Milano Cortina 2026

Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, located 450km apart in north‑west Italy, submitted the first successful dual‑city bid to host a Winter Olympic Games. They defeated a rival dual‑city bid from Stockholm and Åre by 47–34. It was the third time Italy had hosted the Winter Olympics, having previously staged the Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo in 1956. In 2026, Milan hosted the ice events, with the remaining competitions spread across the surrounding alpine regions.

The opening ceremony was held at Milano’s San Siro Stadium, while the closing ceremony took place at the Verona Arena.

Ski mountaineering was the only new sport introduced at the Games. There were 1,338 female competitors, the highest number at any Winter Olympics. The Games marked a significant milestone in gender balance, with women comprising 47% of all participating athletes. There were 50 women‑only events and 12 mixed‑gender events. Within the New Zealand team, women made up 38% of the athletes.

The New Zealand team consisted of 17 athletes, 12 of whom were making their Olympic debut. Most athletes were based in Livigno, while alpine skier Alice Robinson and her support team were based near Cortina d’Ampezzo, where the alpine skiing competitions were held.

New Zealand won three medals, equalling its best Winter Olympic medal haul. While there were no gold medals, snowboarder Zoi Sadowski‑Synnott won two silver medals, becoming the most decorated snowboard Olympian in history across both women’s and men’s competition, while freeskier Luca Harrington added a bronze.