Online Reporter
INTERNATIONAL Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry says preparations for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games are so impressive they almost tempt her to swap the swimming pool for the ice.
The Zimbabwean Olympic gold medallist toured key venues on Thursday with the International Olympic Committee’s Executive Board, including the new Olympic Village and the Milano Santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena.
“We’ve had a wonderful tour this morning, earlier at what will be the home of ice hockey at the Games, where it was wonderful to see the fast pace and progress of work,” Coventry said.
“And here, at this Olympic Village, this beautiful venue is making me want to become a winter athlete!”
She called the village “stunning,” noting how its design mirrors Italy’s flair for “blending history, culture and passion.” Built on the former Porta Romana railway yard, the project doubles as a major urban regeneration drive.
After the Games, the Village’s 1 700 athlete beds will be converted into student accommodation and affordable housing. Shops, cafés, and public squares will create a lively neighbourhood that locals can call home.
The visit came after the IOC Coordination Commission’s final inspection ahead of the Winter Games, which begin on 6 February 2026. Coventry and her colleagues were welcomed by Milano Cortina 2026 Organising Committee President Giovanni Malago, CEO Andrea Varnier, and Italian Olympic stars Federica Pellegrini, Valentina Marchei and Marta Pagnini.
Malago described both the Olympic Village and the Santa Giulia Arena as “impressive legacies” that will serve Milan and Italy well beyond the Games.
“President Coventry said that she would like to be a winter sports athlete so that she could have the chance to stay in this Village,” Malago said.
“She was joined by Federica Pellegrini, Valentina Marchei and Marta Pagnini. They all said that, in their lives and through their experiences, they had never seen a village so beautiful, of such quality, and so well-finished. We are very pleased because, as you know, the legacy is that of a student housing complex with capped prices, which I believe objectively represents another significant inheritance for the city of Milan and beyond.”
Malago also highlighted progress at the Milano Santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena, which will host ice hockey and Para ice hockey before becoming a permanent sports and entertainment centre.
“We visited the Santa Giulia Arena, and I really hope, and believe, that everyone has seen the progress of the construction site, which is, in the most positive sense of the word, impressive,” he said.
“The city of Milan, but I would say Italy as a whole, will be equipped with a facility that has been sorely lacking and is essential for organising high-level events. This is objectively an impressive legacy that is being given to the whole country, and to the city for the Olympics.” — www.olympics.com
