Cortina embraces spotlight and challenging road ahead as the Olympic flag arrives in Italy

Cortina d’Ampezzo residents gathered in the central Piazza Angelo DiBona to watch the ski resort town’s mayor Gianpietro Ghedina, alongside Milan mayor Giuseppe Sala, receive the Olympic flag from International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach at the Beijing 2022 closing ceremony.

Ghedina and Sala arrived home with the flag, accompanied by Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) president Giovanni Malago and a substantial Italian delegation, to Milan’s Malpensa Airport on Monday afternoon.

Across the majestic Italian Dolomites on Sunday, it was a beautiful, sunny winter afternoon, as those gathered in Cortina witnessed another proud moment in the 1956 Olympic city’s fabled winter sports history.

Kristian Ghedina, a retired five-time Olympic Alpine skier, longtime Cortina resident and brother to Gianpietro, was excited, emotional and enthusiastic.

“It’s a huge emotion because it’s been 66 years since the Olympic Games were in Cortina, and for us it’s a pleasure and very good opportunity to make something new for our city, our town and our country,” Ghedina tells Around the Rings at the Cortina celebration.

The afternoon festivities included renditions by Cortina’s local band, bobsleds for kids to sit in courtesy of the historic Cortina Bob Club, a welcome home celebration for Italian skeleton athlete Matthias Gaspari and an emotional, intense viewing of the Milano-Cortina 2026 flag handover ceremony and video of eye-candy, Italian metropolitan and mountain scenes accompanied by enthusiastic residents.

FISI board member shares his thoughts about the journey ahead

Italian Winter Sports Federation (FISI) board member Stefano Longo represented the organization in Cortina with president Flavio Roda still in Beijing. Longo said with the world’s Winter Olympic attention now shifting to Italy, the hard work begins on Monday.

“It’s a very strong moment for us and not only for Cortina, but for all the people involved in the activities to put in place the very, very important Olympic Games of 2026,” Longo tells Around the Rings.

Longo believes Italy is ready to embrace an opportunity to be the first to showcase the new Olympic concept of Games co-hosted by two cities, despite the substantial distances and travel times between the various venue clusters.

“I think the future Olympic Games here will be very special, because it’s the first time that two different cities in different situations around all of the north part of Italy from Livigno to Cortina d’Ampezzo,” says the Italian winter sports official. “It’s a little bit strange perhaps, but I think it’s a new style of the Olympic Games and this for me is very exciting.”

Longo said considering Italy’s home snow and ice advantage, expectations for Italian winter sports athletes will be lofty.

“Our objective is to improve upon the results of Lillehammer 1994 – in Lillehammer we had 20 medals,” Longo informs. “Our objective is 21 medals and this is very important to have this objective,” he says about 2026.

Longo assures that Italian organizers, some with decades of winter sport experience, are up to the intricate task at hand, however it will not solely focus on the sporting venues.

“It’s very important for us to prepare not only the venues and sports part, but also to improve the infrastructure in the north of Italy, the roads, the hotels, and particularly here in Cortina, the new hospital,” Longo says.

Longo – who was born in 1956 – touched upon the rich legacy left from the Winter Games of nearly 70 years ago, a sporting spectacle that put Cortina on the world map and still resonates in the Italian ski resort and winter sports town today.

“The 1956 Olympic Games in Cortina was the start of the international environment for Cortina d’Ampezzo,” he says. “Afterward, it became a real place for international touristic activities.

“For me, I think the new Olympic Games will be another big chance to push for the international touristic opportunities and objectives of Cortina d’Ampezzo.”

Gaspari looks forward to sliding on home ice in 2026

Italian skeleton athlete Matthias Gaspari – who grew up in nearby Pieve di Cadore, but recently moved up the road to Cortina – was welcomed and honored upon his recent return home from the Beijing Games. After a friendly chat, Gaspari’s Olympic runs were shown on the large video screen.

“Four years ago, I broke my Achilles, so I sat at home and watched with my crutches on my sofa, so it was even more emotional and a really good experience for me,” Gaspari tells Around the Rings about competing in China.

Gaspari lives close to the old, dilapidated Cortina bobsleigh track and said he greatly anticipates its reconstruction to provide Italian and other international sliding athletes a new training and competition facility. He looks forward to competing on home ice in 2026.

“I live 300 meters from the track and hope it will be built,” Gaspari said. “There is a lot of work to do, but I really hope to do well and be here,” said the 28-year-old athlete about his 2026 Olympic aspirations.

Gaspari says the return of the Winter Olympics will be a golden opportunity, not only for him and his fellow Italian athletes, but for Cortina and the entire country.

“It’s a situation where Cortina and all of Italy can show to the world what we can do and not just about food,” he said. “I hope all the stakeholders will be really ready for the work and try to do a really good job over the next four years.”

The local downhill ski racer Ghedina – who sped to 13 World Cup victories over 17 seasons, including his first win in Cortina on the 1956 Olympia delle Tofane piste in 1990 – is ready to do his part to welcome the world in four years time, serving up Italy’s renowned hospitality.

“Everybody knows that here in Italy we have nice traditions, the people, the food, and I invite everyone here because I think after they come for the Olympic Games, they’ll go home with a smile.”

Follow Brian on Twitter at @Brian_Pinelli

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