The die is cast. Milan and Cortina have officially presented their candidacy to host the 2026 Winter Olympics: the official logo recalls the façade of the Duomo, stylized with the tricolor, and the video was presented on Wednesday in Tokyo during the general assembly of the Anoc, the Association of National Olympic Committees. "Always try", is the slogan chosen by the mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala to communicate the project on social media, exhibited in Japan with a respectable delegation, made up of the president of Coni Giovanni Malagò, the president of the Veneto region Luca Zaia, Mario Pescante del Cio and precisely the mayor of Milan.
The other candidate city, Stockholm, has not enjoyed such political endorsements and appears at the moment to be the underdog: the final decision will be communicated next June in Lausanne, the votes of 44 delegates from the International Olympic Committee are needed and the Italian candidacy, which risked not leaving due to political tensions, is now the favorite, especially after another candidate, Canadian Calgary, recently withdrew from the race following a failed referendum.
“83% of the Milanese are instead in favor of the event – says Sala -. We have to win because our project has a low environmental impact, it is low cost, it does not require the construction of new plants, so there will be no famous cathedrals in the desert. The goal is zero soil consumption and to neutralize and completely offset carbon dioxide emissions. This will be possible by maximizing the use of the existing infrastructure, as approximately 92% of the necessary infrastructures are already existing or will be of a temporary nature. Furthermore, the city comes from the experience of Expo, the best guarantee of success and credibility”.
“The key word for the success of our project is 'together', because we combine private and public, tradition and innovation, the efficiency of the great metropolis and the charm of the mountains. It is great teamwork for a common goal: to bring the Olympic and Paralympic Games back to Italy”, added the president of Coni, Giovanni Malagò in Tokyo.
Bookmakers also believe in Milano Cortina 2026. SNAI has lowered the quota on the allocation of the Olympics to Italy: from 1,50, reports Agipronews, it has dropped to 1,45 and, conversely, the quota on the the only other candidate, Stockholm, which went from 2,35 to 2,50. The uncertainty of the political situation weighs on the Swedish capital (it has not yet been possible to form a government after the last elections) and the fact that the local administration does not support the Olympic event.
