The two primary cities hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics events are Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, both located in northern Italy. And while Italy has world-class sporting and event venues from north to south, there is no one city of northern Italy that can host the wide variety of winter sporting events included in the Olympics roster.

There are 206 National Olympic Committees worldwide, which are devised by the IOC and the International Sport Federation. These two organizations are the sole authorities who come together to recognize NOCs for the official Summer and Winter Games.

STAMFORD, CONN. – February 3, 2026 – NBC Sports has selected Sony Electronics to provide technology, including more than 100 cameras and nearly 500 monitors, as well as lenses, accessories, and on-site support for its production of the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics and Paralympics, Feb. 6-22, and March 6-15, respectively.

From NHL forward Vincent Trocheck to luge veteran Summer Britcher, eight competitors with Keystone State roots will represent Team USA starting February 6.

Each day in this space, we’ll call out the biggest events on the upcoming schedule. For the first edition, check out Steven Louis Goldstein’s overview of the biggest things to know for the U.S. viewer. Here are some of the highlights:

MILAN (AP) — The Japanese Olympic Committee has set up a special task force to monitor and deal with online abuse round the clock during the Milan Cortina Winter Games. The move comes after several athletes at the Paris Summer Olympics in 2024 endured a barrage of insults on social media.

The United States is already dominating the narrative two years before the Los Angeles Olympics and five days before the opening ceremony of the Milan Cortina Winter Games.

Competition at the 2026 Winter Olympics begins on Wednesday. The opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Games takes place on Friday, but before the Olympic torch is lit, competition in curling and hockey gets underway. The next two weeks will be filled with incredible Olympic moments from the ice to the snow to the slopes.