The countdown clock for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy has reached the one month to go stage.
The torch relay is already under way ahead of the event to be held in Milano and Cortina d’Amprezzo. There are 16 sports in all, including some never seen before, and 116 gold medals are waiting to be awarded when competition begins in a month.
This will be the most spread-out Winter Games in history: The two primary competition sites are Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, the winter resort in the Dolomites that is 400km away by road. Athletes also will compete in three other mountain clusters besides Cortina, while the closing ceremony will be in Verona, 160km east of Milan.
Team SA will be at the Winter Olympics for the first time since 2018 with an as yet uncornfimed squad, which is expected to be a handful of competitors, including cross-country skier Matt Smith.
The time remaining is featured on a huge display in downtown Milan, a visible reminder that planning must soon give way to reality.
Event organisers say the preparations are largely on schedule, with the final snowmaking and infrastructure work progressing smoothly. Several projects for the Games remain under construction, including the Santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, where the first competition is scheduled to be held on 5 February. The venue is due to be ready for test events on 9 January.
