Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic committee highlights lessons from PyeongChang

Andrea Varnier, center, CEO of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics organizing committee, joins guests at the Milano-Cortina Meet the World event promoting the Winter Olympics Games at High Street Italia in Seoul, Wednesday. From left are the event's MC Alberto Mondi, figure skating legend Kim Yuna, Varnier, Korean para Nordic skier Kim Yun-ji and Italian Ambassador to Korea Emilia Gatto. Yonhap

As the next Winter Olympics is set to take place in Milan and Cortina, Italy, in 2026, the head of the organizing committee said preparations are well underway and that the committee has learned from the 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province.

“[We’re here] because you hosted a great edition of the Games, and we’ve learned a lot from your edition to put some of that insight into our own planning,” Andrea Varnier, CEO of Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026, said during a roadshow held at High Street Italia in Seoul on Wednesday.

“Korea is one of the few places we chose to visit. Of course, it’s Korea’s passion for sports and its unique history of having hosted both the Summer and Winter Games that made it special. Not many countries have done that.”

The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics was the most recent edition, but it was held without spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2026 Games in Italy will run from Feb. 6 to 22, 2026, with the Paralympic Games to follow from March 6 to 15.

The organizing committee is currently traveling the world with the Milano Cortina 2026 Meets the World roadshow to raise awareness and promote the upcoming Olympics.

Wednesday’s event featured a couple of notable guests. Yuna Kim, Korea’s Olympic figure skating gold medalist, attended to encourage the athletes.

“I hope that all the athletes who compete at Milano Cortina 2026 will be able to perform at their best. Also, I hope they enjoy being part of one of the world’s biggest sporting events and enjoy Milano and Cortina,” she said.

The organizing committee also invited Kim Yun-ji, a Korean Paralympic Nordic skier who will compete at next year’s Games.

“I hope that I can show my best performance,” the 19-year-old said.

Next year's event will set a record for having the most geographically dispersed venues in Winter Olympics history.

“Altogether, it will cover 22,000 square kilometers. It will be the largest and most widely spread Olympic and Paralympic Games ever,” Varnier said, adding that the diverse venues will offer something special to athletes and visitors alike.

“You’ll find the most contemporary city in Italy, the most beautiful mountains listed as UNESCO heritage sites and other lesser-known valleys. They are close to each other, yet so rich and different in their history. They speak different languages, they eat different food and that will make for an incredible experience we want to offer the world,” he said.

“Please come and visit us and enjoy the fantastic performances of the athletes — because that’s the most important thing — but also the context we will offer with all our hearts.”