What is the Milano Cortina 2026 Legacy?
Daily Media Briefing - Legacy Focus
Official Highlights
MILAN - Comments from
IOC Spokesperson Mark ADAMS (GBR),
IOC Head of Olympic Games Impact and Legacy Arram KIM (KOR),
Milano Cortina 2026 Legacy Director Iacopo MAZZETTI (ITA)
Games Operations Communications Director Luca CASASSA (ITA)
Mark ADAMS - IOC Spokesperson
On the decision of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their countries' flags at Milano Cortina 2026:
"The IPC is an independent organisation. They had a General Assembly, and they voted for this. That is their decision."
On whether bad weather could delay the freestyle skiing halfpipe at Livigno Snow Park beyond the Closing Ceremony:
"Snow is an occupational hazard for winter sports.
"The federations are used to dealing with delays or bad weather. It is something we have to work with."
On engagement in Japan and China:
"In Japan on day nine (of the Games), they had 92 million viewers. That's 80% of the potential audience.
"And the (two) Chinese gold medals (won by SU Yiming and XU Mengtao) produced more than 300 million social media impressions."
Arram KIM - IOC Head of Olympic Games Impact and Legacy
On the decision to build the Cortina Sliding Centre rather than use Cesana Pariol, which hosted sliding at Torino 2006:
"We understand the optics of building a sliding centre in 2006 and then a new one for 2026 may not look good. But for us, we have a new sliding centre and the competition there was great.
"It is my job to make sure a lasting legacy will be left. And let's not forget we have the Winter Youth Olympic Games (Dolomiti Valtellina 2028) which will also be using that track."
On the legacy of Milano Cortina 2026:
"Milano Cortina 2026 is not just about delivering outstanding sport, it is about accelerating long-term development and strengthening resilience across both mountain and urban areas."
On the legacy of the Olympic Village in Milan:
"We have all seen the Olympic Village (in Milan), which has been transformed from a railway yard into a sustainable urban district, and after the Games it will be turned into student accommodation."
On the Dolomiti Valtellina 2028 Winter Youth Olympic Games:
"When people talk about the legacy (of these Games), they often think about infrastructure and the social benefits, but we also need to think about the people.
"In two years' time, we can utilise all the human legacies to help run a successful Games."
Iacopo MAZZETTI - Milano Cortina 2026 Legacy Director
On the decision to build the Cortina Sliding Centre:
"For Torino in 2006, the sliding centre was located in Cesana (Torinese). There wasn't any sliding sports tradition there. We believe in Cortina, bobsleigh has always existed. We had a track in 1936, and it was used until 2012.
"It was then closed and renovated, which we could do thanks to these Games. Luge and bobsleigh are in the DNA of Cortina.
"We didn't choose to create a sliding centre in a place with no tradition of sliding. We chose Cortina because it already had a tradition. This is key to why we believe the sliding centre in Cortina will have a legacy and promote an increase of athletes in this discipline."
On the legacy of the Games:
"Over 330 legacy projects have been activated around Italy with two main pillars: more movement for all, and sustainable local economic development."
On partnering with universities:
"We have partnered with 20 universities and have developed new sports projects, including on infrastructure and management.
"More than 18,000 volunteers were trained, and they will benefit from this in their future lives, and in the Italian sports system."
Luca CASASSA - Games Operations Communications Director
On the IPC decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their countries' flags:
"Our task as the organising committee is not to consider it. Our role is to organise the Games in the best way possible."
On ticket sales on Wednesday:
"We sold 89,000 tickets yesterday."
OIS bj/am/ic
