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Athletes at the Olympic and Paralympic Village in Cortina chatted at outdoor coffee stalls on Tuesday, exchanging their unique national team badges and soaking up the Olympic atmosphere. dolomite The snow kept falling.
The village is a temporary home for approximately 1,400 athletes, coaches and team members through 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games. They live in 377 trailers in the Alpine Valley, a 10-minute drive from the center of Cortina. The other major Olympic village is in Milan.
“It’s such a fun environment here with so many other athletes,” Cory Thiesse said. American curling iron. “We live together, train together, eat together. We are literally at the foot of the mountain. Waking up in the morning and seeing a mountain like this is like a dream.”
Cortina will host curling, women’s alpine skiing, bobsleigh, luge and skeleton events. Athletes decorated the outside of their mobile homes with flags and banners to show their team spirit and serve as reminders of their hometown. The Canadian team placed a red moose statue in front of their home so others knew it was their territory, and the woman who coordinated team security cleared the freshly fallen snow from the statue’s back.
Each trailer is divided into two rooms, each of which can accommodate up to two people. The room is simple with bed, shower and toilet. For the Paralympics in March, half the trailer will be wheelchair accessible.
Nick Timmings, who was representing Australia in the skeleton competition, walked into the room he shared with his coach. They were used to sharing space; his coach was also his twin brother.
“A lot of people were worried about what was going on in the trailer – whether there was enough heat and plumbing and that kind of thing. But we came out here and they were warm. The plumbing seemed to be working fine,” Timmins said. “I’m very comfortable.”
The resort features a fitness center, relaxation space, lounge, restaurant, massage room and prayer room. Ukrainian bobsledder Nazarii Kachmar said he enjoyed visiting the common areas and meeting athletes from other countries. So far, he has spoken with athletes from Canada, Romania, the United States and Latvia.
Outdoor coffee stands are a popular gathering place. On Tuesday, athletes chatted while waiting for cappuccinos and espressos. De Aundre John, a bobsledder from Trinidad and Tobago, discovered the American bobsledders and asked for their national emblems in exchange for their lanyards.
John said it was great to be in the village and achieve his lifelong goal of becoming an Olympian. The Italian food is just a bonus, he said, adding that his favorite so far is the lasagna. In the restaurant, Swedish curling coach Alison Kreviazuk raved about the desserts, especially the cannoli.
Tuesday was cloudy, but on a sunny day, athletes could see the ski center as soon as they stepped out of their trailers, said Eva Lune Wiggelendum, the village’s administrator.
“We’re in a valley, so we’re surrounded by mountains,” she said. “It’s awesome. When you look outside, it’s snowing. So we’re really creating a winter Olympic Games The atmosphere. ”
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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
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