NEWS
MILANO CORTINA 2026 WINTER OLYMPICS
The usual spoilsport downpour on Wednesday evening cooled Cavalese until a few minutes before the start of the evening “#roadto2026 - Fiemme on the way to the Olympics,” but that did not keep people away from Piazza Italia, which crowded the “living room” of Val di Fiemme at 9 p.m.
An evening proposed by Nordic Ski Val di Fiemme and APT Fiemme greeting the arrival of August 15th for many tourists, sportsmen and locals talking about Nordic skiing, Olympics and Paralympics 2026, with a series of sketches between past and present on the way to the Olympics, just as the program anticipated. Live music with the young Fiemmese group “The Others” interspersed the funny gags of “Bepi” in the role of a farmer with valley knowledge with those of Giacomo Panozzo, who in “his own way” presented his personal four Olympic Pills, and to host a sprighty and decidedly good Silvia Vaia, all of whom rattled off between the serious and the facetious a series of numbers, information, curiosities, the result of deep historical research. Enriching the evening were speeches by Cavalese Mayor Sergio Finato, APT Fiemme-Cembra director Giancarlo Cescatti, then champion Franco Nones, athletes Nicole Monsorno, Simone Daprà and with Maria Gismondi and Veronica Gianmoena in the stalls.
Pietro De Godenz and Cristina Bellante, respectively president and general secretary of the Nordic Ski Val di Fiemme committee but also provincial representative of the Olympic Coordination the first and member of the CONI of Trento the latter, were not missing either.
Thus, even those well-informed about Nordic skiing have learned that in 2026 there will be 16 Olympic disciplines, with the debut in Valtellina of ski mountaineering, 6 instead the Paralympic disciplines, with more than 3,500 athletes competing to represent 90 nations. It will be the 25th Winter Olympics, and the 14th Winter Paralympics. Moreover, the events will be held over a total area of 22,000 square kilometres involving the provinces of Trento and Bolzano, Lombardia and Veneto. It will be the third Winter Olympic event in Italy after Cortina '56 and Turin 2006. Cross-country, ski jumping and Nordic combined, cross-country and biathlon competitions for Paralympic athletes will take place in Val di Fiemme, for a total of 21 Olympic and 39 Paralympic competitions, with 31% of the medals distributed by Milano Cortina 2026.
Onstage guests, but the atmosphere was the same in the stalls as well, all imitating Cecchetto in the timeless summer catchphrase of Superman with 'Ski, Clap, Jump, Wave and Hitchhiking'. Really infected everyone, even the mayor of Cavalese, the director of the APT, Franco Nones and Pietro De Godenz.
Great applause was given to the athletes, Franco Nones first and foremost after the historical film of that unforgettable February 7th 1968 with the first Italian Olympic gold in cross-country skiing, then Nicole Monsorno and Simone Daprà, athletes from Fiemme who are preparing at their best to be selected in the 2026 Olympic team. “Nones made it, now we have to try as well,” summarized Daprà, ‘for every athlete the Olympics is a very coveted goal, to be able to participate here at home would be incredible, let's keep our fingers crossed,’ added Monsorno.
The four 'Olympic Pills' explained by Giacomo Panozzo, namely “let's give the numbers,” “Val di Fiemme land of champions,” “land of volunteers,” and “an Olympic valley,” also wanted to focus the attention on the great collaboration of volunteers, a leading institution in Val di Fiemme with almost a thousand people dedicated to the World Cups, but for Milano Cortina 2026 in the Avisio Valley 2580 are needed for the Olympics alone, plus a few hundred for the Paralympics. In Piazza Italia in Cavalese to tell their emotions were one of the most experienced volunteers, Luisa Secchi of Carano, 76 years old this year, and one of the youngest, Arianna Finco of Cavalese, class of 2000. Applause for the two helpers, who have already been confirmed for the next World Cup, the Tour de Ski with three days from January 3rd to 5th.
Also on the launching pad for 2026 is the “Ospiteme Fiemme” initiative somewhat along the lines of Operation Rainbow from the first Marcialonga editions. People from Fiemme are being asked to host in their homes the volunteers, who will arrive from afar, and also to share, integrate and get into the spirit that Pierre De Coubertin launched. The Winter Olympics were born in 1924, exactly 100 years ago in Chamonix, Silvia Vaia recounted, while Giacomo Panozzo explained to an attentive audience the hardships Cortina encountered to host the first Winter Olympics in Italy in '56. In short, it was an evening full of information, history, sports, entertainment and good music. For those who missed it, on Sunday 18 will be repeated in Predazzo (9 p.m. in Piazza SS. Filippo e Giacomo or at the municipal theatre in case of rain). Same program, with different guests, it will be an opportunity to meet Giorgio Vanzetta, Alessandro Pittin, Caterina Ganz, Paolo Ventura, Alessandro Chiocchetti and Riccardo Bernardi. Usual choreography by Michele Longo and Marco Mattia, hosting by Silvia Vaia and the “pills” of Giacomo Panozzo, all seasoned by the music of “The Others.” A way like any other to greet August 15th that is leaving, thinking about the World Rollerski Championships, proposed of course by Nordic Ski Val di Fiemme, in Ziano from September 12th to 15th and the next winter season with the iconic Tour de Ski from January 3rd to 5th. For the Olympics we will have to wait more than 500 days, in 2025 the Summer Nordic Festival from September 18th to 21st is now a reality with the first official jumping competitions on the new Ski jumping hill in Predazzo, and again Nordic combined and Skiroll World Cup.
©Newspower.it
