Milan Cortina are the most spread-out Olympics ever. What this means for fans and athletes

"The Milan Cortina Winter Games are the most spread-out in Olympic history. For the organizers of the Feb. 6-22 Games, it was a choice to use existing infrastructure as much as possible, but this means no central hub and strategic choices for spectators. The Games will span over 8,500 square miles."

"Choices and strategies For any visitor to the Games, it would be extraordinary difficulty to see ice sports in Milan, men's Alpine skiing in Bormio, snowboarding in Livigno, cross-country skiing in Predazzo, biathlon in Anterselva and women's Alpine skiing in Cortina, before heading to the closing ceremony in Verona. It's a circuit that covers over 530 miles and would amount to nearly 13 hours of non-stop driving."

"Organizers sought to take advantage of existing infrastructure but there still been hiccups getting the Cortina sliding venue and the Santagiulia ice hockey arena in the city of Milan finished on time. Spreading out the Games reduced the number of new structures, and allowed more areas in northern Italy to benefit from the investments and tourism that come with such big events. But it also deprives the Games of one emotional center, meaning spectators must make hard choices about which events to attend, and athletes will have difficulty cheering on teammates in far-flung disciplines."

The Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics cover more than 8,500 square miles across northern Italy, creating a decentralized Games without a single hub. Organizers prioritized existing venues to limit new construction, which spread events across multiple clusters and extended travel distances. The competition circuit between some venues spans roughly 530 miles and can require nearly 13 hours of continuous driving. Construction hiccups affected the Cortina sliding venue and Milan's Santagiulia ice hockey arena. The geographic spread boosts regional investment and tourism but forces spectators to choose events carefully and prevents easy athlete support between distant disciplines. Some visitors plan complex, months-long itineraries to reach multiple clusters.

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