2026 Winter Olympics: Medal sets, Russian athletes, and host cities

With less than two weeks to go until the opening of the XXV Winter Olympic Games. They will be held from 6 to 22 February in Italy. Two cities will host the athletes – Milan and Cortina d«Ampezzo.

For Italy, this will be the fourth Olympics in history. Cortina d«Ampezzo first hosted athletes at the Winter Games in 1956. Four years later, the Summer Olympics were held in Rome, and in 2006, the Winter Olympics in Turin. And now, 20 years later, Italy is again awarding medals: a total of 116 medal sets in 16 sports have been approved.

MSK1.RU reports the key details about the main sports event of this year.

What is known about the opening

The official start of the Winter Olympic Games is scheduled for 6 February (the tournament program will begin on 4 February. — Ed.) The opening ceremony will take place at the San Siro stadium in Milan. It will begin at 22:00 Moscow time.

For the first time in Olympic history, two cauldrons with the flame will be used: in Milan (at one of the city«s iconic monuments – the Arch of Peace) and in Cortina d»Ampezzo (in the historic center of the mountain resort on Piazza Dibona).

It is reported that American pop diva Mariah Carey, Italian singer Laura Pausini, and legendary tenor Andrea Bocelli will perform for the audience. Among the ceremony participants will be Italian actresses Sabrina Impacciatore («The White Lotus», season 2) and Matilda De Angelis («The Italian Driver», «The Undoing»). During the opening ceremony, tribute will be paid to the outstanding fashion designer Giorgio Armani, who died at the age of 91 in September 2025. He previously designed the uniform for the Italian national team. It is expected that about 60,000 people will attend the opening of the 2026 Olympic Games.

The mascots of the Games are two stoats, Tina and Milo (they represent the two cities hosting the Olympics in 2026. — Ed.) The closing ceremony of the Olympics will take place in Verona on 22 February. The time it will start is still kept secret.

Where the competitions will take place

A total of 25 sports facilities have been prepared: 19 of them are already operational, two were built from scratch, and four are temporary venues. Milan will be the epicenter of ice sports, while competitions in snow disciplines will be held in Cortina d«Ampezzo and neighboring provinces. For the first time at the Games, ski mountaineering competitions will be held.

Which Russians will compete

Russian athletes have been allowed to participate in the 2026 Olympics under the condition of neutral status. Under this, athletes are not allowed to use national symbols – the flag, anthem, and coat of arms of the country. The athletes will compete under the abbreviation AIN (Athlete Individuel Neutre – translated from English as «individual neutral athletes». — Ed.).

The following have received clearance from the International Olympic Committee (IOC):

• Daria Nepryaeva (cross-country skiing);

• Savely Korostelev (cross-country skiing);

• Adelia Petrosian (figure skating);

• Petr Gumennik (figure skating);

• Ksenia Korzhova (speed skating);

• Anastasia Semenova (speed skating);

• Alena Krylova (short track);

• Ivan Posashkov (short track);

• Nikita Filippov (ski mountaineering).

Schedule of the games

• figure skating: medals will be awarded on 8, 11, 13, 16, and 19 February;

• hockey: finals will be on 19 (women«s) and 22 (men»s) February;

• cross-country skiers, biathletes and speed skaters will compete for medals almost every day;

• alpine skiing and snowboarding: competitions will run from 7 to 18 February;

• ski jumping: medal sets will be awarded on 7, 9, 10, 14, and 16 February;

• short track: competitions will be on 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20 February;

• luge: the fight for medals will be on 8, 10, 11, and 12 February;

• curling: finals will be on 10 and 20–22 February;

• Nordic combined: competitions will be on 11, 17, and 19 February;

• skeleton: the tournament will be from 13 to 15 February;

• bobsleigh: runs are scheduled for 16–22 February;

• freestyle skiing: medal sets will be awarded on 9–12 February, and then 14–21 February;

• ski mountaineering: the tournament will be on 19 and 21 February.

Where to watch the Olympic Games

The rights to the live broadcast of the Olympic Games were purchased by the streaming service Okko, as became known on 21 January 2026. This is the first time that broadcasts will be conducted not by a federal TV channel, but by an online cinema.

As reported by the Minister of Sport, Chairman of the Russian Olympic Committee Mikhail Degtyarev, on the platform it will be possible to watch the opening ceremony, all sports competitions, including final stages, and the closing ceremony. Moreover, broadcasts will be available both live and recorded.

Earlier we reported on the return of figure skaters Alexandra Trusova and Kamila Valieva to big sport. Also read the biography of Adelia Petrosian, who will represent the country (albeit in neutral status) at the Olympics in Milan.