Milan Cortina 2026 legacy: what the Winter Olympics left behind nine months on
Nine months after the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, Milan's athletes' village houses students and the IOC calls the spread-out model a success. The costly Cortina sliding track, damaged after the Games, is the legacy still being tested.
The Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, held in February 2026, left a mixed but mostly positive first legacy. Milan's athletes' village opened to students in late August, and the IOC's final report says the multi-region model worked. The weak point is the rebuilt sliding track in Cortina d'Ampezzo, which cost about €118 million, was found damaged weeks after the Games and still has to prove it can earn its keep.
How did the Milan Cortina Games go?
On the sporting side, well for Norway and Italy. Norway won 18 gold and 41 medals in total, ahead of the United States with 12 golds and 33 medals, according to the final medal table. Italy finished fourth on golds with 10, and its 30 medals were the country's best total at a Winter Games.
The IOC's final report, summarised by Francs Jeux, counts 1.3 million spectators at competition venues, 600,000 at fan villages and 3.5 million along the torch relay, and estimates that about 2.6 billion people watched. It found that 85% of ticket holders rated their experience good or excellent.
How much did the Games cost?
About €5.2 billion, most of it public money for roads, railways and other works. A month before the Games, organisers' figures put the total at €5.2 billion, made up of €3.5 billion of public funds for infrastructure and €1.7 billion of private funds to organise and hold the event, Reuters reported. Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti called the investment "healthy doping" for growth. The organising foundation's own sustainability and legacy report puts the Games' overall economic impact at €5.3 billion, 9colonne reported, and says 85% of competition sites were existing or temporary. These are the organisers' estimates, not an independent audit.
| Asset | What it cost or holds | What happened after the Games |
|---|---|---|
| Milan Olympic Village (Porta Romana) | 1,698 beds | Opened to students in late August 2026; about 80% of beds allocated |
| Cortina Sliding Centre | About €118 million | Damage found after the Games; training resumed in October 2026 |
| Arena Santa Giulia, Milan | 16,000 seats | Planned conversion into a flexible events venue |
| Infrastructure works | €3.5 billion of public funds | Mostly roads, motorways, railways and bridges |
What happened to the Olympic Village?
It became student housing within six months, which is the clearest success so far. The village, built on a former railway yard at Porta Romana, opened to students in late August 2026 with 1,698 beds, described as Italy's largest subsidised student accommodation complex, Il Sole 24 Ore reported. About 80% of beds were already allocated. Average rent is €785 a month plus VAT, about 25% below the Milan market rate, and 135 places for low-income students cost about €250 a month. It still covers only about 6% of the estimated demand for student beds in a city of 200,000 students.
Is the Cortina bobsleigh track a white elephant?
It is the most contested legacy, and the answer depends on the next few seasons. Rebuilding the historic Eugenio Monti track cost more than €118 million of public money, against an original estimate of €47 million, according to L'Indipendente. Days after the Games, a technical report by the public infrastructure company Simico found widespread damage to equipment and wiring, and the Italian skeleton and luge championships planned for March were cancelled, the newspaper reported. The organising foundation said its staff would carry out the repairs, and annual maintenance is estimated at more than €1 million.
The track has since come back into use. Training resumed on 19 October 2026, with all available slots booked by national teams, and an IBSF bobsleigh and skeleton World Cup is scheduled in Cortina from 14 to 20 December 2026, Il Nord Est reported. A luge World Cup is planned for February 2027.
What did the IOC conclude?
The IOC says the spread-out model worked but needs fixing. Events were held across Milan, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Livigno, Predazzo and other sites, and the final report concludes that a decentralised Winter Games is viable. It also lists weaknesses:
- Athletes housed in small single-sport hotels reported about 53% satisfaction with their village experience, against about 74% in larger traditional villages.
- Several biathletes said it felt like a World Championship rather than an Olympic Games.
- Remote mountain venues had limited services, and fan villages were often developed late or scaled back.
- The report recommends an integrated route for spectators covering accommodation, transport, venue access and activities.
For residents, the judgement will be slower. Cortina's mayor, Gianluca Lorenzi, told Euronews the biggest legacy would be everyday infrastructure: "better roads, better facilities, the new ski lift". Whether a global event leaves more than crowds behind is the same question raised by Europe's overtourism debate and by the record-breaking 48-team World Cup.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the most medals at Milan Cortina 2026?
Norway topped the table with 18 gold medals and 41 in total, ahead of the United States with 12 golds and 33 medals. The Netherlands were third on golds with 10. Host nation Italy also won 10 golds and 30 medals in total, its best haul at any Winter Olympics, and finished fourth in the table, which is ranked by gold medals.
How much did the Milan Cortina Olympics cost?
Shortly before the Games, the total budget was about €5.2 billion: €3.5 billion of public money for infrastructure, mainly roads, railways and bridges, and €1.7 billion of private funds to organise and stage the event. The rebuilt Cortina sliding track alone cost about €118 million. The organisers estimate the overall economic impact at €5.3 billion.
What happened to the Milan Olympic Village after the Games?
It was converted into student housing and opened in late August 2026 with 1,698 beds, making it Italy's largest subsidised student residence. About 80% of the beds were allocated before the academic year began. Average rent is €785 a month plus VAT, roughly 25% below the Milan market, with 135 beds for low-income students at about €250 a month.
Is the Cortina sliding track still used?
Yes. After damage was found shortly after the Games, the Cortina Sliding Centre reopened for training on 19 October 2026, with national teams booking all available slots. It is scheduled to host a bobsleigh and skeleton World Cup from 14 to 20 December 2026 and a luge World Cup in February 2027. Its long-term running costs remain a concern.
Where are the next Winter Olympics?
The 2030 Winter Olympics will be held in the French Alps. The Olympic flag was handed to France at the Milan Cortina closing ceremony in Verona's Roman arena on 22 February 2026. Organisers in France will face similar questions about using existing venues and spreading events across several mountain regions.
Sources
- The Star — Final medal table at Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics (23 February 2026)
- Francs Jeux — Milan Cortina 2026: lessons in the experience of athletes and spectators (IOC final report) (6 July 2026)
- Reuters via The Star — Italy bets on Games infrastructure for economic boost (22 January 2026)
- Il Sole 24 Ore — Milan opens student accommodation in the former Olympic Village (4 September 2026)
- 9colonne — Milan Cortina Olympics deliver €5.3 billion boost and sustainable legacy (March 2026)
- L'Indipendente — Cortina 26: la pista da bob costata 118 milioni di euro è già diventata inutilizzabile (6 March 2026)
- Il Nord Est — Cortina, lo Sliding Centre riaccende i motori: il 19 ottobre tornano gli atleti (2026)
- Euronews — Milan Cortina 2026: can the Winter Olympics leave a sustainable legacy? (22 February 2026)
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