Italian is a Latin language, so adjectives change type: Bellissimo (masculine singular), Bellissima (female singular), Bellissimi (masculine plural), and Bellissime (female plural). It may be a bit complicated if you’re not used to it, however belief me, you should use Bellissimo and nobody will choose you!
- And if you wish to say effectively performed to somebody, use Bravo if masculine or Brava if female (masculine plural: bravi; female plural: courageous). In the event that they actually excelled, use Bravissimo or Bravissima (masculine plural: bravissimi; female plural: bravissime)!
- Lastly, meals is a core a part of Italian tradition (do you know that Italian delicacies has acquired the primary ever and solely UNESCO World Cultural Heritage recognition?). To want somebody to get pleasure from their meal, say Buon Appetito. In the event you actually loved one thing, you may say it was Buonissimo (actually good)!
