Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics Open With Dazzling Ceremony

Last Updated:February 07, 2026, 08:57 IST

The Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics opened with a dazzling San Siro ceremony, dual cauldrons, tributes to Giorgio Armani, and Lindsey Vonn’s inspiring comeback in Cortina d'Ampezzo.

The Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics opened on Friday with a dazzling ceremony at the San Siro stadium, complemented by festivities at venues across the snow-capped Italian Alps.

The event marked the most geographically widespread Olympics in history, culminating in the lighting of two cauldrons: one at Milan’s Arch of Peace and the other in Cortina d’Ampezzo, the chic resort 400 kilometres (250 miles) from Milan that is hosting the women’s alpine skiing.

Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni, two former Italian Olympic skiing champions, ignited an intricate cauldron at Milan’s Arch of Peace, inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s knot patterns. In the icy air of Cortina, Sofia Goggia, an Italian former gold medallist, undertook the task after participating in a training run for the women’s downhill event.

The Milan ceremony celebrated Italy’s rich cultural heritage, with a tribute to the late fashion giant Giorgio Armani. However, the otherwise harmonious event was disrupted by loud boos from the crowd when US Vice President JD Vance appeared on the big screen at the San Siro stadium. Despite this, the US team received enthusiastic applause as they began their parade.

There has been controversy in Italy over the presence of US immigration enforcement agency ICE agents as part of security for the American delegation, despite assurances from the Italian government that the agents will not have any operational role on its soil.

Performers at the San Siro show wore oversized heads representing the three great masters of Italian opera—Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini, and Gioachino Rossini—while American singer Mariah Carey, in a white sequined dress with feathers, sang “Volare" in Italian and “Nothing is Impossible". Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli received a rapturous reception after performing “Nessun Dorma," and dozens of models honoured Armani by parading across the stage in red, green, and white trouser suits.

Italian President Sergio Mattarella declared the Games open after International Olympic Committee chief Kirsty Coventry addressed the competitors, saying, “You remind us that we can be brave, that we can be kind, that we can get back up, no matter how hard we fall."

For the first time, 2,900 athletes paraded at the venues closest to where they will compete in the February 6-22 Games, to minimise travel.

Earlier on Friday, Lindsey Vonn, the biggest star at the Milan-Cortina Olympics, passed a crucial test of her injured knee. The American skier successfully completed her first training run for the women’s downhill event, despite competing with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament. This kept alive the 41-year-old’s hopes of winning a medal in Italy. Vonn, who won her only Olympic gold at the Vancouver Games 16 years ago and also has two bronze medals, is aiming for a top-three finish in Sunday’s final, which would cap a remarkable comeback from retirement, made even more extraordinary by her pre-Olympics injury.

Vonn, wearing a knee brace, completed the run at Cortina without apparent difficulty. Before skiing, she posted on Instagram, “Nothing makes me happier! No one would have believed I would be here… but I made it!!… I’m not going to waste this chance."

When asked by reporters if everything was “all good" after the race, Vonn simply responded, “yeah".

Competitive action in figure skating began with defending champions, the United States taking an early lead in the team event, thanks to world champion ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates.

The men’s downhill race, one of the prestigious events, kicks off the first full day of action on Saturday. China’s freestyle skier Eileen Gu, one of the faces of the 2022 Games in Beijing, launches her bid for triple gold as the women’s slopestyle gets underway at Livigno Snow Park.

(With Agency Inputs)

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