VIDEO SHOWS: FILE FOOTAGE TO MARK 100 DAYS TO GO UNTIL THE START OF THE 2026 WINTER OLYMPICS SHOWS: LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND (FILE - JUNE 24, 2019) (REUTERS - Access all) 1. (SOUNDBITE) (English) INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE (IOC) PRESIDENT, THOMAS BACH, SAYING: "The host is (opens the envelope)... Milano-Cortina." 2. ITALIAN BIDDING TEAM CELEBRATE CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, ITALY (FILE - JANUARY 24, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all) (MUTE) 3. DRONE FLYING OVER OLYMPIC RINGS VAL DI FIEMME, ITALY (FILE) (IOC - See restrictions before use) (MUTE) 4. DRONE SHOT OF SKI JUMPING VENUE 5. WIDE SHOT OF SKI FACILITIES CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, ITALY (FILE) (IOC - See restrictions before use) 6. WIDE SHOT OF THE ALPINE SKIING FINISH LINE IN CORTINA 7. CORTINA 1956 OLYMPIC RINGS BELOW A CAULDRON WITH THE MOUNTAINS BEHIND 8. PAN SHOT OF THE EXTERNAL FACADE OF CORTINA ICE STADIUM 9. INTERIOR OF THE CORTINA ICE STADIUM 10. DRONE SHOT SHOWING AERIAL VIEW OF THE CORTINA ICE STADIUM 11. SIGN OF THE OLYMPIC RINGS READING ‘CORTINA 1956’ BORMIO, ITALY (FILE) (IOC - See restrictions before use) (MUTE) 12. DRONE FOOTAGE OF THE ALPINE SKI SLOPE LIVIGNO, ITALY (FILE) (IOC - See restrictions before use) (MUTE) 13. DRONE FOOTAGE OF LIVIGNO TOWN 14. DRONE FOOTAGE OF FREESTYLE SKIING COURSE WITH JUMP RAMPS ANTERSELVA, ITALY (FILE) (IOC - See restrictions before use) (MUTE) 15. VARIOUS DRONE FOOTAGE OF THE BIATHLON STADIUM CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, ITALY (FILE) (IOC - See restrictions before use) (MUTE) 16. DRONE FOOTAGE OF THE VIEW OVER THE TOWN OF CORTINA CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, ITALY (FEBRUARY 3, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all) (MUTE) 17. VARIOUS OF SNOW CANNONS BEING USED ON THE SLOPES 18. VARIOUS DRONE FOOTAGE OF SKI SLOPES ROME, ITALY (FILE - FEBRUARY 9, 2024) (GOVERNMENT TV - Access all) (MUTE) 19. VARIOUS OF TWO MASCOTS FOR THE 2026 OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC WINTER GAMES, TWO STOATS CALLED TINA AND MILO WAITING TO MEET ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER, GIORGIA MELONI ANIMATION (FILE) (MILANO-CORTINA 2026 - Must courtesy "Milano-Cortina 2026", for news purposes only) (MUTE) 20. ANIMATION OF OLYMPIC TORCH ROUTE MILAN, ITALY (APRIL 14, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all) 21. VARIOUS CLOSE UPS OF OLYMPIC TORCH DESIGN 22. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ANDREA CASSI, OLYMPIC TORCH 2026 DESIGNER, STUDIO RATTI SAYING: "It aims to emphasize the flame and define a design that highlights the technical aspects. So the entire shape you see comes from the effect we wanted to achieve, while also trying to minimize unnecessary material" VENICE, ITALY (JULY 15, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all) 23. MEDALS ON DISPLAY FOR MILANO CORTINA 2026 WINTER OLYMPICS 24. OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL 25. OLYMPIC MEDALS MILAN, ITALY (SEPTEMBER 18, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all) 26. INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE PRESIDENT, KIRSTY COVENTRY, WALKING INTO MILANO OLYMPIC VILLAGE WITH MILANO CORTINA 2026 CEO, ANDREA VARNIER 27. EXTERIORS OF OLYMPIC VILLAGE 28. (SOUNDBITE) (English) INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE PRESIDENT, KIRSTY COVENTRY, SAYING: "The venue, the rooms are beautiful, being able to go and see where the gym would be and where the dining hall, which, again, has some historic moments, which again, this is what Italy is known for, is blending history and culture and passion. So it has been a fabulous day so far. We're excited to be here." MILAN, ITALY (OCTOBER 16, 2025) (IOC - See restrictions before use) 29. EXTERIOR OF SAN SIRO STADIUM MILAN, ITALY (FILE - JUNE 11, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all) 30. EXTERIOR OF SAN SIRO STADIUM STORY: Italy is entering the final stretch of preparations for the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, with the symbolic 100-day milestone falling on Wednesday (October 29). The games, the first under new IOC President Kirsty Coventry, are scheduled to take place from 6 to 22 February 2026 at sites across Lombardy and Northeast Italy, with organizers expressing confidence despite lingering infrastructure challenges. The 25th edition of the Winter Olympics will be the first to officially be co-hosted by multiple cities, with Milan primarily hosting ice events, and the remaining events being hosted in clusters around Cortina, and the Valtellina and Fiemme valleys. In line with a modernised approach to Olympic delivery, 85 per cent of competition venues already exist. This reflects a new, regionally distributed model for the Winter Games, designed to maximise use of existing infrastructure and local knowledge. The Games will welcome more than 3,500 athletes from 93 countries competing for 195 medals in 16 Olympic disciplines. IOC President Kirsty Coventry emphasized the significance of these Games during a recent coordination commission visit. "We all agreed in the (Olympic) Movement that we needed to try to be more sustainable, to reach out to regions. This is the first time we're going to see this. So let's make it not just incredible Games for Milan, for Cortina, but for all the regions, and for Italy", she said. Around 18,000 volunteers are completing 270,000 hours of training, while more than 50,000 additional volunteers will take part in broader community initiatives. Partnerships with 20 universities are helping create career opportunities, and €5 million in procurement has supported local social and micro enterprises through the Impact 2026 initiative. The Olympic torch relay is scheduled to start on 26 November 2025 with the flame lighting in Olympia, Greece, and conclude on 6 February 2026 in Milan, Italy, coinciding with the opening ceremony at San Siro. The Games will feature the debut of ski mountaineering as a Winter Olympic event, while San Siro will host the opening ceremony, while the historic Verona Arena will host the closing ceremony. Cortina d'Ampezzo had previously hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics, making this a return to the slopes after 70 years for the iconic Italian resort town. (Production: Simon Ormiston, Iain Axon) (The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)
