In just a few hours, the Olympic cauldron will be lit at San Siro stadium, and the Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics will officially be underway. For the next two weeks, from February 6 to 22, the event will deliver a rich showcase of athletic achievements, emotional highs and global spectacle. Expect stunning footage from the Alps, the birthplace of winter sports, after four editions of the Winter Olympics were held far from this traditional mountain setting.
Northern Italy promises to give spectators a feast for the eyes. From Milan’s renovated areas, where the ice events will be staged, to the Antholz-Anterselva biathlon arena, a high-altitude marvel perched on the heights near the Austrian border, as well as Bormio, with its legendary Stelvio alpine ski course and Cortina d’Ampezzo, the “Queen of the Dolomites,” with its crown jewel, the Olimpia delle Tofane, a legacy of the 1956 Games.
This opulent region will showcase its finest assets, both literally and figuratively. More than 400 kilometers separate Milan, capital of the Lombardy region, from the farthest competition venues. Previously a logistical nightmare, today, spectators and accredited personnel could end up paying the price of traveling through the region’s valleys, which will certainly worsen the event’s carbon footprint. Indeed, transport represents the main source of emissions for major sporting events.
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