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The countdown to the 2026 Winter Olympics has entered Italy.
The torch relay is well underway, and some of the top athletes are already making headlines. There are 16 events in total, including some never seen before, and 116 gold medals waiting less than a month before the competition begins.
This will be the most widespread Winter Olympics in history: the two main competition locations are Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, winter resort dolomite The road distance is over 400 kilometers (250 miles). In addition to Cortina, athletes will compete in three other mountain groups, with the closing ceremony taking place in veronalocated 160 kilometers (100 miles) east of Milan.
Read this what-you-know guide to get ready for all the action!
Key dates to know
The competition will be held from February 4th to 22nd. Here are some dates to mark on your calendar:
February 4: Start of competition (curling).
February 6: Opening Ceremony.
February 7: Inaugural gold medal event.
February 8: Women’s alpine skiing downhill gold medal.
February 13: Men’s figure skating gold medal.
February 18: Gold medal in women’s alpine skiing slalom.
February 19: Gold medal in women’s figure skating. Gold medal game, women’s ice hockey. The new Olympic sport of ski mountaineering won its first gold medal.
February 22: Men’s ice hockey gold medal game. Closing Ceremony.
How to watch
Dozens of countries will live or broadcast each day’s events, with some delaying broadcasts to prime time depending on time zones. The same is true in the United States, where Eastern Time is six hours behind Milan and Cortina. nbc Showcase events will be held in the evenings, along with live sports on Peacock.
Popular storylines
Athletes to watch: Lindsey Vonn and Mikaela Shiffrin, 41, two of the most decorated alpine skiers in history, have opened the World Cup season in dominant form, leaving the U.S.’s gold-medal hopes in Cortina even slimmer. Eileen Gu returns to freestyle skiing and Chloe Kim returns to snowboarding. NHL players are back on Olympic ice for the first time since 2014, so stay tuned for the likes of Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid.
Venue: All eyes will be on Milan’s hockey rink, which is still under construction in January; the main rink will be about 3 feet shorter than what NHL and PWHL players are used to. The Athletes’ Village in Cortina is home to more than 350 mobile homes.
Russian athletes: Some sports federations are deciding whether to allow Russians to compete as neutral athletes, but only if they undergo an independent review to ensure they are not openly supporting the war in Ukraine and are not affiliated with the Russian military or other forces.
New additions: Ski mountaineering will make its Olympic debut, skeleton skiing will be adding a mixed team event, luge will be adding women’s doubles, and big mountain ski jumping will be adding women’s and men’s super team events.
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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics