The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics burst into action Thursday with early competitions across Italy’s stunning mountain venues, setting the stage for Friday’s grand opening ceremony that will officially launch 19 days of global athletic drama. While the flame lighting awaits, curling, ice hockey prelims and official training sessions delivered first thrills on Day -1, drawing packed crowds to Milan, Cortina d’Ampezzo and beyond.

From mixed doubles curling at Cortina’s Olympic Stadium to women’s hockey clashes at Milan’s Rho Arena, action unfolded across four geographic clusters in this most distributed Games ever. With 116 events and over 3,000 athletes from 90 nations competing through Feb. 22, Milano Cortina promises snow-dusted spectacles blending Alpine tradition and modern flair.

Day -1 highlights: Curling and hockey steal early spotlight

Mixed doubles curling kicked off at 4:05 a.m. ET in Cortina, featuring matchups like GBR vs. SWE, NOR vs. USA and more in round-robin play. The U.S. squad battled Norway early, with stone precision deciding early standings in the 10-team field chasing gold on Day 16.

Women’s ice hockey prelims ignited at Rho Hockey Arena, pitting Sweden against Germany at 6:10 a.m. and USA vs. Czechia at 10:40 a.m. The Americans, defending champions, eyed a statement win ahead of powerhouse clashes with Canada and Finland later Thursday (3:10 p.m.). NHL stars like Alex Carpenter and Abbey Murphy bolster Team USA’s attack in Milano’s state-of-the-art venue.

Alpine skiers hit the Stelvio course in Bormio for men’s downhill training (5:30 a.m.), prepping notoriously steep terrain that will host super-G and downhill races. Luge singles training ran at Cortina Sliding Center (9:27 a.m. and 11 a.m.), where speeds top 130 kph on ice-lined tracks. Snowboard big air qualifiers loomed at 3:30 p.m. in Livigno, teasing gravity-defying tricks.​

Peacock streamed every session live, with NBC’s primetime coverage highlighting U.S. hopefuls.​

Milano Cortina by the numbers: Most compact yet expansive Games

Spanning venues the size of New Jersey across Milan (indoor sports), Valtellina (freestyle/snowboard), Cortina (Alpine/sliding) and Val di Fiemme (jumps/cross-country), Milano Cortina maximizes existing infrastructure. The opening ceremony at Milan’s San Siro Stadium Friday will feature 120,000 spectators, blending fashion-forward spectacle with Olympic tradition.

New sports debut: ski mountaineering (Feb. 13-15) tests endurance on 16km courses with 800m climbs, while mixed team events expand across disciplines. Six new medal events include women’s mono bobsleigh and freestyle skiing aerials team competitions.

Medal pace accelerates post-ceremony: Saturday’s Day 1 offers five golds led by men’s downhill (11:30 a.m.) and women’s skiathlon (1-2:50 p.m.). By Games end, 116 medals will crown champions through Feb. 22’s closing in Verona.​

U.S. medal contenders: Nathan Chen returns, Chloe Kim defends

Team USA fields 118 athletes targeting top-five finishes. Figure skating star Nathan Chen chases Olympic three-peat in Milan, partnering with Vincent Zhou and Madison Chock. Snowboard queen Chloe Kim defends halfpipe gold Feb. 12, facing Maddie Mastro and Hailey Langland.​

Alpine ace Mikaela Shiffrin hunts record 100th World Cup win en route to super-G (Feb. 11), downhill (Feb. 8) and slalom golds. Freestyle’s Eileen Gu and Gus Kenworthy lead aerials and moguls bids. Bobsled’s Elana Meyers Taylor eyes history in women’s mono debut.​

Hockey rosters shine: Men’s squad captained by Auston Matthews features Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel; women led by Kendall Coyne Schofield.​

Italy’s home heroes: Federica Brignone, Sofia Goggia

Hosts Italy boast 130 athletes, strongest in snow sports. Alpine queen Federica Brignone (downhill/super-G) and Sofia Goggia chase podiums on home slopes. Cross-country ace Federico Pellegrino eyes sprint gold; luger Andrea Vötter defends Cortina legacy.​

Opening ceremony co-stars Armani-clad athletes parade through Milan’s fashion district, symbolizing Italy’s style-sport fusion.​

Global storylines: Russia’s absence, China’s rise

Russia competes as neutrals (AIN) sans flag after doping bans, while China deploys 76 athletes led by Eileen Gu (now freestyle/ski cross). Norway’s 89 competitors defend overall titles; Germany’s 114 target biathlon dominance.​

Sustainability defines Milano Cortina: 99% legacy venues, carbon-neutral buses, plastic-free zones.​

Full Day -1 schedule highlights (all times ET)

• 4:05 a.m.: Curling mixed doubles (Cortina)​
• 5:30 a.m.: Men’s downhill training (Bormio Stelvio)​
• 6:10 a.m.: Women’s hockey: SWE-GER (Rho Milan)​
• 9:27-11 a.m.: Luge women’s singles training (Cortina)​
• 10:40 a.m.: Women’s hockey: USA-Czechia (Rho)​
• 11 a.m.: Ski jumping women’s HS106 training (Predazzo)​
• 1:05 p.m.: Curling mixed doubles cont.​
• 3:10 p.m.: Women’s hockey: FIN-CAN (Rho)​
• 3:30 p.m.: Snowboard big air qual. (Livigno)​

Friday’s opening ceremony fireworks

San Siro hosts 6 p.m. ET spectacle blending Milan’s Duomo projections, Cortina torch relay and 6,000 performers. Athletes parade via boats on Navigli canals; cauldron lighting rumored atop Duomo. IOC President Thomas Bach’s final Games precedes handover to LA 2028.​

Day 1 medals dawn Saturday: men’s downhill, women’s skiathlon, mixed doubles curling semis. Biathlon mixed relay (Feb. 8), snowboard halfpipe (Feb. 12) loom large.​

Milano Cortina 2026 launches amid Alpine majesty and Italian passion. From luge’s ice scream to ski jumping’s flight, the world’s elite chase immortality. Updates continue via Peacock, NBC throughout.