Lucia Dalmasso takes bronze in Livigno: Italy back on an Olympic PGS podium after 24 years
- SNOWBOARD
Italian women’s snowboarding is back among the Olympic medallists in the parallel giant slalom, 24 years after Lidia Trettel’s bronze at Salt Lake City 2002. In the PGS at Milano Cortina 2026, staged at the Livigno Snow Park, Lucia Dalmasso won the all-Italian small final against Elisa Caffont to take bronze, in a race won by Czech rider Zuzana Maderova, who defeated Austria’s Sabine Payer (+0.83) in the final. It is the fifth medal for the Italia Team at these Winter Games.
In the draw, Dalmasso — fourth after the two qualification runs — edged fellow Italian Jasmin Coratti by six hundredths in the round of 16 and then repeated the feat in the quarter-finals against Poland’s Aleksandra Krol-Walas (+0.26). The victory guaranteed Italy a medal thanks to Caffont’s progress in the other half of the bracket. Sixth in qualification, Caffont beat Switzerland’s Julie Zogg (+0.47) in the round of 16 and Japan’s Miki Tsubaki (+0.02) in the quarter-finals.
Both Italians were halted in the semi-finals: Dalmasso lost to Payer, who finished 0.23 seconds clear, while Maderova defeated Caffont (+0.45). In the bronze-medal derby it was the 28-year-old from Feltre (photo Roberto Di Tondo/CONI) who celebrated, beating her team-mate by +0.11. Sofia Valle, meanwhile, was eliminated in qualification.
No joy for the Italia Team in the men’s event. Roland Fischnaller, reigning world champion and the most capped Italian athlete in Winter Olympic history (seven appearances), was knocked out by Korea’s Kim Sangkyum and stopped just short of the semi-finals, as was Mirko Felicetti, beaten by Slovenia’s Tim Mastnak. Aaron March and Maurizio Bormolini exited in the round of 16.
Sofia Goggia clinches bronze in the Cortina downhill: third consecutive Olympic podium
- ALPINE SKIING
No one has ever done it like her. Sofia Goggia claimed the Olympic bronze medal in the downhill at Milano Cortina 2026, becoming the first female skier to stand on the podium three times in a row at the Winter Games in this discipline, following gold at PyeongChang 2018 and silver at Beijing 2022. For the Italia Team it is the fourth medal of these Olympics, the third in alpine skiing after the silver won by Giovanni Franzoni and the bronze secured yesterday by Dominik Paris in the men’s race.
On the Olympia delle Tofane — where she has triumphed four times in World Cup downhills — the Bergamo-born star (photo Simone Ferraro/CONI), who started with bib number 15 after a long delay caused by rescue operations for American Lindsey Vonn, who crashed in the upper section of the course just nine days after suffering a knee injury in the Crans-Montana downhill, stopped the clock at 1:36.69. She finished 0.59 seconds behind the United States’ Breezy Johnson, the reigning world champion, who took gold ahead of Germany’s Emma Aicher, silver at +0.04.
Laura Pirovano placed sixth on her Olympic debut, finishing +0.94 off the lead, behind Austria’s Cornelia Huetter and the other American Jacqueline Wiles, both at +0.86. A top-ten result also for Federica Brignone, 10th at +1.19, in her first downhill of the season, 311 days after the serious injury (a displaced, multi-fragment fracture of the tibial plateau and fibular head) sustained in the giant slalom at the Italian Championships in Val di Fassa in April 2025. Behind her was Nicol Delago, 11th at +1.55 (level with Austria’s Mirjam Puchner), the same placing she achieved at Beijing 2022.
Media Day: Italian journalists visit the Olympic Villages of Milan and Cortina
- THE TRICOLOUR TAKES CENTRE STAGE
The Tricolour steals the spotlight at the Olympic Villages of Milan and Cortina. With just three days to go until the Opening Ceremony, Italian journalists already on site at the Games were given the opportunity, during Media Day, to explore the residential units, offices and lounges prepared to host the Italia Team (photos by Ferdinando Mezzelani and Simone Ferraro/CONI).
In Milan, the delegation was guided through the visit by Enzo Bartolomeo, Deputy Chef de Mission and Head of the Milan Cluster, while Dr Maria Rosaria Squeo, CONI’s Medical Director for the Olympic Area, illustrated the medical facilities and organisational set-up.
As athletes from individual and team sports continue to arrive, members of the media were able to gain deeper insight into the behind-the-scenes operations and the initiatives designed to support the daily lives of those who will soon be competing on snow and ice under the five rings, driven by the dream of delivering a medal for their country. (agc)
President Mattarella inaugurates Casa Italia Milano: “A place that expresses the quintessence of the country”
- OLYMPIC GAMES
President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella officially inaugurated Casa Italia Milano, set up at the Triennale, on the day of the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games. Accompanied by his daughter, Signora Laura, he was welcomed by CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio, Secretary General and Chef de Mission Carlo Mornati and Minister for Sport and Youth Andrea Abodi.
Following a visit to the medal celebration hall, the President moved to the Triennale’s Salone d’Onore, where Signora Laura cut the ribbon, officially opening Casa Italia Milano.
Addressing the audience after the national anthem, CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio said:
“Casa Italia in Italy, Casa Italia at home. It is from here that energy, vision, tradition and efficiency begin. Today we are presenting Italy at its very best: a sporting, industrial and economic system united around the figure who embodies the unity of the Nation.”
President Mattarella followed with his own remarks, highlighting Casa Italia as both a window onto Italy and, on this occasion, a true gateway into the country – a place that expresses its character, culture and lifestyle.
The Head of State then toured the exhibition path, structured into nine sections, each dedicated to a muse inspiring a discipline, before joining athletes, Olympic champions and institutional representatives for lunch at Casa Italia.
Mixed doubles: Stefania Constantini and Amos Mosaner ready to open the Games for the Italia Team
- CURLING
Reigning Olympic and world champions Amos Mosaner and Stefania Constantini will be the first Italia Team athletes to compete at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
The golden mixed-doubles pair from Beijing four years ago will make their debut on Thursday 5 February at 10:05 in the round robin at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium against South Korea. At 19:05, the Italian duo (photo by Simone Ferraro/CONI), who arrive at these Games on a remarkable 22-match winning streak, will return to the ice to face Canada in their second match of the day.
At 14:40, attention will also turn to the Italian women’s ice hockey team, who will face France in their opening Group B match at the Milan Santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena.
“Training sessions since our arrival in Milan have gone well. I see the girls fully focused and, above all, able to avoid the distractions that inevitably come with such a unique setting. Our focus is entirely on hockey: we are a family and we think only about ourselves. We are not looking at anything else or at our opponents – we just want to give everything to show the quality of this group,” said defender and captain Nadia Mattivi.
For the women’s national team, as with the men’s side – who will make their debut against Sweden at 21:10 on Wednesday 11 February – this marks a historic return to the Olympic stage, 20 years after the last home Games in Turin 2006.
Later in the evening, from 19:30, there will also be space for young snowboarder Ian Matteoli, who will compete in the men’s big air qualifiers at the Livigno Snow Park.
President Mattarella visits the Milan Olympic Village: “You will honour the Tricolour”
- OLYMPIC GAMES
President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella visited the Milan Olympic Village this morning, on the eve of the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Games. Accompanied by his daughter, Signora Laura, the Head of State was welcomed by CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio, Secretary General and Chef de Mission Carlo Mornati, President of the Milano Cortina 2026 Foundation Giovanni Malagò, Mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala and President of the Lombardy Region Attilio Fontana.
“On behalf of all the athletes, I extend my warmest welcome,” said CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio, addressing the Head of State after the national anthem. “We are ready – even more so after your arrival – because we know how much you care about us, how closely you follow us and how much enthusiasm you convey. We feel reassured knowing that someone is standing behind us, protecting us every day and following us with attention. This is not only a sign of responsibility for us, but also an incentive to do better and make Italians proud of what we do.”
After signing the Olympic Truce Wall, Sergio Mattarella (photo Quirinale) addressed the Italian delegation in the Chef de Mission Meeting Room:
“It is a great pleasure to meet you. You are about to begin. On the eve of the Opening Ceremony, it is important to remember that simply being selected and being part of the Olympic team is already a major achievement. Participation is the first great result. Then comes competition with athletes from all over the world, which will be exciting and stimulating. I believe the first competition for each of you will be with yourselves and your own limits.”
He concluded by wishing the delegation success and expressing his confidence that they would honour the Tricolour.
The President later received and wore a white Italia Team jacket, presented by short track star Arianna Fontana and speed skaters Davide Ghiotto and Francesca Lollobrigida. He then visited the Italian Mission headquarters before sharing lunch with the athletes at the Olympic Village dining hall.
Australia announces flag bearers at the Aquagranda Olympic Preparation Centre, Mornati: “We are delighted by the friendship that binds us”
- LIVIGNO
At CONI’s Olympic Preparation Centre at Aquagranda in Livigno, the official ceremony announcing Australia’s flag bearers for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games took place (photos by Roberto Di Tondo/CONI).
With Friday 6 February approaching – the day of the Opening Ceremony and the inauguration of Casa Italia at the very same venue – the Olympic Committee’s centre hosted an event celebrating the friendship between the Italia Team and the Australian Olympic Team. This bond was underlined in the opening remarks by Carlo Mornati, CONI Secretary General and Head of the Italian Delegation:
“It is a great honour to host you. We hope you will enjoy the Olympic Games to the fullest – it will be an extraordinary event. This will be Casa Italia in Livigno, our hospitality house, which will also be present in Milan and Cortina. We are delighted by the friendship that binds us and wish you every success.”
Following the institutional greetings came the official announcement: Australia’s flag bearers will be freestyle skiers Jakara Anthony, reigning Olympic champion in moguls, and Matthew Graham, who won silver in the same discipline at PyeongChang 2018.
Compagnoni, Tomba and Goggia light the Cauldrons: 146 Italian athletes parade at the Milano Cortina Ceremony
- OLYMPIC GAMES
A unique Olympic Games opened with an equally unique Opening Ceremony. With the words of President Sergio Mattarella at San Siro and the lighting of the cauldrons by Deborah Compagnoni and Alberto Tomba in Milan and Sofia Goggia in Cortina d’Ampezzo, the curtain rose on the 25th Olympic Winter Games, 20 years after Turin 2006.
For the first time in history, the ceremony was hosted by two cities, Milan and Cortina, unfolding as a distributed event that simultaneously connected mountain venues such as Livigno and Predazzo.
A total of 146 Italia Team athletes took part in the Opening Ceremony across the various venues, led by flag bearers Arianna Fontana, Federico Pellegrino, Federica Brignone and Amos Mosaner.
The ceremony concluded with the simultaneous lighting of two Olympic cauldrons – one at the Arco della Pace in Milan and the other in Piazza Angelo Dibona in Cortina – sealing a powerful and emotional opening to the Games.
President Mattarella opens the 145th IOC Session: “Italy wishes everyone unforgettable Games”
- AT TEATRO ALLA SCALA
On the evening of Monday 2 February, at Teatro alla Scala in Milan, the 145th Session of the International Olympic Committee was inaugurated in the presence of the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella. The Head of State, accompanied by IOC President Kirsty Coventry, was welcomed by the Mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, and the Superintendent and Artistic Director of Teatro alla Scala, Fortunato Ortombina, and received greetings from the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Lorenzo Fontana, and the Deputy President of the Senate, Licia Ronzulli. CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio attended the ceremony (photo Ferdinando Mezzelani/CONI), together with the General Secretary and Chef de Mission of the Italia Team for the imminent Winter Olympic Games, Carlo Mornati. Also among those present were the Minister for Sport and Youth, Andrea Abodi, and the President of the Milano Cortina 2026 Foundation, Giovanni Malagò.
After the performance of the Olympic Anthem and the Italian national anthem by the Teatro alla Scala Orchestra conducted by Maestro Riccardo Chailly, CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio was the first to speak: “Mr President of the Republic, Madam President of the IOC, dear friends, this is the fourth time Italy has been called upon to host the Olympic Games. The previous editions — Cortina 1956, Rome 1960 and Turin 2006 — have represented significant milestones in Olympic history, demonstrating our capacity for hospitality, friendship, fraternity and, last but not least, our organisational ability. The founder of Olympism, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, maintained that ‘To host the Olympic Games means to evoke history’. And as we come here, to Teatro alla Scala, one of the world’s oldest, most iconic and prestigious opera houses, in a place steeped in history, we cannot forget that the Olympic Games are children of the Panhellenic Games of Ancient Greece: a union of contests and music, where athletic performances were integrated with lyrical and theatrical elements, where the epinicion was the lyric chant celebrating winning athletes. The bond between opera and sport therefore has almost three thousand years of life. History is not simply remembrance: it is living. Living daily life, which constantly places new challenges and new emergencies before us, to which sport can provide unique, meaningful and important answers. Sport is the beacon of excellence and unity, where the ancient Olympic Truce required states at war to set conflicts aside in the name of peace and fair competition. Sadly, current events instead envelop us in uncertainty, but the Olympic Movement must stand as an eternal beacon of peace, unity and boundless humanity. Once again, as the Holy Father has reminded us, we too underline that sport can build bridges where others raise barriers; and yet, as we have seen in recent days, amid the most varied turbulence, the Olympic Flame does not tremble — rather, ever brighter, it invites us to embrace, to unite and not to divide. Sport must promote, with ever greater commitment, the universality of its values and inspire younger generations towards a better future, with lifestyles that encourage respect, inclusion and resilience. This is the fourth time Italy has hosted the Games, but the first time that an Olympian stands at the head of CONI. For me, beyond being an honour, it is also a responsibility towards all athletes. To them I will dedicate my work as President; with them I will engage concretely to build models that inspire younger generations to approach their growth with commitment, determination, competence, passion and enthusiasm. Athletes are therefore the fulcrum of the Olympic Movement. Everything revolves around them. And we must ensure that every initiative, every decision, every project places the athlete at its centre, committing ourselves to them and emphasising the values I have just expressed. Only in this way can we evolve, improve and achieve new successes for a global sport that guarantees a winning and unified future for Olympism. We are a family: the Olympic Family. Peace and harmony are indispensable elements of our activity. The Olympic Games are not only a global sporting event but a powerful force that can influence and affect the world’s balance, overcoming divisions and restoring respect for the vulnerable. I conclude with one of the most significant lines of the Olympic Anthem we have just heard: ‘May all the flags of every land unfold in brotherhood’. ‘Arkaeo Pneuma Athanato’ and may the eternal Olympic Flame illuminate our path forever. Welcome to Milan. Welcome to Italy. Welcome, everyone”.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry described her presence at today’s ceremony as “a profound emotion just days before the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games”, then offered “a heartfelt thank you to Italy for such a warm welcome in this magnificent place: Teatro alla Scala. From this stage, generations of artists, opera singers and musicians have inspired their audiences through artistic excellence, beauty and emotion. La Scala represents the Italian spirit: a deep love of the arts and of life, of human creativity, of the harmonious fusion of tradition and innovation. It is the same spirit that will now welcome the world’s best winter athletes, preparing to realise their Olympic dream.” “On behalf of the athletes and the entire Olympic community,” Coventry added, “I therefore wish to express our most sincere thanks and our profound gratitude to all of you: to President Mattarella, to Prime Minister Meloni and to all regional authorities, to the mayors and host communities. A special thank you goes to the Organising Committee and to President Malagò for the constant commitment and ambition shown. We are immensely grateful for your collaboration: Milano Cortina 2026 is truly a collective effort. To paraphrase an African saying: it takes an entire Olympic Village to make an athlete’s dream come true. Thanks to everyone’s contribution, athletes will be able to shine on a magnificent Olympic stage, inspiring the world with their excellence, their artistry, their beauty and emotion. Thank you for making all of this possible — thank you, Italy. Milano Cortina will be a new kind of Winter Games: it will bring athletes and fans to places where winter sports are part of daily life; it will showcase existing world-class venues; it will unite tradition and innovation. These will be Games in which gender equality reaches new milestones and iconic landscapes become the stage for human excellence. Thanks to this pioneering work, Italy is not merely hosting the next Winter Games: you are setting a new standard for the Games of the future. And that is a source of great pride. For me, personally, these are the first Winter Olympic Games of my presidential term — and I could not be more excited to be in Italy. Because Italy embodies passion like no other country: a passion expressed through art, sport, innovation and tradition, through a boundless joy of living. This passion — this unmistakable Italian spirit — will be the heartbeat of Milano Cortina 2026. Let us celebrate together, this evening, this moment — the beginning of a new chapter in Olympic history, written with authentic Italian spirit and passion. Thank you very much, Italy”.
Subsequently, the President of the Milano Cortina 2026 Foundation, Giovanni Malagò, spoke, describing Teatro alla Scala as “a global symbol of excellence, music and art, a monument where the universal language rises above every barrier and speaks to people from every part of the world. Milano Cortina 2026 is a global event capable of promoting sport, its values, its abilities unique in uniting people; it is an extraordinary showcase to display Italy’s excellence, its culture, its art, its landscapes, its quality of life, its heart, its craftsmanship and its long tradition of hospitality. Milano Cortina 2026 is an edition that looks to the future: two cities, two regions, two autonomous provinces, a rich mosaic of people, cultures and languages. Italy is aware that these Olympic Games coincide with one of the most difficult moments in recent world history. This makes the message of peace, fraternity and fair competition conveyed by the athletes and the Olympic family even more significant and important, resonating powerfully in every corner of the world”.
Finally, as protocol dictates, President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella was the last to speak, opening the Session: “Mr President of CONI, Members of the International Olympic Committee, Ladies and Gentlemen gathered for this important ceremony, I am pleased to welcome you to Italy, to Milan, on the eve of the opening of the Winter Olympics. The Games are a universal sporting event and Italy is happy to welcome the many athletes, coaches, technicians and spectators who will come together from every part of the world to watch the competitions. We feel the responsibility and we have approached the commitments of preparation with passion. We consider hospitality a characteristic feature of Italian identity, as President Coventry kindly said, whom I wish to thank. Italy, as President Buonfiglio recalled, is hosting its fourth Olympics as an organising country. We will deploy every effort to ensure that the time spent during the competitions is pleasant, and we aim to offer, with friendship and cordiality, the opportunity to admire our mountains and the cities that will host the events, as well as to discover other places rich in history and beauty. The Olympic Games are an opportunity for encounter and knowledge, as President Malagò recalled. Athletes, technicians and officials from over 90 countries come together in an occasion that is not limited to the sporting dimension, but is a great global event that sends a message to our difficult times. Wars, fractures in the serenity of international life, imbalances and suffering bring darkness and wound the consciences of peoples. Sport welcomes, with light, joy, passion and hope, expressing respect for others, a challenge to one’s limits and the freedom to progress. Sport is a meeting of peace and bears witness to fraternity and the loyalty of competition with others, and it is the opposite of a world where barriers and incomprehension prevail; it stands against violence which, whoever practises it, generates further violence, tramples human dignity, oppresses peoples and causes their quality of life to regress. We ask with stubborn determination that the Olympic Truce be respected everywhere and that the unarmed strength of sport silence weapons. Sport is a great force in the world of global communications; the Games are an engaging instrument in the world of global communications to call for peace and mutual understanding. We must be the peace we wish to see in the world, Martin Luther King used to say. From Milan to Cortina, from Bormio to Livigno, from Antholz to Val di Fiemme, from Verona — which will host the Paralympic Opening Ceremony — sport will present itself as a vehicle for this hope, which unites peoples of all continents. The Olympic values of loyalty, inclusion and fraternity are values that the Italian Republic has embraced since its foundation. I thank the International Olympic Committee because it continues to develop worldwide this experience of encounter, passion, education and shared culture. I thank the athletes because their dream is contagious and beneficial and they are an example for young people across the world. Many girls and boys, after following the Games, will take up sport. I wish all of you — sports officials, athletes, technicians, spectators — to be moved, and to pass on the passion that can already be felt in this enchanting theatre, where we sense the precious threads that bind music and sport. Italy wishes you a good, happy and unforgettable Olympics. I declare open the 145th Session of the International Olympic Committee”.
Milan, 145th IOC session inaugurated by President Mattarella
IOC President Kirsty Coventry visits the Italia Team delegation in Milan
- OLYMPIC GAMES
On the morning of Monday 2 February, IOC President Kirsty Coventry visited the Italia Team delegation. The head of the International Olympic Committee, accompanied by CONI Secretary General and Chef de Mission Carlo Mornati, Deputy Vice President Diana Bianchedi, Milano Cortina Foundation President Giovanni Malagò and a delegation of IOC members present in Milan ahead of the imminent Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games, praised the organisation of the Italian team and conveyed her greetings to the athletes in attendance, visiting the mission offices, the medical station set up by the Institute of Sports Medicine and Science inside the Olympic Village, and the athletes’ lounge located on the top floor of Building F, which is hosting the Italian team at this Winter edition of the five rings. Deputy Chefs de Mission Enzo Bartolomeo and Giampiero Pastore were also present. Prior to the visit, President Coventry also signed the Olympic Truce Wall at the entrance to the Village.
Visit by CIO President Coventry to the Italia Team delegation in Milan
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