The Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games officially opened with an opening ceremony at the San Siro stadium in Milan. The event featured artistic elements, music, ballet and fireworks, while the athletes' parade was attended by around 5 athletes from around the world, spread across 13 winter sports disciplines.
These Olympic Games return to Italy after 20 years, having last been held in Turin in 2006. The Olympic flame arrived at the San Siro stadium, marking the official start of the competitions.
Albania participates for the first time with four athletes in the Winter Olympic Games. The red and black delegation is represented by Lara Colturi, Denni Xhepa, Lisa Brunga and Semire Dauti. The parade of Albania did not take place in "San Siro", as the athletes were distributed according to the competition areas. In Cortina d'Ampezzo, the Albanian flag was carried by Lara Colturi, while in Livigno, the flag was carried by Denni Xhepa.
Hopes for a positive result lie with Lara Colturi, who is currently ranked sixth in the Alpine Skiing World Cup. Her races are scheduled to take place on February 15 and 18.
The opening ceremony was attended by 67 thousand spectators, while all tickets were sold out. The artistic program opened with the dancers of the “La Scala” Theater, while renowned international artists also took to the stage. The parade of delegations took place, which began with Greece and ended with Italy, as the host country.
During the parade, there was no shortage of reactions from the public, including boos for the Israeli delegation and the appearance on screen of US Vice President JD Vance, while the Ukrainian athletes were greeted with applause.
Kosovo is also participating in the "Milano Cortina 2026" Winter Olympic Games, represented by Kiana Kryeziu and Drin Kokaj, with the delegation's parade held in Cortina and Livigno.
Also present at the opening ceremony were senior political representatives, including US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and the President of Albania, Bajram Begaj.
The Olympic competitions will take place from February 6 to 22, where athletes will compete for medals in winter disciplines.
