The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics have begun, with events already starting and finishing. It officially began on Friday, Feb. 6, with the Opening Ceremonies that were held in both Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.
Everyone is excited to see the events of this year, as well as the results of the games.
Freshman Rose Zamakis said, “I think that the Olympics is very competitive, but an enjoyable thing that people love to watch.”
The Opening Ceremony was a success with most viewers saying it was the most memorable Winter Opening ceremony ever. People such as Mariah Carey and Andrea Bocelli performed, as well as pianist Lang Lang, singer songwriter Laura Pausini and rapper Ghali. The whole event lasted around three hours and really brought out Italian culture through the dances, fashion, opera and coffee makers.
This year, there were two cauldrons lit, one in each city. This marked the first time two official cauldrons were lit simultaneously to mark the start of the games. They did this to symbolize harmony and unity between the two cities and also because it would have been hard for the athletes to travel so far in order to attend the ceremony and be able to get back to playing their sports on time. The cauldrons were also put out at the same time to allow for the equal representations of the hosting locations.
The games are being held in Milan and Cortina, both of which are located in Italy. The two locations are located about a four to five hour drive from each other and both are hosting different events. In Milan, most of the indoor sports are being held, while in Cortina, there are more outdoor sports being held.
The games include 16 sports disciplines throughout the 116 medal events.
There have already been some eventful days, from injuries to setting records.
The Winter Olympics are set to end on Feb. 22.
