The Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 have kicked off yesterday amid controversy over the participation of Russian athletes. 13 Russian athletes are being allowed to participate under the designation of Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) along with 7 Belarusian athletes with the same designation. The procedure is the same one used for the 2024 Summer Olympics. Ukraine is opposing their participation.
Israel is also participating in the event with little attention to it.
US Vice-President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio attended the opening ceremony of the games with a delegation that included ICE officers. The presence of ICE officers with the US delegation caused protests in Italy and Milan’s mayor Giuseppe Sala said that the ICE officers were not present. The US delegation was booed by the crowd as it made its appearance during the opening ceremony. The Italian government said that the controversy was unnecessary because policing duties are under the full responsibility of the Italian Police. JD Vance and the State Secretary also held a meeting with the Italian Premier.
Norway is the dominant participant in the Winter Games having accumulated up to 405 medals including 148 gold medals. The US is the runner-up having accumulated up to 330 medals which include 114 gold medals. Particular attention this year is on the men’s Alpine Skiing game featuring world champion Marco Odermatt from Switzerland and the women’s Alpine Skiing and world champion Mikaela Shiffrin from the US: both aim to add to their medals haul. Other highlight athletes include, Connor McDavid, Canada’s ice hockey superstar who is leading the men’s ice hockey team and Erin Jackson (USA), the first Black woman to win a gold medal in speed skating.
The opening ceremony can be viewed here (restricted only to the Italian region).
Newsroom
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