On June 26, with 225 days remaining until the opening of the Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo 2026 Winter Olympics, the Milan Organizing Committee held a promotional event at the Cultural Office of the Italian Embassy in Beijing to present updates on the Games' preparations. Andrea Varnier, CEO of the Milan Organizing Committee, stated that as the opening day approaches, preparations are proceeding in an orderly and efficient manner.

According to Varnier, on February 6, marking one year before the Games' opening, the committee began preparations for ticket sales. After developing a sales system and completing other preliminary work, tickets officially went on sale on April 8 (local time). “In the first phase of sales, 60% of tickets have already been sold, and some events are even sold out,” said Varnier. Among the tickets sold, 25% were purchased by domestic audiences in Italy, while the remaining 75% were bought by spectators from around the world. The committee anticipates a surge in ticket sales this October and is confident about reaching its sales targets.

This marks the return of the Winter Olympics to Italy after 20 years, since the successful hosting of the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics. The 2026 Games will be held across four zones, encompassing both urban and mountainous areas. Varnier explained that distributing events across different locations allows for better use of existing facilities and showcases the diverse landscapes of Italy.

Varnier also noted the strengthened ties between China and Italy in winter sports, as Beijing and Milan take turns hosting the Winter Games. He recalled that in 2006, Chinese athlete Han Xiaopeng won the country's first snow event gold medal in men's aerials freestyle skiing in Turin. Varnier, who worked in Beijing as an IOC official during the 2008 Olympics, remarked, “The Beijing Olympics introduced China to the world, and the Beijing Winter Olympics achieved the remarkable feat of involving 300 million people in winter sports. It’s an unimaginable achievement. Beijing is now the only city in the world to have hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympics.” He also expressed hope that Chinese athletes will achieve great success in Milan.

The Beijing Winter Olympics greatly boosted the popularity and development of winter sports across China. Similarly, Italy aims to use the Winter Games to improve urban infrastructure and promote city development. Varnier cited the transformation of Turin as an example: before 2006, the city was relatively unknown, but after hosting the Games, it became a renowned tourist destination. “Now in Milan, metro stations are equipped with barrier-free facilities—that's one of the legacies brought by the Winter Olympics,” he said.

The Milan 2026 Opening Ceremony will be held at the iconic San Siro Stadium, while the Closing Ceremony and the opening and closing ceremonies of the Winter Paralympics will take place at the ancient Verona Arena, built in the 1st century AD. One major challenge for the organizing committee was how to adapt this nearly 2,000-year-old monument to be fully accessible. “Through thoughtful design and meticulous construction, we achieved this goal,” said Varnier. “We want to show the world that if an ancient Roman structure can become barrier-free, then other historic buildings can too.”