2026 Winter Olympics: Medals, Russian Athletes, and Host Cities

Less than two weeks remain until the opening of the XXV Winter Olympic Games. They will take place from February 6 to 22 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 tells the most important things about the main sporting event of this year.

What is known about the opening

The official start of the Winter Olympic Games is scheduled for February 6 (the tournament program will begin on February 4. — Ed.) The opening ceremony will take place at the San Siro stadium in Milan. It will begin at 10:00 PM Moscow time.

For the first time in Olympic history, two cauldrons with 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 at Piazza Dibona).

It is reported that American pop diva Mariah Carey, Italian singer Laura Pausini, and legendary tenor Andrea Bocelli will perform before the audience. Among the ceremony participants will be Italian actresses Sabrina Impacciatore (“The White Lotus,” season 2) and Matilda De Angelis (“The Italian Race,” “Ripley”). During the opening ceremony, tribute will be paid to the outstanding fashion designer Giorgio Armani, who passed away at the age of 91 in September 2025. He previously designed uniforms 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 symbolize the two cities hosting the Olympics in 2026. — Ed.) The closing ceremony of the Olympics will take place in Verona on February 22. What time it will start is still kept secret.

Where the competitions will be held

A total of 25 sports facilities have been prepared: 19 of them are already functioning, two were built from scratch, and four — 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 take place.

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.).

Clearance from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been received by:

• figure skaters Pyotr Gumennik and Adelia Petroysan;

• — skiers Savely Korostelev and Daria Nepryayeva;

• — ski mountaineer Nikita Filippov;

• — short track skaters Ivan Posashkov and Alena Krylova;

• — speed skaters Ksenia Korzhova and Anastasia Semenova;

• — lugers Daria Olesik and Pavel Repilov;

• — alpine skiers Semyon Efimov and Yulia Pleshkova.

Game schedule

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

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

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

• alpine skiing and snowboard: competitions will take place from February 7 to 18;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 January 21, 2026. This is the first time that the broadcast will be conducted not by a federal TV channel, but by an online cinema.

As reported by the Minister of Sports, 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, the broadcasts will be available both live and recorded.

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