It’s snowing in the Alps. Not a scoop, it's February you say?
Well cue the sighs of relief of organizers of the 25th Winter Olympics in Milan and the Dolomites resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo. Organizers of the next Games just over the border in the French Alps will take heart. Mother Nature's been fickle in recent years. whew. Plenty of snow.
Just don’t call it ice. As the US vice-president and Secretary of State attend the opening ceremonies, plenty of press over the flying in of federal immigration agents, the same who’ve been grabbing five-year olds and shooting protesters in Minnesota. The ICE agents there purely in an advisory role but it throws the spotlight on the optics of what’s ostensibly Georgia Meloni’s moment of glory. The only European leader invited to Donald Trump’s inauguration a year ago must astutely calibrate between her far-right roots and Europe's interests as she hosts the planet. How will these Olympics play in times of testy transatlantic relations, especially ahead of next summer’s World Cup in the United States?
More broadly, what legacy for the 2026 winter Olympics? What exploits, which characters will transcend flag waving? And when the fortnight’s over, how will the locals feel about having welcomed the world?
Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Daniel Whittington, Ilayda Habip, Delphine Liou.
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Craig COPETAS Contributing Editor, The Daily Beast
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Pietro BONICIOLLI Blogger, GreenMarked
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Giulio CENTEMERO Italian MP, Lega party
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Florence MASNADA French Olympic medalist, Alpine Skiing (Bronze in 1992 & 1998)
English (US) · 