MILAN — “The winner takes it all,” cites an Abba song.
The popular Eighties track was dusted off in Italy in the last 24 hours, after the International Olympic Committee revealed Monday that the Italian cities of Milan and Cortina beat the competition of the Swedish cities of Stockholm and Åre to host the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
As IOC’s president Thomas Bach made the announcement in front of the Italian and Swedish delegations at the SwissTech Convention Center in Lausanne, Switzerland, people gathered in the squares of Milan and Cortina burst into cheers over the outcome. In the following hours they were joined in celebrating by fellow Italian citizens, who shared their satisfaction about the choice on social media.
This marks the third time Italy will host the Winter Games after the 2006 edition in Turin and the 1956 edition in the Cortina d’Ampezzo ski resort. The 2026 Winter Olympics will run Feb. 6 to 22, while the Paralympics will run March 6 to 15.
The selection of Milan and Cortina also will mark a duopoly of Olympic Games in Europe, with the Summer Olympic Games set to be held in Paris in 2024. This follows a string of Olympics set for the
What Will the 2026 Winter Olympics Mean for Milan and Italy?
