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= MILAN CORTINA 2026 =
From Lane One
The theme of the Milano Cortina Games is “Armonia” or “Harmony” and the opening ceremony had very comfortable conditions at 47 F at the start at 8 p.m. in Milan’s famed 79,179-seat – and mostly full – San Siro stadium.
The program, directed by veteran Olympic ceremonies producer Marco Balich (ITA) – who also did the Turin 2006 Winter Games opening – opened with a gloriously-choreographed opening dance to salute the neoclassical history of Italy and transitioned into a colorful salute to iconic Italian composers Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini and Gioachino Rossini and to the history of Italy through costumed characters representing ancient Rome, fashion, food, literature, architecture and more.
American singing star Mariah Carey got a huge roar from the crowd as she sang “Nel Blu, dipinto di Blu” in Italian, followed by her “Nothing Is Impossible.”
Italian President Sergio Mattarellla and International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry (ZIM) entered next, followed by the Italian flag and the national anthem, sung by Italian star Laura Pausini, with scenes intercut from a simultaneous ceremony in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
A “City and Mountain” segment gave way to two flying rings that came together on the stage to symbolize the unity of the Games in multiple locations and after two people descended from the rings to the stage, three more rings appeared to magically form … the Olympic Rings high above the stage. This isn’t the first time this has been done, but it was well executed, leading to a mane of fireworks.
The parade of athletes followed, with Greece first of course, at the 40-minute mark of the show. The great innovation of this ceremony was the parade not just in Milan, but at the mountain sites in Cortina, Livigno and Predazzo as well, allowing everyone to march if they desired. A total of 92 teams came in, equaling the largest number of nations in a Winter Games from 2018 in PyeongChang (KOR); there were 91 at Beijing 2022.
There was a huge cheer for Ukraine in the San Siro, which was invaded by Russia two days after the end of the 2022 Winter Games in China. Russia has 13 athletes at the Milan Cortina Games as “neutrals.”
And the U.S. got a hearty cheer when its massive squad entered with speed skating gold medalist Erin Jackson in the stadium, and bobsledder Frank Del Duca in Cortina. There were some jeers when the screen showed U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance.
France followed as the next Winter Games host and then the Italian team, raucously welcomed in the San Siro. The march took 93 minutes, a half-hour more than the allotted 63:23; it always runs long.
A “time travel” segment across the history of the Winter Games led to the protocol aspects:
● Milan Cortina 2026 organizing committee chief – and International Olympic Committee member – Giovanni Malago (ITA) offered an emotional welcome, including:
“Tonight, this unique celebration means so much to me because I know how hard we have all struggled to make this happen. To be honest, the road has not been without challenges…
“However, like the entire team of Milano Cortina 2026, I was determined never to give up because, simply, I love my country, I love sport and I love the Olympic Movement.”
And he added:
“The co-ordination of so many different bodies in the pursuit of one dream has been a powerful expression of this country’s ability to deliver such a complex project.
“So, I would like to say grazie to the Italian people. Grazie to the thousands of volunteers who will make these Games so special. And grazie to all who will compete and take part in this historic spectacle.
“I have never been as proud to be Italian as I am tonight. To the athletes: this is your time.”
● Coventry’s remarks reflected her time as a five-time Olympic athlete, including:
“So first, be proud. Be proud of how far you have come. And now, take it all in. Enjoy it. Enjoy every second. Over the next two weeks, you’re going to give us something truly special.
“You’ll show us what it means to be human. To dream. To overcome. To respect one another. To care for each other. You’ll show us that strength isn’t just about winning – it’s about courage, empathy and heart. …
“So let these Games be a celebration of what unites us – of everything that makes us human.
“This is the magic of the Olympic Games: inspiring us all to be the best that we can be – together. Tonight, we are grateful to our gracious hosts, the Italian people, who set this spectacular Olympic stage with such passion and care.”
Mattarella then opened the Games in Italian to a roar from an adoring crowd.
The torch lighting protocol, opened by legendary Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, with the torch walked into the stadium as he sang. During his brilliant, choir-backed performance, the torch was handed to a group of three Italian athletes, then to a second group of three, who walked it out of the stadium!
A promotion-of-peace segment followed, leading to the entry of the Olympic Flag, in both Milan and Cortina, carried by eight individuals honored as promoters of peace in the San Siro, including Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade and marathon superstar, Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge.
The Olympic Anthem was rendered by Italian mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli, accompanied by Chinese pianist Lang Lang, then the Olympic Oath was taken in Cortina by two athletes – Italian curler Stefania Constantini and luger Dominik Fischnaller – plus two coaches and two judges.
A segment on the “Armonia” for the future, led to the return of the Olympic Flame, outside the stadium, and in Cortina. The procession finally led to the Arco della Pace in Milan and Italian alpine heroes Deborah Compagnoni and Alberto Tomba lit the expanding cauldron, patterned after Leonardo da Vinci’s knots.
In Cortina, Italian alpine star Sofia Goggia – competing in these Games – lit the cauldron at the Angelo Dibona Square, with both sites to host the flame during the Games.
It was a 3 1/2-hour program, of which the march took 1 1/2 of those hours.
But the ceremony had lots of drama, the messages of peace which are so dear to the Olympic Movement and enough drama, effects and theatrics to be entertaining and thoughtful. A great, fun and enjoyable start.
~ Rich Perelman
● Opening Ceremony notes ● The organizing committee said 1,200 volunteer performers were part of the ceremony, from ages 10 to 70, aided by 70 hairdressers and 110 make-up artists. Some 1,400 costumes were created
NBC’s coverage was anchored by Terry Gannon, but without “Today Show” anchor Savannah Guthrie due to her mother’s kidnapping. Mary Carillo replaced her, and Halfpipe superstar Shaun White – the triple Olympic gold medalist – brought a fun element to the program.
● Il Tempo Olimpici ● Weather in Milan is expected to clear on Saturday, with a high moving up to 53 F, then a low of 40 F in the evening.
In Cortina, overcast conditions are forecast Saturday, but no snow and a high of 41 F, going down to 23 F in the evening. Light winds are expected, but this should not interfere with the skiing.
● Ice Hockey ● Finland’s women’s norovirus situation is improving, with team General Manager Kimmo Oikarinen telling The Associated Press, “We still have nine players isolated, but we strongly believe we will play tomorrow [against the U.S.]. It is getting better. Forfeit is the last thing we want to do. I don’t believe we will go there. I do not see that happening.”
● Ski Jumping ● “This wild rumor started off a few weeks ago from pure hearsay. There has never been any indication, let alone evidence, that any competitor has ever made use of a hyaluronic acid injection to attempt to gain a competitive advantage.”
That’s International Ski & Snowboard Federation (FIS) spokesman Bruno Sassi (BRA) to The Associated Press, shutting down a German report that genital injections had been tried to create an advantage. OK, over.
● Olympic Winter Games: Future ● The organizing committees of the next two Olympic Winter Games – French Alps 2030 and Utah 2034 – signed a memorandum of understanding on Friday morning in Milan, to share best practices and expertise.
Utah 2034 also signed a similar agreement with the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur regions, that will focus on sustainability, access to sport, and the legacy of Olympic venues.
= RESULTS: FRIDAY, 6 FEBRUARY =
No medal events yet, but competitions were held in curling, figure skating and ice hockey:
● Curling: Great Britain and the U.S. moved into the lead in the Mixed Doubles round-robin, with Jennifer Dodds and Bruce Mouat, the 2025 Worlds silver winners, now at 5-0 and the American pair of Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin – the 2023 World Champions – at 4-0.
The U.S. dropped Canada’s Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant to 3-1 with a 7-5 win on Friday, thanks to three points in the seventh end. Britain and the U.S. face off on Sunday.
● Figure Skating: The U.S. got off to a solid start in the Team Event on Friday, led by World Champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates, who won the Rhythm Dance at 91.06, ahead of France’s Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron (89.98).
Two-time Pairs World Champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara (JPN) were easy winners in the Short Program, scoring 82.84 to 77.54 for European champions Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava (GEO). Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea of the U.S. placed fifth at 66.59, with a fall, but lost only a point in the overall standings.
Japan’s three-time World Champion Kaori Sakamoto was the winner of the women’s Short Program, scoring 78.88 to 74.90 for 2025 World Champion Alysa Liu of the U.S., with Lara Naki Gutmann (ITA: 71.62) third.
All together, the U.S. scored 25 points to 23 for Japan and 22 for Italy, with the top five teams to advance to the final. In the qualifying, only the men’s Singles remains for tomorrow, with the U.S. fielding World Champion Ilia Malinin.
● Ice Hockey: In the women’s pool play, Switzerland defeated the Czech Republic, 4-3, in Group A in a shoot-out after a 3-3 tie in regulation and overtime. The Swiss are now 1-0 and the Czechs are 0-2. Canada, whose game with Finland was delayed due to the Finnish team suffering from the norovirus, opens Saturday with the Swiss. The U.S. will play Finland, assuming they are healthy.
In Group B, Japan scored twice in the third to edge France, 3-2.
In case you were wondering, yes, they are playing at the new Santa Giulia arena! Italy played before 9,356 on Thursday, and beat the French by 4-1.
Elsewhere:
● Alpine Skiing: Yes, Lindsey Vonn completed a training run today for the women’s Downhill and is now eligible to ski on Sunday. Coming back from a crash at Crans-Montana (SUI), Vonn timed 1:40.33 for the 11th-fastest run on Friday. Fellow American Jackie Wiles was fastest of all at 1:38.94 and 2025 World Champion Breezy Johnson was sixth at 1:40.05.
= PREVIEWS: SATURDAY, 7 FEBRUARY =
(5 finals across 5 sports & disciplines)
● Alpine Skiing: Men’s Downhill
If you believe the results of the 2025-26 FIS World Cup, then the favorites are Swiss stars Marco Odermatt and Franjo von Allmen. Odermatt, the current men’s super-skier, has won the last four World Cup seasonal titles and is on his way to a fifth. He’s won three of the six Downhills this season and von Allmen, the 2025 World Champion, has won the other two.
But there are others and the fearsome Streif course in Bormio can produce a catastrophe for anyone. Austria’s Vincent Kriechmayr was the 2021 Worlds Downhill winner and has a silver in this year’s World Cup. Italian upstart Giovanni Franzoni has a World Cup Downhill win this season and two other medals. American Ryan Cochran-Siegle has a Downhill silver and bronze; the last American medalist in this event was Bode Miller in 2010 (bronze).
● Cross Country Skiing: Women’s 20 km Skiathlon
The Skiathlon has only been held once in the 2025-26 FIS World Cup season and American star Jessie Diggins won it in Trondheim (NOR), over Heidi Weng (NOR) and Swede Ebba Andersson. They’re all contenders this time, and Andersson is the two-time Worlds winner in the event in 2023 and 2025.
Swedish teammates Frida Karlsson (two Worlds silvers in this event) and Jonna Sundling (2025 Worlds bronze) are sure contenders and Austria;s 2022 Olympic bronzer Teresa Stadlober is not to be counted out. A latecomer to the World Cup medal list is Finn Johanna Matintalo, who won the final World Cup race, a 20 km Mass Start, on 25 January.
● Ski Jumping: Women’s Normal Hill
No doubt about the favorites in Predazzo off the 109 m hill: 20–year-old Slovenian star Nika Prevc and Japan’s Nozomi Maruyama.
Prevc, the younger sister in the ski jumping Prevc family, has won 13 times on the FIS World Cup circuit, including six in a row in January. Maruyama, the find of the 2025-26 season, won the first three events of the year and three more since. But there are other contenders, such as Norway’s Eirin Kvandal, a 2025 Worlds bronze winner and two-time World Cup winner this season, and Austria’s Lisa Eder, who has one win, but five silvers and two bronzes!
A longer shot would be Canada’s Abigail Strate, who won three medals in the last five World Cup before the Games.
● Snowboard: Men’s Big Air
The three World Cup events this season were won by China’s defending Olympic champ Yuming Su (2) and Japan’s qualifying leader, Hiroto Ogiwara (1). Japanese teammate Kira Kimura won two silvers and American Oliver Martin won a bronze.
Japan has four finalists and all are contenders, with Ryoma Kimata the 2025 World Champion and Taiga Hasegawa the silver winner and 2023 World Champion. A sweep is possible!
● Speed Skating: Women’s 3,000 m
The sentimental favorite is Italian birthday girl Francesca Lollobrigida, who turns 35 and comes in as the 2025 World 5,000 m champion, but her best was only fourth on the ISU World Cup circuit this season.
Norway’s Ragne Wiklund won the Long Distances World Cup title, winning medals each time and finishing 3-2-1-2-1 and won the 2023 Worlds 3,000 m gold. She’s a slight favorite, but will have to deal with Dutch star Joy Beune, the 2025 World Champion, ahead of ageless (she’s 38) Martina Sabilkova (CZE), the 2010 Olympic champion and a six-time Worlds winner at this distance. She was fifth three times in this season’s World Cup races.
Beijing 2022 bronze winner Isabelle Weidemann (CAN) figures as a contender as she had two World Cup silvers during the season. And do not count out Dutch star Marijke Groenewoud, a Mass Start superstar with three World titles, who won the 2024 European gold in this event.
Competitions continue in curling Mixed Doubles, the figure skating Team Event, Freestyle Slopestyle qualifying, ice hockey and the men’s Singles in luge.
= INTEL REPORT =
The Winter Games may be on, but that hardly interests the summer-sport federations, with world-level events this weekend in cycling, fencing, judo, rugby, wrestling and, of course, track & field.
● Athletics ● The fourth World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold tour was in Madrid (ESP), with American shot star Jordan Geist equaling his own world lead at 22.04 m (72-3 3/4). That beat Olympic bronzer Rajindra Campbell (JAM: 21.94 m/71-11 3/4) and Roger Steen of the U.S. (21.88 m/71-9 1/2).
Spain’s home favorite 800 m star Mohamed Attaoui took the world lead in the men’s 1,000 m in 2:14.52, a European record , and no. 3 all-time! He finished well ahead of countryman Mariano Garcia (2:16.40). Portugal’s Paris Olympian Agate de Souza took the world lead in the women’s long jump at 6.97 m (22-10 1/2)
Spain’s Enrique Llopis moved to no. 2 in the world in the men’s 60 m hurdles, winning in 7.45, with American Jamal Britt third in 7.51. Alaysha Johnson of the U.S. was second in the women 60 hurdles in 7.90, losing a photo finish to Laeticia Bapte (FRA) in the same time.
Charity Hufnagel of the U.S. took the women’s high jump at 1.96 m (6-5).
The Karlsruhe (GER) indoor is the next Gold-level meet, on Sunday.
● Football ● Now this is getting spicy. The town of Foxborough, Massachusetts, in which Gillette Stadium is located, said it will not issue the required license for this summer’s FIFA World Cup matches unless a $7.8 million bill for security for the event is picked up by someone else. The deadline to issue the license is 17 March; seven matches – including a quarterfinal – are scheduled for the site.
Said Bill Yukna, Foxborough Select Board Chair, “It’s not up to the Town of Foxborough to support or pay for any of this. As our chiefs are the ones responsible for the security and safety of the facilities, their needs need to be met or this cannot be an event that moves forward.”
Paige Duncan, the Foxborough Town Manager added:
“Foxborough supports the World Cup and wants to be a successful host community. However, the taxpayers of Foxborough cannot and will not be responsible for funding an international sporting event. We believe it is reasonable and appropriate that FIFA and/or event partners provide the funding necessary to support the public safety and operational requirements that come with hosting these matches.”
The reply from the Boston Host Committee: “We are working closely with FIFA, the stadium, and the town of Foxboro to reach an agreement.” The U.S. government appropriated $625 million for security related to the FIFA World Cup event in 2025; there are 11 U.S. sites for the event.
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