The 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics officially begins today with the opening ceremony and a number of early events. Curling began the action over the past two days and continues this Friday, as does the women’s ice hockey competition that saw Team USA beat Czech Republic yesterday.

The 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympic Games will take place over an 8,500 square miles in Northern Italy, creating a complex challenge for organizers and fans.

There will be 93 countries, plus numerous athletes from Russia and Belarus, competing at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.

From Greece leading the parade to Italy’s four-athlete honour, here’s how the Milan–Cortina Opening Ceremony will unfold on 6 February.

The target number of medals for a country to win the overall medal table is 35. Norway captured 37 medals to top the 2022 Winter Olympics medal table. That was 10 more than Germany in second place and 12 more than Team USA in third.

Americans who top the podium at the Milan Cortina Games will be in line for a $37,500 bonus. Their competitors could collect as much as $800,000.