200 days to go until Dakar 2026, the first Olympic event in Africa

Details
  • YOG

There are exactly 200 days to go until the start of Dakar 2026. As this historic Olympic moment approaches – marking the first edition of the Games to be held on the African continent – discover the facts, figures and must-know information about the upcoming edition of the Youth Olympic Games.

The fourth edition of the Summer Youth Olympic Games will take place in Dakar, Senegal, bringing together the world’s best young athletes for the first Olympic sporting event on African soil. Senegal’s sporting culture and tradition are deeply rooted in its history and its people, particularly among young people.

The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games will enable 2,700 athletes aged 17 and under to compete. The opportunity to participate in the upcoming Youth Olympic Games is open to the territories of the 206 National Olympic Committees and, for the first time, to an Olympic team composed of young refugees.

Gender equality at Dakar 2026 goes beyond the number of male and female athletes. For the first time in the history of the Summer Youth Olympic Games, there will also be an equal number of events for each gender. The Dakar 2026 programme features a total of 153 events: 73 women’s events, 73 men’s events and 7 mixed events.

Dakar 2026 has unveiled an official slogan that highlights African hospitality and the festive spirit of the Senegalese capital. It is available in two languages: “L’Afrique accueille, Dakar célèbre” in French and “Afrig Dalal, Ndakaaru Jëmël” in Wolof (“Africa welcomes, Dakar celebrates”). 

This official slogan is rich in symbolism, as it alone evokes the unique character of this edition of the Youth Olympic Games. Senegal is the first African country to host an Olympic event, which has prompted the Dakar 2026 organising committee to emphasise that these Games belong not just to one country, but to an entire continent.

Several international stars are backing the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, an event that will showcase the future stars of international sport. A number of highly prestigious official ambassadors have already been appointed. 

These include Kalidou Koulibaly, captain of the Senegal men’s national football team, as well as famous figures from outside the world of sport, such as the actor Omar Sy and the influencer Khaby Lame.

 

Programme for the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games – List of 25 competitive sports

Athletics

Coastal rowing

Badminton

Baseball5

3x3 basketball

Beach handball

Beach volleyball

Boxing 

Breaking

Road cycling 

Fencing 

Futsal

Artistic gymnastics 

Judo

Beach wrestling 

Swimming 

Rugby sevens

Skateboarding

Equestrian sports 

Taekwondo

Table tennis

Archery 

Triathlon

Sailing

Wushu

 

Programme for the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games – List of 10 sports

Canoe-kayak

Sport climbing 

Golf

Weightlifting 

Hockey

Karate

Modern pentathlon

Surfing

Tennis

Shooting

 

The 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games will be held in three cities: the capital, Dakar; the new city of Diamniadio; and Saly, on the coast. Here is the full list of venues selected to host the competitions.

Dakar

Iba Mar Diop Complex 

Tour de l'Oeuf Complex

Corniche Ouest

 

Diamniadio

Equestrian Centre 

Dakar Arena

Abdoulaye Wade Stadium

Dakar Exhibition Centre

 

Saly

Saly Ouest Beach

Olympic and Paralympic athletes of Milano Cortina 2026 received at Palazzo Chigi by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni

Details
  • WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES

The Italy Team’s intense two-day programme of institutional engagements concluded at Palazzo Chigi. The day after the return of the Tricolour to the Head of State at the Quirinale and the celebratory evening at Casina Valadier, the Olympic and Paralympic athletes who starred at Milano Cortina 2026 — fresh from their morning audience with Pope Leo XIV — were received by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Also present at the meeting (photo Andrea Masini/CONI), among others, were CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio, CIP President Marco Giunio De Sanctis, CONI Secretary General and Italy Team Chef de Mission Carlo Mornati, Milano Cortina 2026 Foundation President Giovanni Malagò, Minister for Sport and Youth Andrea Abodi, and Federation Presidents Flavio Roda (FISI) and Andrea Gios (FISG).

Meloni was presented by Buonfiglio with a flag signed by the athletes, while the CIP President gifted her the Paralympic Games torch. In turn, the Prime Minister presented the athletes with commemorative cases containing the Tricolour and medals.

Earlier in the morning, a delegation of the Italy Team had met Senate President Ignazio La Russa during the event “Sport and Peace”, organised by Senator Giusy Versace in the Sala Zuccari of Palazzo Giustiniani.

Vai alla gallery

Pope Leo XIV receives the stars of Milano Cortina 2026 in audience: “Athletes are witnesses to an honest and beautiful way of inhabiting the world”

Details
  • AT THE APOSTOLIC PALACE

The day after the return of the Tricolour to the President of the Republic at the Quirinale and the celebratory evening at Casina Valadier, Italy’s Olympic and Paralympic medallists and fourth-place finishers from the Milano Cortina 2026 Games were received in audience by Pope Leo XIV in the Sala Clementina, on the second loggia of the Apostolic Palace (photo Andrea Masini/CONI).

In attendance, alongside the athletes, were CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio, CONI Secretary General and Italy Team Chef de Mission Carlo Mornati, President of the Lombardy Region Attilio Fontana, President of the Veneto Regional Council Luca Zaia, Mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala, Mayor of Verona Damiano Tommasi, President of the Autonomous Province of Trento Maurizio Fugatti, IOC honorary members Manuela Di Centa, Franco Carraro and Mario Pescante, the leadership of the Milano Cortina 2026 Foundation headed by President Giovanni Malagò, the ex officio members of the CONI National Council (federation presidents), numerous members of the Executive Board, and the presidents of the CONI athletes’ and coaches’ commissions.

“Holy Father, on behalf of the Italian National Olympic Committee and the entire Italian sporting movement, I would like to express our most sincere gratitude for welcoming us today and for the constant attention you devote to the world of sport,” said CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio. “Your words represent for us a precious guide: a constant reminder of the most authentic values of sport, such as respect, solidarity, sacrifice and a sense of community. These are values that go far beyond competition and contribute to shaping better women and men. Our athletes, in addition to winning and making us proud, strive every day to share your message in concrete terms, not only in competition but also in daily life, becoming positive examples especially for younger generations. Holy Father, we thank you for your support and for the moral strength you transmit to our movement. We will continue to uphold these principles with responsibility and pride, so that sport may always be an instrument of growth, inclusion and peace. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts”.

CIP President Marco Giunio De Sanctis then addressed the Pope: “Your Holiness, we have had the pleasure, the honour and the privilege of personally knowing your predecessors Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. However, I believe this represents a unique, historic and unrepeatable occasion, because it has brought together before you the entire Olympic and Paralympic sporting universe. It is a great moment. I know that you are a man of sport and that you are close to our world, just as our movement is close to the Catholic Church. We share values that are inherent to Christian principles, from loyalty to fair play through to inclusion, regardless of race, traditions or background. Our task is to welcome and engage with everyone in a spirit of fairness, both during competition and beyond it, without neglecting what the Church has promoted for millennia. Particularly in the Paralympic world, differences must no longer exist and we must throw open the doors to respect, integration and full inclusion, not in words but in deeds. All these great athletes gathered here today, who have brought honour to our country, dedicate their medals to you so that each of us may become a better citizen and truly believe in the values that the Church has upheld for so long”.

“I welcome you with joy following the conclusion of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games, which spread throughout the world, alongside competitions of the highest level, a noble human, cultural and spiritual message,” said Pope Leo XIV. “Thank you for what you have borne witness to. Sport, when authentically lived, is not merely performance, but a form of language, a narrative made up of gestures, effort, waiting, falls and new beginnings. During the Games we saw not only bodies in motion, but stories — stories of sacrifice, discipline and perseverance. In particular, in Paralympic competitions we observed how limitation can become a place of revelation, not something that hinders the person, but something that can be transformed, even transfigured into a defining quality. You athletes have become biographies that inspire countless people. Secondly, your cohesion reminds us that no one wins alone, because behind every victory many are involved: from families to teams, through countless days of training, pressure and solitude. It is often precisely in these moments that God reveals Himself. Sport contributes to the development of our character, it requires a noble spirituality and represents a fruitful form of education. Through sport one learns to know one’s body without idolising it, to govern emotions, to compete without losing a sense of fraternity, to accept defeat without despair and victory without arrogance. By training the mind together with the body, sport is authentic when it remains human — when it remains faithful to its original vocation: to be a school of life and of talent. A school in which one learns that true success is measured by the quality of relationships, not by the number of prizes, but by mutual respect and the shared joy of the game. This is the ‘life in abundance’ spoken of in the Gospel: a life full of meaning, where physicality and interiority find harmony. That is why I chose this Gospel expression as the title of the letter I wrote at the start of the Games: Life in Abundance. In the present time, so marked by polarisation, rivalry and conflicts that lead to devastating wars, your commitment takes on even greater value. Sport can and must truly become a space for encounter, not a display of strength but an exercise in relationships. During these Games I wished to recall the value of the Olympic Truce: through your presence you made this possibility of peace visible as a prophecy that is anything but rhetorical. To break the logic of violence in order to promote that of encounter. At the same time, we are well aware that sport also carries temptations: that of performance at any cost, which can lead to doping; that of profit, which turns play into a market and the athlete into a celebrity; that of spectacle, which reduces the athlete to an image or a number. Against these distortions, your testimony is essential. Dear athletes, you have been witnesses to an honest and beautiful way of inhabiting the world. You convey the idea that one can compete without hatred, win without humiliating, lose without losing oneself. This applies beyond sport, in social life, in politics and in relations between peoples, because sport, when lived well, becomes a laboratory of reconciled humanity, where diversity is not a threat but a richness. In an era of major climate challenges, these Games also remind us of the link between sport and nature and of our duty to care for our common home. Today, in this hall, we look to the Cross of athletes — the Olympic and Paralympic cross — which from the London 2012 Games to Milano Cortina 2026 gathers the prayers, expectations, hopes, fears and sufferings of women and men of all ages who share their sporting experiences. Before this supreme and essential example of dedication, we renew the desire to give our best, together, in every activity. Dear athletes, I thank you all for your commitment and I pray that Jesus Christ, the true athlete of God, may inspire each of you to ever more virtuous challenges and grant you the strength to face them with passion. As I accompany you with my blessing, I entrust you with a mission: to ensure that the person remains at the centre of sport in all its expressions. My best wishes to you all”.

The Pope, who received as gifts the Olympic and Paralympic tracksuits and the two torches, then greeted each of those present individually.

At the end of the audience, Giampaolo Mattei, President of Athletica Vaticana, and Bishop Paul Tighe, Secretary of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, accompanied a delegation including Federico Pellegrino, Federica Brignone, Michela Moioli, Francesca Lollobrigida, Arianna Fontana, Davide Ghiotto and several Paralympic athletes to the nearby Santa Marta Paediatric Dispensary to meet families with young children. In addition to providing basic necessities, the Dispensary offers around 500 families — almost all foreign and without access to healthcare — free specialist medical visits (for children and mothers) with doctors from the ‘Bambino Gesù’ Children’s Hospital, the ‘Gemelli’ Polyclinic and other institutions. The athletes were welcomed by Archbishop Luis Marín de San Martín, the new Papal Almoner and Prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity, recently appointed by Pope Leo XIV.

Vai alla gallery

The Milano Cortina 2026 Tricolour returned, Mattarella: “An unforgettable chapter of emotions and success”

Details
  • AT THE QUIRINALE

The unforgettable journey of Milano Cortina 2026 concluded at the Quirinale. The Salone dei Corazzieri hosted the ceremony during which the Tricolour was returned to President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella by Olympic and Paralympic medallists, as well as fourth-place finishers at the record-breaking Winter Games of the Italy Team (photo Andrea Masini/CONI).

Present, alongside the athletes led by Olympic flag bearers Federica Brignone, Arianna Fontana, Amos Mosaner and Federico Pellegrino, and Paralympic flag bearers Chiara Mazzel and René De Silvestro, were Federico Mollicone, President of the Chamber’s Culture, Science and Education Committee, and the leaders of Italian sport: Minister for Sport and Youth Andrea Abodi, CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio, CIP President Marco Giunio De Sanctis, Milano Cortina 2026 Foundation President Giovanni Malagò, CONI General Secretary and Italy Team Chef de Mission Carlo Mornati, CONI Vice Presidents Diana Bianchedi (Deputy) and Marco Di Paola, Federation Presidents Flavio Roda (FISI) and Andrea Gios (FISG), as well as several coaches who played a key role in the successes of Milano Cortina 2026.

At the home Olympic Winter Games — the third in Italy’s history after Cortina 1956 and Turin 2006 — the Italy Team won thirty medals (10 gold, 6 silver and 14 bronze). These figures surpass those of Lillehammer 1994, which had held the national record for podium finishes (20) and gold medals (seven) for 32 years. With the largest Italian Winter delegation ever (196 athletes, including 103 men and 93 women), the Italy Team won medals in ten different disciplines (alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, curling, figure skating, freestyle, luge, short track, snowboard and speed skating), just one fewer than the all-time record set by the United States at PyeongChang 2018. Numerous individual records were also achieved, foremost among them that of Arianna Fontana, who, with gold in the mixed relay and silver medals in the 500 metres and the women’s relay in short track, surpassed the Italian all-time Olympic medal record (14), previously held by fencing legend Edoardo Mangiarotti (13). It was the best possible way to honour the commitment of hosting the Games, earning applause from around the world for a comprehensive triumph on snow, ice and in organisation.

“Mr President, to begin with the word ‘thank you’ is a necessary tribute of deep and sincere admiration for the closeness you have shown us during these unforgettable and historic Olympic Games of Milano Cortina 2026,” said CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio after the Italian national anthem. “But this time, ‘thank you’ is not enough. I say it straight away: I am moved. Today’s occasion is not like the other audiences you have granted us in the past. This is a meeting with a special flavour, filled with joy and glory. This is not rhetoric: we made Italy fall in love, we made our country proud of these athletes, but also of their coaches, their officials, their federations, represented here by Presidents Flavio Roda and Andrea Gios. We were united, symbolically covering the entire nation that followed us day after day with an immense Tricolour. Television audience figures confirm that Italians were literally and enthusiastically swept up by our successes, cheering and celebrating with us. The thirty medals we won, beyond representing a record in our Winter Olympic history, are a wonderful necklace studded with precious gems and a fitting tribute to our Republic in the year in which its 80th anniversary is celebrated”.

He continued: “Milano Cortina was my first Olympic Games as President of CONI, and I can assure you it was not easy to control the emotions our champions gave us. If we add that I had the privilege of experiencing some of these memorable victories by your side, I believe there are no words to describe the happiness and fulfilment of such unique and unrepeatable moments. Mr President, you have always been our guiding light, our reference point, our non-playing captain, but at these Games your presence alongside us on many welcome occasions, together with Mrs Laura, was the greatest motivational force our athletes could have received. No one will ever forget your visits to the Olympic Villages in Milan and Cortina, your presence at Casa Italia, your lunches with the team, your decision to wear the Italy uniform to attend competitions, your meetings with athletes, and your words of wisdom and encouragement. You were one of us. We felt you as one of us. The Olympic world understood that you are one of us. Believe me, Mr President, this is not flattery: the ‘Sergio, Sergio’ chant at San Siro was the most sublime moment that impressed the international Olympic world like no other before. That is why, together with Chef de Mission and General Secretary Carlo Mornati, we renew our gratitude. You gave us the energy that helped make this fourth Italian Olympics magical and memorable. Judgements have been unanimous: we excelled in organisation — and I renew my congratulations to Foundation President Giovanni Malagò — we excelled on snow and ice, and we excelled in our conduct in competition and towards those watching us, because this group of young men and women here today at the Quirinale, in the House of Italians, has been an example for all, both competitively and behaviourally. Even those who narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth, felt — thanks to your kind invitation — as important as those who won medals. And speaking of medals, I conclude with a brief historical note. We won 30 medals: 10 gold, 6 silver and 14 bronze. 10-6-14. They may seem like ordinary numbers, but for CONI they represent a fundamental date: the day our organisation was founded, 10 June 1914. Perhaps it is coincidence, perhaps destiny, but this numerical alignment will also remain etched in the history of this wonderful, spectacular and extraordinary Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games. Thank you again, Mr President. Long live Italy, long live sport”.

“We won the challenge of making one of the most important monuments in the history of humanity, the Arena di Verona, the venue for the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games, accessible to all disabilities, including the most severe,” said CIP President Marco Giunio De Sanctis. “It was a dream fulfilled, a demonstration of the country’s remarkable growth. The results of the Olympic and Paralympic Games are a source of pride for Italy, an incredible leap forward. The organisational machine was flawless. On the eve of the Paralympic Games there was tension because of the delicate geopolitical situation, but the athletes were exceptional. They fought, they handled enormous pressure and went on to achieve incredible results. Thank you, Mr President, for the closeness you showed us on this occasion as well. I hope that, thanks to this extraordinary edition, the doors to respect and full inclusion may open for both in and beyond sport”.

Then Minister for Sport and Youth Andrea Abodi said: “This splendid ceremony gives us the opportunity to express openly to you, Mr President, our gratitude for all that you do for the Italian people and for the world of sport. We are honoured by the way you athletes represented Italy. By handing over the flags, the President entrusted you with the feelings of the Italian people. The joy brought by your results touched our hearts. We are grateful to everyone who contributed to the staging of an extraordinary event with extraordinary results. Alone, one neither wins nor rises again in difficult moments. These were memorable Olympic and Paralympic Games. Other countries told us so. We succeeded in making prevail the shared determination to let our country shine. We will ensure that your example as athletes inspires our daily actions”.

At that point President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella received the Tricolour from the flag bearers of the Milan opening ceremony, Arianna Fontana and Federico Pellegrino, from the flag bearers of the Cortina ceremony, Federica Brignone and Amos Mosaner, and from those of the Paralympic ceremony in Verona, Chiara Mazzel and René De Silvestro.

Arianna Fontana remarked: “I thank the President of the Republic on behalf of all the athletes, those present and those not here today. It is always a great honour to represent the Tricolour. You made this Olympics special. You were the symbol of all Italians and gave us many gestures we will never forget. You made us feel part of your family. I will never forget when you telephoned me to share the joy of a medal. You were always ready to support us and give us your time. It was something incredible. When we wear the Tricolour, we feel united beyond the mere result of a competition. I thank all Italians and Italy”. Federico Pellegrino added: “I fulfilled a dream thanks to my legs and to those who helped make them perform until 2026. It came true in a unique emotional way: walking into San Siro and searching for your gaze, Mr President, was something immense. Thanks also to my team-mates, to all the Italian athletes who made us leap with excitement while cheering during the Games. I feel immensely proud to be Italian”. Then Amos Mosaner said: “Mr President, I thank you for the honour of having been a flag bearer, a unique emotion. It was a truly thrilling Olympics, and the public supported us from start to finish. Thirty medals are a historic record. Athletes and staff worked superbly. We hope we have made many Italians fall in love with sport, because sport unites and sport is life”. And finally Federica Brignone: “For me it was a slightly different journey. In December I had said that my presence was far from certain. I managed to achieve something I would never have expected. The honour of carrying the flag at the opening ceremony gave me a lift, the motivation for an impossible challenge. It was wonderful. We lived through incredible emotions that we will remember forever”.

Following the speeches by Chiara Mazzel and René De Silvestro, Luciano Buonfiglio and Marco Giunio De Sanctis presented the President of the Republic with the cases containing replicas of the Olympic and Paralympic gold, silver and bronze medals.

President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella then spoke before presenting a medal to each athlete in attendance: “It is a real pleasure to welcome you and to receive from the standard-bearers the flags to which you have given such prestige. These Games wrote an unforgettable chapter of emotions and success. The Games were a source of pride for our country. From a sporting perspective, the medal tables are full. The numerical sequence highlighted by President Buonfiglio is meaningful, a coincidence of great historical significance. Beyond the medals, I had the good fortune to be present for the setting of several records that testify to the high quality of our sporting movement. Many inspiring personal stories moved us, stories that are of public interest and a source of attraction and example for young people. It was also a success in organisational terms, thanks to the hospitality offered by the complex machinery that supported so many parallel events. You conveyed to every continent the image of an Italy of great efficiency. Everything went well. Against all scepticism. But the beauty and importance of sport go beyond the sporting event and athletic gestures. Sport is culture, expression and a projection of society. Our effective organisation and our gratifying results offered the world our friendship, our capacity for hospitality, our respect for others, our ability to build networks of social connection. We live in difficult times overshadowed by serious threats and bloody wars. The culture that sport conveys is very different. It is significant that it fell to Italy and to Europe to serve as the showcase for a manifestation of friendship and humanity. Sporting values prevailed. The fourth-place finishers represent all those who took part in the Games, and that is why they are here. My thanks, therefore, go to the organisers, the coaches, and all those who accompanied, assisted and trained the athletes. Welcome back with our flag, to which you have brought honour. Thank you”.

Notice: No Images or Galleries Found

Vai alla gallery

Diplomas awarded for the second ‘Franco Chimenti’ Olympic Management Course, Buonfiglio: “We invest in education to remain successful”

Details
  • AT THE ‘GIULIO ONESTI’ CPO

The second edition of the ‘Franco Chimenti’ Olympic Management Course, organised by the CONI Olympic Specialisation School, has come to a close. The Aula Magna of the CONI Olympic Training Centre ‘Giulio Onesti’ in Rome hosted the diploma ceremony for twenty graduates, including six Olympic athletes and former Olympians: Caterina Banti (sailing), Claudia Cesarini (modern pentathlon), Francesca Gallina (snowboard), Riccardo De Luca (modern pentathlon), Simone Gonin (curling) and Lorenzo Bacci (shooting). The aim is to develop cutting-edge, highly qualified professionals capable of contributing to the success of sport and the Olympic team.

The 300-hour course, divided into nine modules and requiring full attendance and residential participation, took place from May to October 2025 at the ‘Giulio Onesti’ Olympic Training Centre. It provided an in-depth understanding of the Olympic System at both national and international level, with a focus on the management of CONI and other sporting institutions. The training programme aimed to enhance understanding of sport, Olympic values and regulations for people of all abilities and disabilities, while also strengthening expertise in legal matters, finance, marketing, innovation, management and contract law.

The programme also included an internship: participants were integrated into the CONI Olympic Delegation at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, with roles individually assigned by CONI General Secretary and Italia Team Chef de Mission, Carlo Mornati.

“The first time I came here was in the Seventies, when I had to undergo medical examinations for the Olympic Games,” said CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio, a former Olympic canoeist, following an introduction by Giampiero Pastore, Director of the CONI Institute of Sports Medicine and Science. “What strikes me immediately is the professionalism and the desire to improve, which is the essence of the five rings. We are people who have developed a working method that is now spreading across all Federations. The School of Sport has produced generations of coaches and executives. In my time, after the Games, I realised the disastrous condition of our administrators in relation to the human talent they had at their disposal. As a former athlete, I decided to challenge that, to demand more. And to become professionally competent. Because without competence you are fragile. Athletes must see us as builders of certainty, capable of creating synergies that produce results. Behind every person who practises sport there is a story of personal improvement. We are destined to win so that people talk about us and young people listen to the values we try to convey. We are proud of the work you have done and increasingly convinced that we must continue to invest in education. This is how we will remain successful. I am proud to represent Italian sport, made up of people who give everything to grow”.

CONI General Secretary Carlo Mornati added: “It is wonderful that the diploma ceremony is taking place while the women’s national rugby team is training just a few metres away, our divers are in the pool, and alongside us is the CONI Institute of Sports Medicine and Science. We have defined the framework within which we must operate.” Addressing the students, he continued: “You contributed to the greatest Italian success in the history of the Winter Olympic Games by taking part in Milano Cortina 2026. It has been a very fruitful course, fully aligned with our objectives. I am particularly proud of what CONI is doing. The results are there to see: our goal remains to raise the level of professionalism in our sporting world. This course is a major investment in sport. We hope you will soon be able to put into practice what you have learned. In sport, practice is fundamental”.

Also speaking was Angelo Maria Petroni, Scientific Director of the Olympic Specialisation School: “We wanted to create a professional school, not an academic one. People come here already equipped with solid basic knowledge and then learn how to manage, how to act. Sport is passion, sport is reason. Knowledge has expanded enormously in the modern world, and lifelong learning is essential. All professions require continuous learning. Through this school, a community for managing Italian sport has been created. Knowledge can become outdated, methods do not. We hope you have acquired a learning method that will serve you in the future and that we will continue to nurture”.

Gabriella Palmieri Sandulli, President of the CONI Sports Guarantee Board, added: “I was struck by the multidisciplinary nature of the course. We shared our knowledge with a practical approach, combining theory with real-world application. And proximity to athletes is extremely important: you are representatives of values that are also essential at a social level”.

In closing, Carlo Nardello, Consultant for the Olympic Training Project, retraced the students’ journey, involving Danilo di Tommaso (Head of Ceremonial, Communication and Media Relations at CONI), Pietro Parenti (Course Student Coordinator) and Rita Sicoli (a constant point of reference for students at the ‘Giulio Onesti’ Centre throughout the course), up to the final qualifying examination for Olympic Sports Manager.

The third edition of the Olympic Management Course will take place from 19 October 2026 to 12 February 2027. (agc)

Vai alla gallery

The European Games program has been approved: 26 sports present with Los Angeles 2028 in the sights

Details
  • ISTANBUL 2027

The European Olympic Committees (EOC) Executive Committee has approved the sports programme for the 4th European Games Istanbul 2027, further strengthening the event’s role on Europe’s pathway to the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028. The programme, approved on 13 March during the EOC Executive Committee meeting, has been developed in close cooperation with the Istanbul 2027 Organising Committee and the respective International and European Federations.

A total of 26 sports and disciplines will feature at the 4th European Games, including 22 Olympic sports aligned with the LA28 Olympic programme. The European Games will offer extensive Olympic qualification opportunities through both direct quota places and Olympic ranking systems. The inclusion of all sports and disciplines remains subject to the conclusion of agreements with the respective federations, in accordance with the EOC standard contract.

Rowing (beach sprint), weightlifting and squash will make their European Games debut in Istanbul, with beach sprint and squash set to feature at the Olympic Games for the first time at LA28. Gymnastics, volleyball and wrestling return to the programme following their absence from Kraków-Małopolska 2023.

EOC Coordination Commission Chair, Mihai Covaliu, said: "Istanbul 2027 will be a key milestone on the road to Los Angeles 2028. With 26 sports, including 22 Olympic disciplines, and significant qualification opportunities, the Games will provide Europe’s athletes with a high-level platform to perform and qualify for the Olympic Games. The programme reflects our strong cooperation with the International and European Federations and our shared ambition to deliver an outstanding edition of the European Games". Istanbul 2027 CEO Prof. Dr. Veli Ozan Çakır said: "The European Games Istanbul 2027 will showcase the strength and diversity of European sport. In close collaboration with the EOC and the Federations, we have developed a programme that reflects both sporting excellence and the vision of our city. We look forward to welcoming athletes and fans from across Europe to Istanbul in 2027". Further details on competition venues will be announced in due course.

4th EUROPEAN GAMES ISTANBUL 2027 | LIST OF SPORTS

•    3x3 Basketball
•    Aquatics
•    Archery
•    Athletics (European Team Championships)
•    Badminton
•    Boxing
•    Canoe Sprint
•    Fencing
•    Gymnastics
•    Judo
•    Karate
•    Kickboxing
•    Modern Pentathlon
•    Muaythai
•    Padel
•    Rowing (Beach Sprint)
•    Rugby 7s
•    Shooting
•    Sport Climbing
•    Squash
•    Table Tennis
•    Taekwondo
•    Triathlon
•    Volleyball
•    Weightlifting
•    Wrestling

Buonfiglio meets the Italy rugby team ahead of the Six Nations clash with England: “Increasingly among the protagonists”

Details
  • AT THE ‘GIULIO ONESTI’ CPO

The President of Italian National Olympic Committee, Luciano Buonfiglio, met today – at the Giulio Onesti Olympic Preparation Centre (CPO) in Acqua Acetosa – the Italian men’s national rugby team. The Azzurri are preparing for the Guinness Six Nations Championship clash against England national rugby union team, scheduled for Saturday at 17:40 at Stadio Olimpico.

Buonfiglio offered his encouragement to the squad and to head coach Gonzalo Quesada, congratulating them for the performances delivered in the opening matches, which have confirmed the growing competitiveness of the group and its increasingly prominent role in the prestigious competition.

The foundations are now in place for another unforgettable day, as the President hoped at the end of his brief address, which was greeted by the applause of the national team.

Lisa Vittozzi’s racing suit and Federico Pellegrino’s poles enter the Olympic Museum in Lausanne

Details
  • ITALIA TEAM

The Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, is set to be enriched by two further Italian artefacts. The racing suit of Lisa Vittozzi (biathlon) and the poles of Federico Pellegrino (cross-country skiing) will become part of the permanent collection of the most prestigious complex in the world dedicated to the Olympic Games and the beating heart of international sporting memory.

The two donations arrived at the conclusion of Milano Cortina 2026, a record-breaking Olympic Games for the entire Italia Team. Lisa Vittozzi (photo FISI) triumphed in the pursuit, claiming the first Olympic gold medal in history for Italian biathlon, in addition to securing silver in the mixed relay alongside Tommaso Giacomel, Lukas Hofer and Dorothea Wierer. The 31-year-old from Sappada was also one of the two flag bearers at the Closing Ceremony at the Arena di Verona together with speed skater Davide Ghiotto, who won gold in the team pursuit with team-mates Andrea Giovannini and Michelle Malfatti.

Federico Pellegrino, Italy’s standard-bearer at the Opening Ceremony at San Siro Stadium alongside short track skater Arianna Fontana, lived up to expectations in what marked the fourth and final Olympic Games of a legendary career. The champion from Nus took his leave of the Olympic stage with two bronze medals: one in the men’s relay with Davide Graz, Martino Carollo and Elia Barp, and the other in the team sprint in free technique paired with Barp. The suit and the poles (both signed by the athletes) were presented to the staff of the Olympic Museum, who will transport them to Switzerland to enrich the IOC’s historical and cultural heritage within the exhibition that recounts the most stirring moments in Olympic history.

“Thank you to Lisa Vittozzi and Federico Pellegrino for their donations, which enhance our collection of more than 90,000 unique objects. These items tell stories not only of success, but also of the commitment and sacrifice required to achieve it. Through these donations, visitors from around the world will be able to relive the emotions of Milano Cortina 2026, and younger generations will draw inspiration from the athletes, gaining a deeper understanding of the human and sporting journey that leads to a medal,” said the Director of the Olympic Museum, Angelita Teo.

“To enter, by right, a Museum that preserves the testimony of the finest pages written in sporting history is a great honour for us. We are proud to have contributed to the successes of the Italia Team, and this donation to the IOC stands as further testimony to that,” commented Lisa Vittozzi and Federico Pellegrino in unison.

Curtain falls on Milano Cortina 2026: the Tricolour paraded at the Arena di Verona in the hands of Vittozzi and Ghiotto

Details
  • OLYMPIC GAMES

A tribute to beauty to celebrate the conclusion of the Olympics of firsts: with the Closing Ceremony at the Arena di Verona, the curtain officially fell on the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games. The Tricolour was carried by flagbearers Lisa Vittozzi – the first Olympic champion in the history of Italian biathlon thanks to gold in the women’s pursuit in Anterselva, as well as silver medallist alongside Dorothea Wierer, Tommaso Giacomel and Lukas Hofer in the mixed relay – and Davide Ghiotto, triumphant in the speed skating team pursuit with Andrea Giovannini and Michele Malfatti.

“It was a unique and indescribable emotion, especially because of the enthusiasm conveyed by the crowd. Truly a special moment,” declared Ghiotto. “We experienced something deeply moving. We are proud to have represented our country in the Ceremony that closed the most successful Winter Olympics ever for the Italia Team,” said Vittozzi.

The Italian delegation (photo Simone Ferraro/CONI) took part in the closing parade under the gaze of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, IOC President Kirsty Coventry, CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio and CONI Vice President Diana Bianchedi. Also present were Senate President Ignazio La Russa, Chamber President Lorenzo Fontana, Minister for Sport and Youth Andrea Abodi, President of the Milano Cortina 2026 Foundation Giovanni Malagò, as well as representatives of the local authorities involved. Among them were the Mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, and the Mayor of Cortina d’Ampezzo, Gianluca Lorenzi, who handed over to Alpes Françaises 2030, the next Winter edition, represented by the President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region, Renaud Muselier, and the President of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region, Fabrice Pannekoucke. It served as a prelude to the extinguishing of the Cauldrons at the Arco della Pace in Milan and in Piazza Angelo Dibona in Cortina.

Thus concludes the Olympics of records and firsts for the Italia Team. Thirty medals in total, including 10 gold, alongside six silver and 14 bronze. Figures surpassing those of Lillehammer 1994, the Winter Games edition which for 32 years had held the Italian record for podium finishes (20) and gold medals (seven). With the largest Italian Winter delegation ever (196 athletes, 103 men and 93 women), the Italia Team won medals in 10 different disciplines (alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, curling, figure skating, freestyle, luge, short track, snowboard and speed skating), one fewer than the historical record set by the United States at PyeongChang 2018. All four flagbearers – the first Olympics in history with four standard-bearers at the Opening Ceremony – won medals: Federico Pellegrino with bronze in the relay and team sprint; Federica Brignone with gold in the giant slalom and super-G; Amos Mosaner with bronze in mixed doubles curling; Arianna Fontana with gold in the mixed relay and silver in the 500 metres and 3,000m women’s relay. The percentage of medals won at Milano Cortina 2026 relative to the total medals awarded (8.62%) is, in absolute terms, second only to the Summer edition of Los Angeles 1932 (9.72%) and the Winter edition of Lillehammer 1994 (10.92%). Numerous individual records were also set. Arianna Fontana surpassed the all-time Italian Olympic medal record (14), previously held by fencing legend Edoardo Mangiarotti (13). In the all-time Winter standings, the Italian short track star is joint second with former Norwegian biathlete Ole Einar Bjørndalen, behind only former Norwegian cross-country skier Marit Bjørgen (15). Francesca Lollobrigida (gold in the 3,000 and 5,000 metres) is the first Italian woman to win the most prestigious medal in speed skating, as well as the first Italian overall to do so since Enrico Fabris (Turin 2006, gold in the 1,500 metres and team pursuit). Federica Brignone’s historic double gold (giant slalom and super-G) mirrors the feat achieved only by Alberto Tomba in alpine skiing at a single edition of the Games (special slalom and giant slalom, Calgary 1988). Historic too was Lisa Vittozzi’s gold in the women’s 10km pursuit, the first Olympic triumph in the history of Italian biathlon.

Among the highlights was Sofia Goggia’s bronze in the downhill, making her the first woman in history to claim three consecutive Olympic podiums in the discipline after gold at PyeongChang 2018 and silver at Beijing 2022. In the Milano Cortina 2026 medal table there was also Italy’s first team medal in figure skating (bronze in the team event: Sara Conti, Niccolò Macii, Charlène Guignard, Marco Fabbri, Daniel Grassl, Matteo Rizzo and Lara Naki Gutmann), the first Italian gold in the short track mixed relay (Chiara Betti, Elisa Confortola, Arianna Fontana, Thomas Nadalini, Pietro Sighel and Luca Spechenhauser), the first double triumph in luge doubles (Simon Kainzwaldner and Emanuel Rieder in the men’s event; Marion Oberhofer and Andrea Vötter in the women’s), a discipline that also saw the first historic podium (bronze) in the team relay (Dominik Fischnaller, Verena Hofer, together with the aforementioned Kainzwaldner, Rieder, Oberhofer and Vötter). Furthermore, the first Italian freestyle medals (gold for Simone Deromedis and silver for Federico Tomasoni in ski cross, and bronze for Flora Tabanelli in big air) and the first medal in the cross-country skiing team sprint (bronze for Elia Barp and Federico Pellegrino). Not forgetting a participation worth a medal in itself: Roland Fischnaller’s seventh Winter Olympic appearance. None like him. No other Olympics like Milano Cortina 2026. The curtain falls, yet the journey continues and the ambition to improve remains unchanged. The Flame is ready to burn again with two major targets in sight: in two years’ time the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Games, and in four the Winter Olympics in the French Alps. (agc)

Milano Cortina 2026 enters history, President Luciano Buonfiglio: “An Olympics worthy of top marks"

Details
  • ITALIA TEAM

“An Olympics worthy of top marks: 30/30 with honours.” That was how the President of the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), Luciano Buonfiglio, summed up the final balance during the closing press conference (photo Ferdinando Mezzelani/CONI) of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games, held at Casa Italia Milano, with live links to the other hospitality houses in Cortina and Livigno. Thirty medals in total, including ten gold: the five-ring event concluded with record-breaking figures, surpassing those of Lillehammer 1994, the Games which for 32 years had held the Italian Winter record for podium finishes (20) and gold medals (seven).

President Buonfiglio opened the press conference by recalling the words on sport in the New Year’s message of the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella. “We answered the call with these widespread Games, with 103 men and 93 women, with 10 gold, six silver and 14 bronze medals. With the Milano Cortina Olympics we too have contributed to enriching the history of our Republic,” stated Buonfiglio. “We wish to thank President Mattarella because he has always been present, warm but above all knowledgeable, as he also demonstrated at these Games, where he stood by us on more than one occasion. He attended the Opening Ceremony but was also present at venues where our athletes triumphed. This is an important signal for the entire Italian sporting movement,” added Buonfiglio, who also underlined that the Head of State and the President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, were awarded the Olympic Order in Gold, the highest honour of the IOC, whose Executive Board also bestowed the Olympic Order in Silver upon Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Matteo Salvini, Minister for Sport and Youth Andrea Abodi, Minister of Economy and Finance Giancarlo Giorgetti, as well as representatives of local authorities, the Milano Cortina 2026 Foundation and SIMICO.

“I thank the Secretary General and Chef de Mission, Carlo Mornati, and all the staff because we lacked nothing. We were capable of overcoming every difficulty in the first widespread Olympics. It was not easy to guarantee the same level of assistance and support to everyone. Sixteen disciplines formed part of the programme, spread across six different locations. The effort was significant and has helped all of us to improve,” explained Buonfiglio. “These were the Games of firsts. The first time with four flagbearers. And all four won medals: Federico Pellegrino with bronze in the relay and team sprint; Federica Brignone with gold in the giant slalom and super-G; Amos Mosaner with bronze in mixed doubles curling; and Arianna Fontana with gold in the 2,000m mixed relay and silver in the 500 metres and 3,000m women’s relay,” continued the CONI President. “We recorded the absolute record for prize money awarded at a Winter Olympic Games. It is the highest level ever recognised by our Olympic Committee at a Winter Olympics. And we would never have tired of awarding more, because behind a cash prize there is recognition of the athletes’ years of commitment, their ability to remain at the top of their disciplines, their determination to overcome any obstacle, and also their capacity to serve as an example in encouraging young people to take up sport.”

Buonfiglio then recalled several of the historic milestones reached at these Games. “Arianna Fontana reached 14 Olympic medals, becoming the most decorated Italian athlete of all time. Francesca Lollobrigida claimed gold in the 3,000 and 5,000 metres, the first Italian woman ever to win in speed skating. Federica Brignone completed an Olympic double (giant slalom and super-G), as only Alberto Tomba had done in 1988. Hers is a story we experienced with great emotion. Then came the first gold in history in biathlon with Lisa Vittozzi. The first team medal in figure skating and the first Olympic double gold in luge doubles events, along with the first podium in the team relay. The first gold in the short track mixed relay arrived, as did Italy’s first-ever freestyle medals with Flora Tabanelli’s bronze in big air and gold and silver for Simone Deromedis and Federico Tomasoni in ski cross. Furthermore, the first medal in the cross-country skiing team sprint was won by Elia Barp and Federico Pellegrino. The wonderful story of Pietro and Arianna Sighel, brother and sister both medallists in their respective relays. And I do not forget Roland Fischnaller, at his seventh Olympics, an Italian record for Winter Games appearances, an example of longevity and dedication. Moreover, if we combine the results of Paris 2024 and Milano Cortina 2026, we are among the top four nations in the world in terms of medals won,” said Buonfiglio, who also recalled that all the athletes present at the IOC Session in Lausanne in 2019 to support the Italian bid stood on the podium at Milano Cortina 2026 (Arianna Fontana, Elisa Confortola, Sofia Goggia, Michela Moioli).

“The medals arrived within the performance evaluation perimeter identified by Olympic Preparation together with the Secretary General. The medal table represents a system capable of working together,” added CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio. “It is not easy; it means listening to others, bringing together the right elements, without entrenching ourselves behind what we want to push forward at all costs, but advancing it in the best, most effective and efficient way. The affection that these Games generated among Italians is what fills us with the greatest pride; it is a feeling that remains within us. The result is extremely positive. Evidently the phrase ‘We are destined to win’ is bearing fruit.”

Speaking also was CONI Secretary General and Chef de Mission Carlo Mornati, who focused on the three Casa Italia venues in Milan, Cortina and Livigno: “It was a new model for us as well. For the first time all were open to the public. At the Triennale in Milan there was one of the greatest forms of activation for the Olympics, a way for the Olympic Committee to open itself to the citizens. The same can be said for Livigno, at Aquagranda, which became a place of gathering. Casa Italia Cortina was effectively an art gallery, open to the general public. The figures are very encouraging and we believe we have done significant work in promoting many disciplines.” At the end of the press conference a video dedicated to the three Casa Italia venues was shown. More than 6,000 square metres were set up across the hospitality houses, enriched by 504 design objects and 123 works of art by 86 national and international artists, attracting over 120,000 guests. A unique blend of sport, art and culture at the Olympics of records. (agc)

Page 6 of 143