There are 2053 days to go until February 6, 2026, the day on which the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics will be officially inaugurated. 366 have passed since that fateful 24^th of June 2019 in Lausanne, when, for the first time, the International Olympic Committee entrusted the task of organizing the Winter Games to two cities.

A year has passed since those images of the unbridled joy of a group of people were sent around the world. The men and women of sport, the administrators of the territory, the Government representatives - who together brought back the Olympic dream to Italy for the fourth time after Cortina 1956, Rome 1960, and Turin 2006.

"The assignment of the Games to Milano Cortina,” – underlines the President of the 2026 Foundation, Giovanni Malagò – “was an extraordinary success for the country because it rewarded the stakeholders’ team spirit, of which we are very proud. We will keep that spirit forever in our hearts because it shows once and for all, the strength of sport as a factor of unity, despite any distance. We are working to honor the meaning of that victory, developing and implementing the project that embodied the candidature. The approval of the Olympic Law, for which we are grateful to the Government, the co-operation between the various stakeholders and the commitment of the Foundation, in continual contact with the IOC, represent a fundamental basis for respecting the time schedule and for imagining an unforgettable edition of the Games that will drive the development goals for the entire country.”

A year later, the Milan Cortina 2026 Foundation, which, since March has been in operation in its role as Organizing Committee, also celebrates its return, in compliance with the limits defined by the regulations for the containment of COVID-19, to the Pirellone tower, the iconic Milanese headquarters of the working group led by CEO, Vincenzo Novari.

“The pandemic and the resulting lockdown did nothing to undermine our determination to create an unforgettable edition of the Games. In fact, during the three months of remote working we have felt even more fully, the responsibility to, along with the Games, organize an event that acts as a restart for the country,” explains Novari.

The strategic planning phase, starting with the planning of partnerships with Italian companies of all sizes that will support the organization of the Games, will continue in the coming weeks, thanks also to the continuous support of the International Olympic Committee.

With the easing of restrictions on circulation between Regions, it will be possible to visit the territories to demonstrate the closeness of the Foundation to the local bodies which will play a fundamental role in the delivery of the Games in 2026.

“This anniversary is also an opportunity to celebrate the magnificent group of people who made the victorious candidature of Milano Cortina possible, while also renewing the commitment to deliver a Winter Games that are truly for all Italians," concludes Novari.