BREAKING: The Winter Olympics light up Italy this week. The flame arrives in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, the Alps are ready, and rehearsals for a massive opening show are underway with 1,200 volunteers on the floor. I am on the ground for the start of Milan–Cortina 2026, a two week sprint across ice and snow from February 6 to 22. Clear your calendar. The chase for early medals is about to begin.
Welcome to Milan–Cortina 2026
Italy hosts the Winter Games for a third time, and the setting feels perfect. Cortina’s Dolomite peaks hold Olympic history. Milan brings modern power and big city pulse. The plan leans on existing venues, and that matters. It cuts cost, reduces strain on the mountains, and puts sport first.
You can feel the culture in the streets. Alpine clubs arrive with cowbells. Fans talk about great downhill runs and fearless jumpers. The mix of Italian flair and winter grit gives these Games a special tone.
Many events use long standing arenas and tracks, a clear push for legacy and a lighter footprint.
How to watch the opening push
Action starts fast. Early rounds roll before some medals are even decided. The time zone is Central Europe. That means morning and midday live windows for North America, and evening viewing for Asia.
Here is how to lock in coverage with no misses:
- Use your national broadcaster and the official Olympics stream for live feeds and replays
- Set alerts for your favorite sports, heats can pop up early
- Track venue start times in local time and your home time
- Keep a second screen nearby for results and start lists
Sync your phone to Central European Time for the Games. It makes schedule math easy.
Day one slate, early medal swings
Opening day is built to spark. Expect qualifying in ski jumping and snowboarding. Short track heats should deliver chaos and speed. The figure skating team event often opens the ice program with pressure and pride on display. Mixed doubles curling pulls you in with clutch shots and sudden swings.
Long track speed skating can award the first golds of the Games. Thousandths of a second and steady pacing decide everything. Watch the Netherlands for a fast start. Their depth at the oval tilts the early medal table. Biathlon, if scheduled on day one, shakes the scoreboard too. Norway thrives in the mixed relay with calm shooting and fierce skiing.
Mountain weather can move start times. Check updates each morning to avoid surprises.
Athletes who can shape week one
Mikaela Shiffrin returns to the Alps where edge control meets nerve. If the women’s giant slalom lands early, she can set the tone for Team USA. Eileen Gu brings amplitude and clean grabs to freeski. She thrives in high pressure finals. Chloe Kim, if healthy and competing, remains the queen of the halfpipe. Her runs carry power and style that judges reward.
On the oval, Irene Schouten’s engine makes long distance finals feel like a metronome. Watch Thomas Krol and the Dutch sprint unit too. Their lines are smooth. Their speed is ruthless. In biathlon, Johannes Thingnes Boe is the standard. If the rifle is quiet, the field rarely catches him. Short track belongs to blades and bravery. Suzanne Schulting reads traffic like few others and can tear through any pack.
Ski jumping belongs to rhythm and belief. Ryoyu Kobayashi’s flight has that calm you notice from the in-run. Germany’s sliding crew carries steel in luge and bobsled. Francesco Friedrich is the pilot who finds time where others lose it, inch by inch.
These names draw the spotlight, but watch the hosts. Italy’s alpine team knows these slopes. A fearless run on home snow can move a nation.
The show before the start
Rehearsals for the opening ceremony hit full speed this week. The cast is huge, the staging complex, and the mood is electric. The plan connects Milan’s modern stage and Cortina’s mountain soul. Expect a celebration of ice, light, and Italian craft. Once the cauldron burns, it is all business. Schedules tighten. Legs get heavy. Dreams sharpen.
Fans arriving by train and bus will feel the spread of these Games. Venues stretch across Lombardy and the Veneto. Travel takes planning, but the views reward every mile. The Dolomites glow late in the day. It looks like winter sport’s true home.
What matters next
The early medal count often moves on blades, rifles, and fast corners. The Dutch have speed. Norway owns stamina and calm. Germany builds points on steel runners. Canada and the United States lean into snowboarding and freestyle. Italy looks to alpine and sliding to lift the home crowd. One big day can tilt the week. One bad gust of wind can open a door.
The Winter Olympics are here. The clock is live. From Milan’s lights to Cortina’s cliffs, we will track every cut, jump, and finish. Keep your coffee hot. Keep your alerts on. The race for winter begins now.
