International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry took part in a media round table with 200 journalists from around the world ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. She was joined by IOC Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi, who is already in Milan. The round table was held on 21 January 2026. Here are their main quotes.
International Olympic Committee news
Introductions
President Coventry: “(On Milano Cortina 2026) We’re all very excited. A lot of the team are already in Milano Cortina. Myself and the team will be arriving on Monday. So we’re looking forward to being on the ground, but really very excited about everything that has happened.”
“So far, we’ve seen really good test events, with great learnings for the Organising Committee. All hands are on deck and working very closely with all of the IOC departments on the last few areas that they need to focus on.
“The Games are going to be incredible. I’m getting really, very excited about being able to get there and see the blend of tradition and innovation. The beautiful venues that some of you have already spoken about, the magnificent venues that are there.”
“We’ve seen the Olympic Torch Relay that has been reaching all corners of Italy and involving all walks of life – with just the most remarkable imagery that we are getting to see. And we’re very excited about that.
“The team has done a great job of getting that enthusiasm moving, and we’re seeing in Milan and Cortina, and Livigno and Bormio, we’re seeing all over, everyone coming together now, and the excitement building. So I know I’m very excited about arriving on Monday.”
“We know that the Opening Ceremony is on the sixth of February, and we’re really looking forward to that. Have had a few little teasers here and there. I think it’s going to be incredible, and the Italian creativity is going to be fully shown. So make sure you’re all a part of it.”
“We’re expecting 2,900 athletes from over 90 National Olympic Committees – one of our biggest, most gender-balanced Games ever that we’re seeing. As some of you said, 85 per cent of the venues were existing, and they’re iconic venues. They’re world class venues, they’re venues that are known to the athletes, and I think we’re only going to see incredible performances and I’m really looking at getting my feet on the ground to feel that spirit come alive.”
Christophe Dubi: “We were (…) in the mountains, and that was probably the last opportunity before the Games. And for the Italian media, especially all the others, you will be surprised – have you ever realised how fantastic this country is and the landscape in your backyard? It is extraordinary. I was in Livigno, it’s the first time you have almost all events that you can look at from the same location. It is stunning, and it’s such a beautiful mountain range. We move then to Bormio, and from Bormio to Cortina.
“I’m so excited as well to be to be back in the Alps where, yes, it’s not the same model as we had in Beijing, in the U.S. or Canada. It’s the first time in 20 years we are coming back to the Alps. It’s a different setting, but one we can be very excited about.
“So President, sharing your excitement to be coming here because we have seen the territory mobilising all the live sites, people getting ready to welcome the world. So it is, it is the best time.”
Q&A: Update on the Milano–Cortina venues, specifically the status of the sliding track and the Santagiulia ice hockey arena?
Christophe Dubi, Olympic Games Executive Director: “Sliding centre – starting with the athletes, and President, you’ve made a reference to this, (…) the athletes said that it was a very exciting track, and we’ll have great competitions now. Is there still some work to be done? A lot – what I’ve been told, and I’m no construction expert, right? But it’s not complex work. So anything that has to do with any of the systems, especially for the track – refrigeration, electricity, timing, scoring, all of this is in place. Cameras, I’ve seen them – we will have great coverage. Now, what I saw is still a lot of finishing touches. Some concrete pavements for additional tents for hospitality, some groundwork to get the venue ready for spectators.
“They have a lot of people working, so it will be ready. No doubt it will be ready. And the good thing for spectators, by the way, is you can walk the track, and you have fantastic viewpoints. So all in all, very confident.
“Cannot deny work has to be done when you go to the Santagiulia. I was there yesterday with the future owner and operator of the venue. When you come from outside, and I don’t know, for some of you in Milan, you see it from the highway in different viewpoints, it’s going to be a landmark. It’s a beautiful venue. It’s very spectacular. It will be amazing in terms of animation, including for spectators getting to the venue and waiting to get into the venue, incredible. Now, same assessment as the sliding track – work remains to be done. Hats off to all those that could pull out such a venue in so little time. As you know, it was always a complex project. It started late. But this is where, when we speak about the great objectives of having the best conditions for the Games for the athletes, it means all hands on deck. 1,600 workers a day in the venue to get it ready. So that’s where we’re at – there as well, super confident.
“We had a test event that was praised, including by the NHL for the quality of the ice, which is, of course, the number one priority. For everything else, finishing touches…basically works in the concourse and the temporary works – the temporary works which, by nature, come at the last minute as usual. All the tents in which you have the locker rooms. I visited yesterday, again, about half of the locker rooms are ready to host the teams. The other ones will be ready in a matter of days. So when we start competitions, it will be ready. No problem with this, but they’re still working because it’s temporary. And temporary, you don’t build six months before, so there is some normality to it. But these are the finishings, both on the temporary side and inside the concourse.”
In a rapidly changing world, how will you ensure that the Olympic values remain protected and influential?
President Coventry: “It is not just our job, but our duty to the entire (Olympic) Movement to really be on top of this and understand the ever changing landscape. You know, 10 to 15 years ago, things would change every couple of months, or every year. And now, just like we see in other sectors like technology, things change daily, and so we’re keeping a pulse on it. I think we have to, in order to ensure that relevance of the Games, the meaningfulness of the Games, and the importance of the Games remains peak, and remains relevant, remains important; we will continue to do that. We have to monitor it. We have to be aware of it. We have to know throughout all these conversations with ‘Fit for the Future’ and where we are starting to see our priorities coming out, where we’re starting to see potential ideas in and around strategies, we have to look at that as an internal organisation and as a sports movement. But in order to be able to implement any of that, we’re going to have to understand and navigate the areas and the landscape in which we work. So for me, it’s very clear that we will continue to do what we’ve been doing, monitoring and trying to understand all the different changes, and we will work extremely hard in order to protect the Olympic Games and the platform that the Olympic Games has, because I think, again, it showcases how we could live, in the Olympic Village – where you have, in this case, in Milano Cortina, you’re going to have over 90 National Olympic Committees taking part – you know, all respecting each other, all having some way of understanding each other, and some kind of a bond, because they’ve all walked their own paths in getting there, and they haven’t been smooth paths. As an athlete, you go through ups and downs, and that’s the incredible thing about sport, the unifying effect that it has. You don’t have to speak the same language in order to understand what each of you are trying to achieve, or have an appreciation for each other. For me, those, especially in today’s world, are values that we need to ensure we are protecting and ensuring that they are being acknowledged as really important values for our communities, and for our families, and for our sons and daughters and for the future of tomorrow.”
What is the IOC expecting to learn in terms of sustainability from these Games, and how do you view the challenges of hosting the Games across such a large geographic area?
President Coventry: “This is a topic of conversation. We’ve got to find the balance between sustainability and making decisions for sustainable reasons, and the balance of experience for fans, for NOCs (National Olympic Committees), for athletes. If we look at how the model is set up today, I do believe that we took the right decision in having a more dispersed Games. But it has, and I think we can all say very openly and honestly, added additional complexities. For media, for transport, for the IOC, for OBS (Olympic Broadcasting Services), for NOCs. So what I think we are already seeing, and what we’re going to be able to learn from Milano Cortina is, at the end of the Games, we will be able to take these things and look at them and almost, somehow, come up with a cost, if I can say it like that? The added complexities, which potentially added this much, versus if we maybe just didn’t have that discipline, what would that look like? We have to have those conversations.
“I think Milano Cortina is going to allow for us to have those conversations. Those conversations are already being had in the Olympic Programme working group, because that is part of the agreement – to look at the programme. And when we look at the programme, we start looking at sustainability and the disbursement of where the venues should be, and what that should look like. It’s a much greater conversation, but I do think, already now, we are seeing that it’s not a simple answer. I think initially we all thought, ‘Oh, well, we’ll just have it be a little bit more dispersed, because that’s more sustainable.’ Yes, that is very true, but it has added additional complexities in delivering the Games.
“I know if we talk about from ourselves as the IOC, when we look at the Olympic Broadcasting Services, we have had to really disperse teams more and have dedicated teams in other areas where, if they were closer, we maybe wouldn’t have. So I think, again, that it’s going to be a positive thing. I think that the results that we will get back will be positive, because they will allow for us to realign and adjust for the future. And those are good things. We have to sometimes try things, figure out if they’re going to work. If they don’t work, look at it and be like, ‘Okay, how do we adjust for the next time?’ And that’s really what I think we are looking forward to seeing.”
Christophe Dubi: “To organise an event that is as complex as the (Olympic) Games you have to work with the land. And as I said or commented before, this is unlike Beijing (2022) or PyeongChang (2018) or Utah (2034). We have to adapt to the territory. So first the choice is made on what you have to work with. And this is Milan, and the northern Alps. So that’s a pretty complex geography to adapt to.
“To me, the first element that that will be able to measure for the success of the Games is the experience. And it starts always with the athletes. The Olympic ceremonies, in particular the Opening Ceremony, designed by Marco Balich – by the way, I had dinner with him a few days ago, gave me goosebumps when presenting the key elements of the Opening Ceremony. For the first time, and this is hard to do, the ceremonies (will be held) in four locations. So you never had the skiers able to go to an Olympic Opening Ceremony. This time around, being in Livigno, being in Cortina, being in Predazzo, the athletes will be able to walk along Corso Italia as the athletes did in (19)56 – how great is that? I hope it will be recognised, that the efforts from the Organising Committee were first and foremost to give the best possible conditions – fields of play – this is ensured. Then you have an experience, because of the ceremony, and then the communities will rally around.
“This point that was mentioned regarding the non-media rights-holders having access to athletes in the Champions Park in Paris. There will be a sort of Champions Park everywhere (in the host regions). The last one I visited was in Predazzo. The whole community waits for all the athletes – ski jumpers, cross country skiers, to be there with them, with the community.
“What we can offer to the athletes is a prime experience. Once we’ve said this traditional way to look at sustainability, financial, the cost you covered, President, the environment, transportation we have ensured is by train or public transport. And we’ve asked everyone from within the family to minimise transportation between clusters, to minimise the environmental impact and the social which is the third dimension. There, it’s either we are all together, which is almost impossible, or you offer an experience to the communities. Many will become reinforced after these Games, because they have more access to their to their locations, typically the case for the road networks. Huge investment by the Italian government here socially, the impact will be really favourable for all these living in these communities. But this is pre-Games, and all of this we have to measure up once more after the Games. But first and foremost, Opening Ceremony, goosebumps. It will be incredible across the whole theatre of operation, quite something.
Views on Milano Cortina 2026’s announcement regarding Olympic cauldrons in Milan and in Cortina, and views on the Olympic Torch Relay so far?
President Coventry: “I mean the double cauldron. I think again, every OCOG, every host, can come up with slightly different ideas, and I think this is one that we’re excited about. Just like we spoke about with the Opening Ceremony, and for all four villages being included, and the athletes being included. I mentioned right at the very beginning – the excitement around the imagery that we’re seeing around the Olympic Torch Relay. It was very emotional for me doing, for the first time, the lighting of the flame in Ancient Olympia, and being able to be a part of the first part of the ceremony in Rome, and then watching along as it goes around Italy. I think the thing to remember here is that the Torch Relay is about trying to include everyone from all walks of life, because that’s really what the Olympic Games are about. I think it’s really a hard task to be the Organising Committee, and to ensure that everyone is feeling included. I think that they’ve done a really good job, and I hope that everyone can feel inspired and feel really proud of the Olympic Torch Relay, because from what we are seeing and what we will be a part of when we eventually get to Italy next week. It’s been really wonderful to see the flame go around Italy and be so inclusive of every region. And that really is very important. They’ve done a really good job and, like I said, from what we’re seeing, really positive feedback.”
When will updates on the Protection of the Female Category Working Group be communicated?
President Coventry: “It won’t be at the IOC Session (in Milan). It will be a little bit later after that, because the working group are really taking their time to go through everything and take into consideration everything.
“So there’s been no conclusions. They’re still working at it, and I don’t want to jump the gun and think what things they use or didn’t use. I’d rather answer that truthfully and with all the correct information. So after Milano Cortina is when we would look at something in the coming months; but for right now, nothing has been finalised or decided just yet, so the work is still ongoing.”
Given the current geopolitical context, have any discussions been held with the US government or other key stakeholders about how these issues may affect preparations for the LA Games?
President Coventry: “As the IOC, we are always aware of all the conversations that are happening, and all the geopolitics, and all the political conversations that are happening. But I also want to make it clear that is not our remit. We are a sports organisation. It is not within our remit to comment on sovereignty and political conversations. It is our goal to ensure that we have all of our National Olympic Committees represented at all of our Games, and we will continue to do that in the best way that we can and give support in any of those areas in the best way that we can.
“As it pertains to the United States, we have not had any formal communication just yet with the White House. We have seen the formal announcement of President Trump’s team. So we look forward to meeting the Vice President and his team that will be with him in Milano Cortina. And the conversations with LA are progressing really well. We have communication with Casey (Wasserman), with Gene Sykes (USOPC President), with the USOPC, with all of the stakeholders there. And right now, those conversations are very positive and all moving in the right direction.”
Updates on the Olympic Esports Games and the agreement to end the cooperation with the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee?
President Coventry: “On Esports – two things. There was, it was never an issue about comfort or not comfort. It was really about regrouping, and over the beginning of the ‘Pause and Reflect’ process in June, we could already see that there were multiple views coming from the entire (Olympic) Movement. And I think that it really fits nicely into the ‘Pause and Reflect’ – analysing our ‘Fit for the Future’ (feedback from stakeholders), and what needs to change, and what do we need to realign? It really gave us this opportunity within the Movement to be very clear on what we want moving forward. I do need to clarify as well that both parties agreed. So we had really good conversations. We still have a great relationship, and it just has been a time for us really to look at what it is that we want? How we want to proceed? What that looks like, and the Movement wanted clarity on all of that. So that really was very simply why we took the decision again, both of the parties, we all mutually agreed. We had conversations here in Lausanne with Saudi Arabia and the team. So I think we’re on a good track forward, and I think this ‘Pause and Reflect’ time is also giving the (Olympic) Movement time to better understand. Some federations are really very proactive. They’re already in the gaming community, but others not as much. And so it’s really giving everyone an opportunity to be very clear on what entering into that space would mean for everyone, individually but also collectively. So that was the reasoning behind it.”
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