Ioc praise and spread-out hosting shine as Milano Cortina 2026 pushes sustainable legacy
The ioc spotlight landed on Milano Cortina 2026 this week as officials and sporting figures praised the renovated Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium and the Games’ wider push to reuse venues and reduce energy use on February 22, 2026.
Ioc visit to Cortina Curling Stadium
HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, an IOC Member and Chair of the IOC Sustainability and Legacy Commission, visited the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium on February 22, 2026, and commended organisers for combining heritage preservation with energy upgrades. "I think this curling venue is truly extraordinary, " he said while touring the renovated facility originally built for the 1956 Olympic Winter Games.
The renovation preserved original architectural elements such as the onyx flooring in the representative hall and added new infrastructure aimed at lowering consumption and improving access: three new lifts, nearly 80 accessible seats on every level, improved roof insulation and a new dehumidification system designed to enhance ice quality while reducing energy use.
Renovation rooted in energy efficiency and accessibility
Milano Cortina 2026 is staging the Games using 85 per cent existing or temporary venues, and organisers emphasized that operations are powered largely by certified renewable electricity and supported by low-carbon transport solutions. Beau Welling, President of World Curling, said, "We are embedding sustainability into every decision we take, " and highlighted new, more energy-efficient ice-making systems already in place in Cortina.
The ioc praise for the stadium’s retrofit underlines a concrete example organisers point to when describing how historic venues can stay viable: accessibility upgrades that add viewing options for guests with reduced mobility and technical improvements aimed at lowering overall energy consumption.
Spread-out Games reshape where fans and athletes gather
The 2026 Winter Olympics are being held across more than 13, 000 square miles of northern Italy, a layout organisers call the Giochi diffusi. That geography creates varied local experiences: board member Nick Thimm described driving four and a half hours from Milan to the alpine resort of Livigno to see athletes and noted that "Milan is amazing, but it just doesn’t have that Olympic energy, " capturing the contrast between big-city venues and small mountain towns.
In Milan, hockey, figure skating and speedskating venues sit on the fringes of the city while central attractions such as the Duomo and the Navigli are experiencing only modest increases in foot traffic. Elsewhere, venues like the renovated Cortina curling stadium aim to deliver an Olympic atmosphere while prioritizing sustainability and heritage protection.
With the Games in their second week on February 22, 2026, organisers continue to run competitions across Milan, Cortina and other clusters, and the Cortina retrofit stands as a tangible example organisers are citing when describing how reuse and targeted upgrades can form part of a sustainable legacy for future host cities.
