Chris Jones provides insights from Italy ahead of the Milano Cortina Olympics. The atmosphere at San Siro on Sunday night was vibrant, with the singing continuing long after Inter Milan’s victory over Bologna. The enthusiasm displayed by the home supporters is something Olympic organizers hope to see replicated during the Opening Ceremony on Feb. 6 at the same stadium.
There are concerns about whether this soccer-centric city, home to Inter and AC Milan, will embrace sports like hockey and figure skating with the same fervor. Milano Cortina 2026 is shaping up to be a subdued Olympics, with venues scattered across four clusters in northern Italy and sluggish ticket sales among locals.
In Milan, the Olympics seem almost invisible currently, aside from the attention drawn to the Milano Santagiulia hockey arena, still under construction. A temporary store in Piazza del Duomo serves as a reminder of the upcoming event, but the focus during the weekend was more on the towering Christmas tree in the square.
The city’s venues for figure skating and long track speed skating will be located in Assago to the south, while a smaller hockey rink and short track speed skating will be at Fiera Milano in Rho to the west. The complex, resembling a vast import-export operation, appeared desolate on Sunday.
Apart from the Milano Santagiulia, the only purpose-built site in Milan is the athletes’ village, one of six throughout northern Italy. The housing in Milan, though smaller than in previous editions, has divided opinions among locals, with some appreciating the elegance of the sharp-cornered apartment blocks while others find them austere.
In smaller co-host cities like Cortina and Livigno, the Olympics are expected to feel more intimate and festive due to their picturesque settings and smaller scale. However, in Milan, where snow is absent and numerous distractions exist, the focus remains on the intense Serie A title race between Inter and AC Milan.
Milano Cortina represents a shift towards more sustainable mega-events, relying mainly on existing facilities to reduce costs and environmental impact. The long-term plans for the venues post-Olympics include repurposing Milan’s Olympic village into student housing and transforming the privately financed hockey arena into a prominent sports and entertainment venue for the city.
The temporary hoardings outside the Olympic village, adorned with murals of athletes, serve as a motivational backdrop for the upcoming competitors. The message to “PROVE THEM WRONG” resonates not just with the athletes but with the entire city of Milan as it prepares to host the prestigious event.