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”.

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