President Mattarella in Milan for three days: La Scala on 2 February for the IOC Session, the Village on the 5th, Casa Italia inauguration and Opening Ceremony on the 6th

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  • THE INSTITUTIONAL PROGRAMME

President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella will be in Milan on Monday 2 February to attend the opening of the 145th Session of the International Olympic Committee, scheduled to take place at Teatro alla Scala at 7:00 pm. Earlier in the day, the Head of State will meet IOC members in the Alessi Hall at Palazzo Marino for the traditional welcome ceremony.

On Thursday 5 February, President Mattarella will return to Milan in the late morning and visit the Olympic Village, where he will be welcomed by CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio and the Italian Chef de Mission, Carlo Mornati.

Accompanied by his daughter Laura, the President will first sign the Olympic Truce Mural, then address the Italian delegation in the Chefs de Mission Meeting Room. He will subsequently visit the building housing the Italian Team and share lunch with the athletes at the Olympic Village dining hall.

That evening, the President of the Republic will attend the Heads of State Dinner hosted by IOC President Kirsty Coventry, to be held at Fabbrica del Vapore.

On Friday morning, 6 February, President Mattarella, again accompanied by Laura, will cut the ribbon to inaugurate Casa Italia at the Triennale Milano, where he will also visit the exhibition “Muse”, specially curated by CONI in collaboration with the Olympic Museum in Lausanne.

Finally, in the evening, President Mattarella will be at San Siro Stadium, where he will represent the Italian State at the Opening Ceremony of the 25th Olympic Winter Games and, like his predecessors Giovanni Gronchi (1956 Cortina, 1960 Rome) and Carlo Azeglio Ciampi (Turin 2006), will formally declare the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games open.

Italia Team officially confirmed for Milano Cortina 2026: all-time record with 196 athletes

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  • OLYMPIC GAMES

A total of 196 athletes (103 men and 93 women) will represent Italia Team at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games, which will officially get under way on the evening of Friday 6 February with the Opening Ceremony.

Following the selection of 87 athletes (47 men and 40 women) across the five ice sports announced a week ago, a further 109 athletes (56 men and 53 women) from 11 winter disciplines have now been confirmed. Competitions will take place in Anterselva (biathlon), Cortina (bobsleigh, skeleton, luge and women’s alpine skiing), Val di Fiemme (Nordic combined, cross-country skiing and ski jumping), Livigno (freestyle skiing and snowboarding) and Bormio (men’s alpine skiing and ski mountaineering).

This figure surpasses Italy’s previous home-Games record set at Turin 2006 (184 athletes: 109 men and 75 women). It also marks an all-time high for female participation, with women accounting for 47.4% of the delegation — the highest percentage ever, compared with 40.8% at Turin 2006, 39.5% at Beijing 2022, 39.3% at PyeongChang 2018 and 38.9% at Sochi 2014. It is a record within a record, as it also represents the largest delegation ever fielded by each federation.

The youngest member of the Italian team is Giada D’Antonio, a 16-year-old alpine skiing prospect who will turn 17 on 28 May. The most experienced athlete is Roland Fischnaller, aged 45, who will compete in the men’s parallel giant slalom (PGS) in alpine snowboarding and make his seventh consecutive Olympic appearance, the highest number ever achieved by an Italian athlete at the Winter Games.

Only four Italians have more Olympic appearances overall: brothers Piero and Raimondo d’Inzeo (equestrian, 1948–1976), Josefa Idem (canoe sprint, 1984–2012), and Giovanni Pellielo (shooting, 1992–2016, 2024).

 

Full list of selected Italian athletes (photo Simone Ferraro/CONI)

Italian Winter Sports Federation (FISI) - 109 athletes (56 men, 53 women)

BIATHLON (10)

Men (5): Tommaso Giacomel, Lukas Hofer, Patrick Braunhofer, Elia Zeni, Nicola Romanin

Women (5): Dorothea Wierer, Lisa Vittozzi, Rebecca Passler, Michela Carrara, Hannah Auchentaller

BOBSLEIGH (10)

Men (5): Patrick Baumgartner, Robert Gino Mircea, Lorenzo Bilotti, Eric Fantazzini, Alex Verginer

Women (5): Giada Andreutti, Simona De Silvestro, Anna Costella, Alessia Gatti, Noemi Cavalleri

SKELETON (4)

Men (2): Amedeo Bagnis, Mattia Gaspari

Women (2): Valentina Margaglio, Alessandra Fumagalli

LUGE (11)

Men (7): Dominik Fischnaller, Leon Felderer, Alex Gufler, Ivan Nagler, Fabian Malleier, Emanuel Rieder, Simon Kainzwaldner

Women (4): Andrea Voetter, Marion Oberhofer, Verena Hofer, Sandra Robatscher

NORDIC COMBINED (3)

Men (3): Samuel Costa, Alessandro Pittin, Aaron Kostner

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING (13)

Men (6): Federico Pellegrino, Elia Barp, Davide Graz, Martino Carollo, Simone Mocellini, Simone Daprà

Women (7): Federica Cassol, Caterina Ganz, Iris De Martin Pinter, Maria Gismondi, Martina Di Centa, Nicole Monsorno, Anna Comarella

SKI JUMPING (7)

Men (3): Giovanni Bresadola, Alex Insam, Francesco Cecon

Women (4): Annika Sieff, Martina Zanitzer, Martina Ambrosi, Jessica Malsiner

FREESTYLE (10)

Men (5): Simone Deromedis, Dominik Zuech, Edoardo Zorzi, Federico Tomasoni (ski cross), Miro Tabanelli (big air & slopestyle)

Women (5): Andrea Chesi, Jole Galli (ski cross), Flora Tabanelli, Maria Gasslitter (big air & slopestyle), Manuela Passaretta (moguls & dual moguls)

SNOWBOARD (17)

Men (9): Roland Fischnaller, Aaron March, Maurizio Bormolini, Mirko Felicetti (PGS), Omar Visintin, Lorenzo Sommariva, Filippo Ferrari (cross), Ian Matteoli (big air & slopestyle), Louis Philip Vito III (halfpipe)

Women (8): Lucia Dalmasso, Elisa Caffont, Jasmin Coratti, Sofia Valle (PGS), Michela Moioli, Lisa Francesia Boirai, Sofia Groblechner (cross), Marilù Poluzzi (big air & slopestyle)

ALPINE SKIING (21)

Men (10): Giovanni Franzoni, Dominik Paris, Florian Schieder, Mattia Casse, Christof Innerhofer, Luca De Aliprandini, Alex Vinatzer, Tobias Kastlunger, Tommaso Saccardi, Tommaso Sala

Women (11): Sofia Goggia, Federica Brignone, Nicol Delago, Laura Pirovano, Lara Della Mea, Elena Curtoni, Nadia Delago, Martina Peterlini, Asja Zenere, Anna Trocker, Giada D'Antonio

SKI MOUNTAINEERING (3)

Men (1): Michele Boscacci

Women (2): Alba De Silvestro, Giulia Murada

The Olympic Flame returns to Cortina on the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Winter Games

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  • THE CELEBRATION

Exactly 70 years after the Opening Ceremony of the 1956 Winter Games, the Olympic Flame returned to Cortina d’Ampezzo, where in eleven days’ time — on Friday 6 February — the 25th edition of the Winter Olympics will begin.

At Largo delle Poste, following a route involving 34 torchbearers (15 in the final segment), Cortina welcomed the cauldron in a celebration open to the entire community. Lighting the flame were three Italian athletes who competed at the 1956 Games: speed skaters Carlo Calzà and Manuela Angeli, and alpine skier Bruno Alberti.

It was a day of celebration for Cortina, during which the official “Anniversary 1956–2026” poster for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games, designed by Italian artist Pierpaolo Rovero, was also unveiled on the stage of the Olympic Flame Relay city celebration.

Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Ministry of Defence to promote Italian sport

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  • CONI

The Ministry of Defence and the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) have joined forces to promote and enhance Italian sport.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed today at the Ministry of Defence headquarters, establishing increasingly effective forms of cooperation aimed at spreading sporting culture through the synergistic use of the respective institutional prerogatives.

The Minister of Defence, Guido Crosetto, and the CONI President, Luciano Buonfiglio, formalised an agreement designed to support the competitive programmes of athletes from the Armed Forces’ Sports Groups, grant access to facilities to encourage wider participation in sport, and contribute to the organisation of major sporting events.

“The protocol signed today strengthens a collaboration based on shared values between Sport and Defence — such as sacrifice, discipline, respect and a sense of duty — with the aim of promoting sporting culture and the role of the Military Sports Groups. Our hope is to further reinforce this commitment, particularly in support of so-called ‘minor’ disciplines, which are less commercially lucrative and less visible in the media, yet demand an extremely high level of sacrifice, dedication and resilience” said Minister Crosetto.

“We are proud of this protocol for its significance and for the tangible effects it will deliver, consolidating a relationship that is essential to our success. Never before has the State been so close to CONI. We are harmonising cooperation at every level, fully aware of our role. We consider ourselves partners of the Ministries and of the Government” added CONI President Buonfiglio.

Buonfiglio to serve as a torchbearer for Milano Cortina 2026: “Proud to live this emotion”

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  • CONI

CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio will serve as a torchbearer for Milano Cortina 2026. The head of the Italian Olympic movement will carry the Olympic flame on the afternoon of 5 February in Milan’s Sant’Ambrogio district, exactly 24 hours before the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games.

Buonfiglio, the first CONI President ever to have been an Olympic athlete, highlighted the significance of the honour: “I am proud to take centre stage in the Torch Relay in the city where I began my sporting career and established myself as a manager. It is an emotion I had already experienced at the Turin 2006 Games, when I also passed the flame to the current Minister for Sport and Youth, Andrea Abodi. I share this special moment with the movement I have the honour to lead, a movement capable of celebrating the universality of the values we stand for. The five-ring flame symbolises a message whose power will never fade, continuing to promote the strength of sport as a vehicle for peace, inclusion, progress and innovation”.

President Mattarella welcomes a Milano Cortina 2026 delegation: “Hosting the Games is an act of courage and success”

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  • AT THE QUIRINALE

President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella welcomed at the Quirinal Palace a delegation from the Milano Cortina 2026 Foundation, led by President Giovanni Malagò and Chief Executive Officer Andrea Varnier, and comprising the Board of Directors, the Foundation’s founding members, and representatives of the municipalities of Milan and Cortina, the Lombardy Region, the Veneto Region, the Autonomous Province of Trento and the Autonomous Province of Bolzano.

Also in attendance were the President of the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), Luciano Buonfiglio, and the President of the Italian Paralympic Committee (CIP), Marco Giunio De Sanctis.

Following the addresses by President Malagò and the Minister for Sport and Youth, Andrea Abodi, President Mattarella delivered his remarks to those present.

“I would like to underline the importance of both events, the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and to thank the Foundation and all those who, in their various roles and responsibilities, have contributed to this journey. Launching such a project was an act of courage and vision, which has proved to be a concrete and operational path, delivering the success we see today. It was an act of courage because these two events bring prestige to our country and place it at the very centre of the world’s sporting attention”.

Vai alla gallery

Dominik Windisch among the sports integrity ambassadors at Milano Cortina 2026

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  • IOC INITIATIVE

Dominik Windisch, a three‑time Olympic bronze medallist, will serve as a "Believe in Sport" ambassador at Milano Cortina 2026, engaging with athletes to raise awareness of competition manipulation. As an ambassador for the Believe in Sport campaign, the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s initiative to promote integrity and educate athletes on the risks of competition manipulation, Windisch will meet athletes at the Olympic Village in Cortina.

“I may not be competing anymore, but I still feel a strong responsibility towards sport and today’s athletes,” Windisch said. “Being back at the Olympic Games, especially at home, is truly special, and I’m looking forward to engaging with athletes directly and sharing what I’ve learned over the years.” 

On site, Windisch will be joined by two other Believe in Sport ambassadors, Mark Fraser (Canada, ice hockey) and Yura Min (Republic of Korea, figure skating), who will be based in the Olympic Village in Milan. All three Olympians have completed dedicated training, and will interact directly with athletes throughout the Games.

Windisch_Cio.jpg

“We take this role very seriously,” Windisch explained. “For me, it’s about being available, listening and helping athletes feel confident that they know how to protect themselves and their sport. Competing in a fair environment is fundamental. Any form of manipulation harms our sporting community, undermines years of hard work, and erodes the trust of Olympic fans.”  He added: “I would like to help the athletes and team members to be more aware of the risks and the rules against competition manipulation, and encourage them to report violations and explain where and how to report them. I’m proud to be part of a programme that helps prevent a threat with such a damaging impact on sport". (agc)

Italian national teams for the five ice sports confirmed: 87 Azzurri ready for the Milano Cortina Olympic Games

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  • ITALIA TEAM

The Italia Team is starting to take shape. With just 17 days to go until the Opening Ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, today the CONI National Board officially approved the list of 87 Italian athletes (47 men and 40 women) who will compete in the Olympic events across the five ice sports.

Also confirmed was the Mission Team supporting the athletes, led by CONI Secretary General and Chef de Mission Carlo Mornati, together with Deputy Chef de Mission Alessio Palombi and Deputy Chefs de Mission Elisa Santoni, Alessio Boggiatto, Enzo Bartolomeo, Giampiero Pastore and Danilo Di Tommaso.

Curling competitions will take place at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium. The men’s team will feature Joel Thierry Retornaz, Amos Mosaner, Sebastiano Arman, Mattia Giovanella and Alberto Pimpini, while the women’s line-up includes Stefania Constantini, Elena Antonia Mathis, Giulia Zardini Lacedelli, Marta Lo Deserto and Rebecca Mariani. Italy will also be entitled to enter a pair in the third event on the programme, the mixed doubles.

In figure skating, Italy will be represented at the Milano Ice Skating Arena by Daniel Grassl and Matteo Rizzo in the men’s singles, Lara Naki Gutmann in the women’s singles, Sara Conti/Niccolò Macii and Rebecca Ghilardi/Filippo Ambrosini in pairs skating, and Charlène Guignard/Marco Fabbri in ice dance. An Italian team will also compete in the team event.

Ice hockey matches will be split between two Milan venues: the Santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena and the Ice Park. Italy will compete in both the men’s and women’s tournaments, marking a historic return to the Olympic stage 20 years after the home Games of Torino 2006.

The women’s roster comprises: Aurora Enrica Abatangelo, Eleonora Bonafini, Anna Caumo, Kristin Della Rovere, Gabriella Frances Durante, Matilde Fantin, Martina Fedel, Laura-Michele Fortino, Kristen Guerriero, Manuela Heidenberger, Sara Kaneppele, Laura Lobis, Nadia Mattivi, Marta Mazzocchi, Greta Niccolai, Margherita Ostoni, Jacqueline Malca Pierri, Justine Reyes, Rebecca Roccella, Carola Saletta, Franziska Stocker, Kayla Tutino and Amie Fielding Varano.

On the men’s side, the six players pre-selected in May last year — Thomas William Larkin, Damian Clara, Tommy Purdeller, Diego Kostner, Daniel Thomas Mantenuto and Luca Elia Zanatta — are joined by Matthew James Bradley, Tommaso De Luca, Dylan Damian Di Perna, Gregory Di Tomaso, Cristiano DiGiacinto, Davide Fadani, Luca Frigo, Mats Mikael Frycklund, Dustin James Gazley, Daniel Glira, Giovanni Morini, Alexander Franc Petan, Phil Pietroniro, Nicholas Samuel Saracino, Jason Thomas Alexander Seed, Alessandro Segafredo, Alex Trivellato, Gianluca Vallini and Marco Zanetti.

In speed skating, at the Milano Ice Park, Italy will line up Davide Ghiotto, Andrea Giovannini, Michele Malfatti, Daniele Di Stefano, Francesco Betti, Riccardo Lorello and Jeffrey Rosanelli in the men’s events, while Francesca Lollobrigida, Serena Pergher and Maybritt Vigl will represent the women.

Unfortunately, there has been a significant change within the women’s short track squad, originally confirmed in mid-December. Martina Valcepina, who sustained fractures to her tibia and fibula during the 500m quarter-final heats at the European Championships held last weekend in Tilburg (Netherlands), will be replaced by Gloria Ioriatti. She joins Arianna Fontana, Chiara Betti, Elisa Confortola and Arianna Sighel, all of whom remain confirmed.

There are no changes to the men’s short track team, which will take to the ice at the Ice Skating Arena with Pietro Sighel, Luca Spechenhauser, Thomas Nadalini, Lorenzo Previtali and Andrea Cassinelli. (agc)

 

Full list of selected Italian athletes (photo Simone Ferraro/CONI)

Italian Ice Sports Federation (FISG) – 87 athletes (47 men, 40 women)

CURLING (10)

Men (5): Joel Thierry Retornaz, Amos Mosaner, Sebastiano Arman, Mattia Giovanella, Alberto Pimpini

Women (5): Stefania Constantini, Elena Antonia Mathis, Giulia Zardini Lacedelli, Marta Lo Deserto, Rebecca Mariani

FIGURE SKATING (9)

Men (5): Daniel Grassl, Matteo Rizzo, Niccolò Macii, Filippo Ambrosini, Marco Fabbri

Women (4): Lara Naki Gutmann, Sara Conti, Rebecca Ghilardi, Charlène Guignard

ICE HOCKEY (48)

Women (23): Aurora Enrica Abatangelo, Eleonora Bonafini, Anna Caumo, Kristin Della Rovere, Gabriella Frances Durante, Matilde Fantin, Martina Fedel, Laura-Michele Fortino, Kristen Guerriero, Manuela Heidenberger, Sara Kaneppele, Laura Lobis, Nadia Mattivi, Marta Mazzocchi, Greta Niccolai, Margherita Ostoni, Jacqueline Malca Pierri, Justine Reyes, Rebecca Roccella, Carola Saletta, Franziska Stocker, Kayla Tutino, Amie Fielding Varano

Men (25): Matthew James Bradley, Damian Clara, Tommaso De Luca, Dylan Damian Di Perna, Gregory Di Tomaso, Cristiano DiGiacinto, Davide Fadani, Luca Frigo, Mats Mikael Frycklund, Dustin James Gazley, Daniel Glira, Diego Kostner, Thomas William Larkin, Daniel Thomas Mantenuto, Giovanni Morini, Alexander Franc Petan, Phil Pietroniro, Tommy Purdeller, Nicholas Samuel Saracino, Jason Thomas Alexander Seed, Alessandro Segafredo, Alex Trivellato, Gianluca Vallini, Luca Elia Zanatta, Marco Zanetti

SPEED SKATING (10)

Men (7): Davide Ghiotto, Andrea Giovannini, Michele Malfatti, Daniele Di Stefano, Francesco Betti, Riccardo Lorello, Jeffrey Rosanelli

Women (3): Francesca Lollobrigida, Serena Pergher, Maybritt Vigl

SHORT TRACK (10)

Men (5): Pietro Sighel, Luca Spechenhauser, Thomas Nadalini, Lorenzo Previtali, Andrea Cassinelli

Wonen (5): Arianna Fontana, Chiara Betti, Elisa Confortola, Arianna Sighel, Gloria Ioriatti

From the invincible volleyball teams to the dominance of tennis: Italia Team bids farewell to a year of triumphs and looks ahead to Milano Cortina 2026

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  • THE 2025 REVIEW

Solid, strong, winning. An outstanding 2025 draws to a close for Italian sport, once again confirmed among the world’s elite and demonstrating its ability to excel both in individual disciplines and in team sports.

From the world title won by the men’s national volleyball team under Fefè De Giorgi to the triumph of the women’s side coached by Julio Velasco, who claimed victory in all 22 matches played during the year. A journey that extended the Italian women’s volleyball team’s winning streak to 36 consecutive victories, with more than 80% of sets won, further embellished by Nations League and World Championship titles following the Olympic gold secured in Paris 2024.

From the many successes achieved around the globe by Italian tennis players, led by the unstoppable Jannik Sinner — who for the first time carried the Tricolour to the top of Wimbledon — to the second consecutive double triumph in the Davis Cup and the Billie Jean King Cup by the national teams.

Volleyball and tennis stand at the forefront of a movement that, even when focusing solely on the senior World Championships in Olympic disciplines for summer sports in 2025, can also celebrate the gold medals won by judokas Alice Bellandi and Assunta Scutto; fencing triumphs in sabre and foil; the world title breakthrough of swimmer Simone Cerasuolo; the lightning-fast performances in road and track cycling (including Olympic champion Elia Viviani, Italy Team flagbearer at Tokyo 2020, who brought his illustrious career to a close with victory in the elimination race at the World Championships in Santiago, Chile); the richly symbolic men’s quadruple sculls in rowing; the shooting duo of Massimo Fabbrizi and Alessia Iezzi; the now-established presence of Riccardo Pianosi in kiteboarding; and a leading figure in world athletics such as Mattia Furlani, whose gold contributed to the record haul of seven medals achieved by Italian athletics at the World Championships in Tokyo. At continental level, notable highlights include Italian athletics’ second consecutive victory in the European Cup; yet another outstanding showing by Italian swimming, which in Lublin achieved a historic best-ever medal tally (nine golds, five silvers and six bronzes) and reclaimed the points-based nations ranking (for the fifth time in the last six editions); and podium finishes in gymnastics by the “Fate” of artistic gymnastics, led by the irrepressible Manila Esposito, as well as by Sofia Raffaeli in rhythmic gymnastics, who finished third in the all-around — just as she did in 2024 at the Paris Olympic Games.

As 2025 approaches its conclusion and the Olympic year of 2026 prepares to write new chapters in history, Italy strongly reaffirms its place among the world’s sporting elite, ranking third — behind the United States and France — for the number of athletes finishing in the top eight across all senior and youth competitions held during the year, thus confirming the prestigious result achieved last season.

A level of performance of unquestionable value, further underlined by a place in the global top five for the number of podium finishes across World and European Championships, World Cup events and international tournaments — trailing only the United States, France, China and Japan. A path of excellence that also sees Italy Team ranked third in Europe and sixth worldwide for total victories, bearing witness to the solidity, consistency and multidisciplinary strength of the entire Italian sporting movement (photo ANSA).

Italy also finished sixth in the overall medal table of the 2025 World Championships in events included in the Olympic programme for Los Angeles 2028, with 41 podium finishes (13 golds, 14 silvers and 14 bronzes), ranking fifth for the number of sports in which at least one medal was won.

The new year begins with renewed confidence, strengthened by the fact that — according to the Censis report “The social value of CONI’s institutional functions” — 89% of Italians believe that medals won at the Olympic Games enhance the country’s international prestige and serve as inspiration for younger generations.

In 2026, Italia Team will be called upon to build on the successes achieved in summer sports, but the spotlight will shine in particular on athletes in winter and ice sports, engaged in a historic event returning to Italy after 20 years: the Winter Olympic Games. Following the 2025 triumphs by Francesca Lollobrigida, Davide Ghiotto and Andrea Giovannini in speed skating; Stefania Constantini and Amos Mosaner in curling; Roland Fischnaller and Michela Moioli in snowboarding; Flora Tabanelli in freestyle skiing; and Federica Brignone in alpine skiing, the Winter Olympic Games Milano Cortina 2026 will take place from 6 to 22 February.

A great responsibility, a tremendous privilege, and an opportunity for Italia Team to once again demonstrate to the entire world the extraordinary capabilities of Italian sport—both on and off the field of play. The hope is that, in 2026 as well, the Tricolour will fly high on podiums across the globe, starting with those bearing the five Olympic rings.

President Mattarella hands the Tricolour to the flag bearers of Milano Cortina 2026: “Italy will be with you”

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  • AT THE QUIRINALE

Team Italia's journey to Milano-Cortina 2026 can officially start. At the Quirinale's Salone dei Corazzieri, President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella presented the Tricolour to the flag bearers of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (photo: Simone Ferraro, CONI).

A delegation of athletes, technicians and staff, led by CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio and Italian Paralympic Committee President Marco Giunio De Sanctis, attended the event. Also present at the event were the Minister for Sport and Youth, Andrea Abodi; several representatives of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Foundation, led by President Giovanni Malagò; CONI Secretary General and Head of Mission at Milano Cortina 2026, Carlo Mornati; and FISI President, Flavio Roda.

After the Italian national anthem, CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio was the first to speak: “Mr President, thank you as always for welcoming us here at the Quirinale just days, even hours, before the Christmas festivities. It was not easy to find a space in your agenda, but as always, you have understood the difficulties faced by these athletes, who are preparing for a historic event, one that is almost unique for some of them, of competing at the Olympic Games in their own country. This is why the ceremony of handing over the flag to our flag bearers for the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games is so significant. This time, our flag, our tricolour, for which we dedicate our entire lives to working and sacrificing, will not leave Italy. It will remain here with us in our beloved Italy and will be guarded by four great Italian athletes. There are four, rather than two, because, for the first time in history, the President of the International Olympic Committee, Kirsty Coventry, has agreed to our request that the organising country of an Olympics bearing the names of two cities should parade with two flag-bearers, one in Milan and one in Cortina, so that no one should feel subordinate to another. Selecting these two athletes was the most challenging decision of my tenure as CONI President. Every assessment inevitably pleases some people and displeases others. This team in front of you comprises potential Azzurri standard-bearers. We had to balance the number of men and women, as well as the two federations, the Winter Sports Federation and the Ice Sports Federation. We also had to consider the distance between Milan and Cortina, as well as the relentless competition calendar. Ultimately, we arrived at a solution based on reasoning, symbolism and objective meanings. In Milan, the flag will be entrusted to Arianna Fontana, a multi-Olympic champion who is participating in her sixth Games and is the only athlete to have competed in the last Italian Olympics in Turin in 2006. Arianna was also the flag-bearer in PyeongChang in 2018, and she is now a unique symbol for our movement. In fact, she is the most successful female athlete in the history of Italian sport, across both the Winter and Summer Games. We could not fail to recognise her achievements. Accompanying her will be Federico Pellegrino, a champion who has made seriousness and composure a way of life. Entrusting him with the flag is the fitting culmination of a successful and exemplary career. In Cortina, the choice was even more difficult since we have athletes that the whole world envies. Without detracting from the achievements of other exceptional champions, I believe it is appropriate to highlight an athlete who, over the past year, has inspired the entire nation, including you, Mr President, with her remarkable story of determination, pride, perseverance and resilience in the face of a career-threatening injury. I am, of course, referring to Federica Brignone: a shining example of tenacity, endurance, and constancy. In the spirit of gender equality, I chose the reigning Olympic champion Amos Mosaner, who won the gold medal in Beijing four years ago and will be defending it in Cortina alongside Stefania Costantini. I have already informed her that she will be reading the athletes' oath at the opening ceremony. As you can see, Mr President, Italian sport is presenting itself at these Olympic Games with an important burden of responsibility, which we are not shirking for two reasons. Firstly, our athletes have trained hard over the last four years, knowing only two words: work and commitment. Secondly, we know that you are by our side, our first supporter and solid bulwark, and that you have never failed to show us the affection and support we need at this time. On behalf of these young people, CONI and Italian sport, I would like to thank you once again”.

The Minister for Sport and Youth, Andrea Abodi, stated: “By presenting the Tricolour, we are entrusting the passion and expectations of Italians for success. We are convinced that athletes can above all guarantee the honour of representing our nation through the commitment they demonstrate every day, which gives us endless satisfaction. They are not only entrusted with the Tricolour, but also with the blue jersey, the dream of so many children and teenagers, and of so many of us who have aspired to reach the pinnacle of sport. There are 46 days to go until Milano Cortina 2026, when Italy will be at the centre of attention. We will all try to rise to the occasion, aware that we are working towards a momentous event, and that what happens the day after will also be very important for the country. We present ourselves with the strength of immortal and universal values, which also depend on our behaviour. We will rise to the occasion”.

After receiving the Tricolour from the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, it was the turn of the flag bearers.

Arianna Fontana began by saying: “Mr President, the flag you entrust to us today is much more than a symbol of our origins or what we call home; it is a promise, a promise to Italy, a promise to every young person who dares to dream of being where we are today. It is a promise to the families who support us and the communities that shape us. It is a promise to all those who believe that sport can be a force for growth, unity and hope. Sharing this honour with three other extraordinary athletes, Chicco, Fede and Amos, whose values and dedication I admire, makes this moment even more special. Today, we pledge to honour this flag with respect, discipline, and the unwavering courage that the Italian spirit has always inspired in us. We will represent our country with an open heart, a steadfast mind, and the determination to set a good example every single day. We have done it before. And we will do it again. For me personally, this flag carries the weight of a lifelong commitment to defending our home, our colours, and our values under all circumstances and against all odds. I have been doing this for twenty years, and I will be ready this time too. Thank you, Mr President. Thank you, Italy.”

“To the President of the Republic and all institutional office holders. To all the coaches and technical staff present. To my teammates on Team Italia. To my family. To everyone listening to us now or who will listen to us in the future. Today, tomorrow, or in the distant future. I accept your choice, just as you have accepted me year after year, said Federico Pellegrino. 'I would be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it for a long time. I would be lying if I said that I had never imagined myself leading our delegation with the tricolour in front of me and the whole country behind me. I would be lying if I said that this moment had not motivated me, supporting me in making some of my choices and ours. And I could never lie to you. My thoughts now turn to my grandfather, Gino, the last of my grandparents to whom I said goodbye. He was a man of duty and civic responsibility, and he would have seen this moment as the culmination of all his choices. Past, yet still present. It's like a climb with a thousand hairpin bends that takes you to the summit. Wherever he may be, I know he is listening. He is happier than I am. Because choice is the home of doubt, perhaps the only gift we have ever been given. It is in doubt that existence is built. In the balance between the signifier and the signified. Between a symbol, like the flag, and what it represents. My flag contains what is also contained in those of my colleagues, friends and loved ones, and in the flags of all my fellow citizens. My flag contains hundreds of choices. Enormous and tiny. Obligatory and creative. Often necessary and difficult. Sometimes simple and sweet. It is a mosaic of will, in which you are both actor and spectator at the same time. You choose to be there, early in the morning, when it is freezing outside. You choose to give something up today in order to cultivate it for tomorrow. Making choices together and smoothing off your rough edges. Making choices, making mistakes and learning to forgive yourself. You choose each other for a life together: Husband, wife, partner. Then choosing together for your children and teaching them to choose for themselves until they help you choose again. Choosing is an act of responsibility, an intimate dialogue with your mind and heart before anything else. But it gives shape to the whole world. It is an act of love, and for this reason, I accept your choice with great pride, just as you have accepted me. Year after year after year. Thank you”.

Then it was Amos Mosaner's turn: “Mr President, thank you for welcoming us here today at the Quirinale and for finding time in your busy schedule to meet with us athletes. I would also like to thank President Buonfiglio for entrusting me with this prestigious role. Since I was young, I have had big dreams, but never imagined I would have the opportunity to represent our country in such an important role. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my family, my teammates, CONI, the Federation, the Fiamme Oro, and all the staff who have accompanied me on a path of commitment, sacrifice, and growth with competence and dedication, making these results possible. I welcome this moment with deep pride and emotion, and I await the opening ceremony of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games with a great sense of responsibility. On this occasion, I will have the honour of waving the Italian flag in front of the world. I am convinced that through the sporting achievements and determination that characterise the Italian delegation, we will convey enthusiasm and bring an increasing number of citizens, especially younger generations, closer to the values of sport and the Olympic spirit. I renew my commitment to working consistently, persistently and flexibly, and I, like all the athletes in the Italian delegation, will wear the Italian flag with a deep sense of belonging, strength and determination. We are committed to giving our all to honour and make proud the most beautiful country in the world. Thank you, Mr President”.

To complete the quartet is Federica Brignone: “Good morning, Mr President, good morning everyone. Needless to say, I am honoured and delighted to receive the flag that will represent Italy at the Milano Cortina Olympics. I am also excited because my journey to get here has not been easy or straightforward. For this reason, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to those who gave me this opportunity. I just want to say that with this flag in my hands, I will represent all Italian athletes and the values that I believe have always been at the heart of sport: respect, loyalty, dedication, commitment, determination, humility and enjoyment. These values help us to stay grounded in moments of glory and to pick ourselves up in times of difficulty. This will be my fifth Olympics. The first ones were in Europe, close to home. I believe that taking part in the Olympics in your own country is a great honour and privilege. On the one hand, it can also be very stressful, but I will try not to see it that way. I will focus only on the positive aspects of this privilege, which few athletes have experienced, and I hope all Azzurri athletes do the same. I would like to conclude by thanking those who have made this dream possible and are working hard to ensure that the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Milano Cortina are a sporting and organisational success”.

In accordance with protocol, the last person to speak was the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella. “It is a real pleasure to welcome you to the Salone dei Corazzieri and to meet you all on the eve of the Milano Cortina 2026 opening ceremony. You have fully grasped the significance of the Games. We are delighted to see Federica Brignone ready and determined once again. We spoke on the phone months ago, and I am glad that this has come to fruition. This ceremony is always exciting, but this time it has even greater significance because we are organising the Games. We will pour our culture, friendship and hospitality into them, and Italy will support you every step of the way. It will be an important opportunity to showcase our country, and I would like to thank those who have worked hard to bring the Games here and organise them. The Olympic and Paralympic Games are events that put our country at the centre of the world. The Olympic and Paralympic competitions embody many human and social values. In these difficult times, the message of peace, solidarity and friendship spread by the Games will be very important. These will be fascinating days for you and those who cannot attend, because although many disciplines are individual, they involve a great deal of teamwork. In addition, the Games will encourage many young people to challenge themselves through sport. Sport plays a major role in society. I would like to express my support and gratitude to everyone involved in the Paralympic movement. Inclusion is a key goal for our society. I am sure that you will all do Italy proud with your behaviour and the results you achieve. Sofia Goggia's super-G in Val d'Isère was a good start. What you do reflects on our country. Your commitment will be recognised by us all. I will be one of your fans and will be following your progress closely. I wish you every success and many great friendships”.

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