Half Way Press Conference
Official Highlights
MILAN - Comments from
Milano Cortina 2026 CEO Andrea VARNIER (ITA),
Chief Games Operations Officer Andrea FRANCISI (ITA)
Games Operations Communications Director Luca CASASSA (ITA)
Andrea VARNIER - Milano Cortina 2026 CEO
On ticket sales at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games:
"We have gone over 1.27 million tickets sold. The average occupancy rate for all sessions was 85%. When it comes to venues, we have 94.5% (occupancy) in Bormio for Alpine skiing and around 90% in Milano and Anterselva/Antholz. Skimo (ski mountaineering) was completely sold out, while speed skating reached 94% occupancy. This tells us the Games were quite successful when it comes to audience participation."
On ticket prices:
"There are many sessions being sold at accessible prices. This is a global movement and there are matches that are more international than others, and will therefore have a price that matches the global landscape."
On the broadcast audience:
"We have had record engagement. The Olympics website reached 7.4 billion social engagements. And all main rights holders have shared with us that they are having success. Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) confirm they have received record-breaking performances in Europe and North America. And (Italian broadcaster) RAI has an average viewing audience of over 1.75m."
On his reflections from the first week of the Games:
"Organising the Games is a major endeavour and there are normally some issues along the road. We are very happy at the halfway point. We are happy, in particular, with the ice hockey venue. I had the opportunity to be there last night and the atmosphere was amazing. And the sliding centre at Cortina is extremely successful.
"The fact the Italians have won medals makes it even better. Now we have another week ahead, and we are very focused on continuing to make sure the Games are a success."
On the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena:
"It has been a whirlwind of emotions. Sometimes the pressure, and all the work we are doing, doesn't allow us to make the most of what is going on around us. Having said that, the first thing which was incredibly emotional came before the Opening Ceremony when Italy's women's hockey team played at Santagiulia.
"Santagiulia was a bit of a controversial topic despite the fact we were confident in what we were doing. To finally see that venue opening, and with a full house, was really satisfying."
On creating Olympic spirit in Milan:
"Milan is used to these events, and I don't think the city understood what it meant to host an Olympic Games. We see this very often in cities but, with the passing days, the movement grows. The city has been packed since the beginning and Milan is quite big, so it is difficult to be in every corner for 20 straight days. If you look at the venues where the activities are taking place, there are queues in the (Milan) fan zones or at the (Olympic) Cauldron. We learn something new every day."
On the legacy of the Games:
"Legacy is incredibly important for these Games. The model of these Games is meant to have a positive impact for the future. We have used existing venues, which were improved to ensure they could be used after the Games - 90% of the infrastructure already existed."
"We know we are pioneers when it comes to this edition. We knew we were going to face many challenges. After a week, many of them seem to have been tackled. We knew transport would be an important topic. We are learning a lot. We have fine-tuned our system. We have been able to move people around even in challenging landscapes. Our experience so far has been absolutely positive. Our system, and our model, could be the legacy used for similar geographical landscapes to the Alps (in future Games). The challenge was to be certain that in each venue people could feel the Olympic spirit."
On the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools on official Milano Cortina social handles:
"In terms of the visuals we have produced, nothing has been done with AI. The whole design has been extraordinary. Everything, including the medals, has been made by our designers. What you see has all been produced by the Milano Cortina 2026 team. The manner in which it is then transformed onto social media has not been done by us. The Games' identity is one of our main strengths, and the impact has been fantastic. This has contributed to the success of the Games."
Andrea FRANCISI - Milano 2026 Chief Games Operations Officer
On the Olympic Villages:
"The food and comfort offered in the Olympic Villages has been one of our most successful elements. The transport system is relatively new, and factors in a spread-out geography compared to previous Games. We have been very careful with this. We have facilitated more than 65,000 trips with minimal delays. Delays of over 15 minutes have only occurred in less than 1% of cases."
On the quality of ice at the Milano Ice Skating Arena:
"We are very satisfied with the ice quality across all disciplines, whether short track, speed skating or ice hockey. Regarding criticism (about ice quality), we have heard it and believe it can be put into a specific context, and applies to only a limited number of cases. The field of play is important in terms of quality and athlete safety. We have ongoing conversations with a number of federations and the feedback has always been positive."
Luca CASASSA - Milano Cortina 2026 Games Operations Communications Director
On ticket sales on Friday:
"92,500 were sold yesterday. This is a record."
