Milano Cortina 2026 presents significant progress at the IOC Coordination Commission meeting

As per a press release by International Olympic Committee (IOC), The second IOC Coordination Commission held a virtual meeting with Milano Cortina 2026 on Monday, 19 April 2021.

In spite of the ongoing difficulties pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Milano Cortina 2026 Organising Committee could showcase the significant progress it made since the last Coordination Commission meeting in September 2020.

Speaking after the meeting, Commission Chair Sari Essayah said, “Since our last meeting in September 2020, the Milano Cortina 2026 Organising Committee has made great progress despite the ongoing pandemic. The most visible highlight was the selection process for the new Milano Cortina 2026 emblem, which saw over 871,000 votes cast. Futura, the winning emblem, will become one of the most recognisable symbols in Italy over the next five years. I am confident that it will also be one of the most loved.”

She continued, “It is not just in the high-profile areas like the official emblem that Milano Cortina has progressed but also behind the scenes, with a lot of groundwork being laid in areas like engagement, marketing, operations and venue planning. This hard work has allowed the Milano Cortina organisers to set themselves up to deliver superb Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2026. I congratulate the whole Italian team for their efforts despite the challenging circumstances.”

Milano Cortina 2026 Presidente Giovanni Malagò commented, “I am very pleased with the positive view expressed by the IOC Coordination Commission about Milano Cortina 2026. I would like to thank Chair Sari Essayah and all the members of the Commission for their judgement. My appreciation also goes to the Milano Cortina 2026 team who, in these difficult months of the pandemic, carried on their work with great enthusiasm. Let’s continue on this path: many challenges await us, but I am sure that we will be ready for them with the professionalism that we are known for by everyone.”

The successful emblem selection procedure  featured over 871,000 votes cast from 169 countries around the globe. Around 75% of entries selected “Futura” as their favourite. This was a major engagement activity for Milano Cortina this year, as is just the start of its engagement plans for the nation and beyond.

Milano Cortina 2026 demonstrated to the Commission an exciting outline of its engagement strategy that will be followed in near future that will engage all generations with a view to promote the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 along with spreading the Olympic and Paralympic values. It will also be a crucial component when Milano Cortina’s commercial programme gets underway in the near future.

The observation programme held by the Milano Cortina team enabled the Italian organisers not only to visualise what the elite event would look like in 2026 but also to understand the abilities of the local organisers. 

Discussions regarding the Venues were also held during the meeting, and a consortium has been picked to craft the blueprint for the Milan Olympic Village.

Concerning Cortina d'Ampezzo sliding track and the endeavours of the Working Group formed by the IOC Executive Board to look after this subject, the Coordination Commission yet again pointed out its concerns regarding the legacy of the track. It was stated that the IOC had several  proposals for alternative tracks but none of them were accepted.

Besides, the Commission also noted that the final plans for the venue will not be an investment in a sliding track for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter events but form a part of a broader entertainment park project, that has no relation to the Games. 

It has been confirmed to the IOC and the Organising Committee that this will not be a part of the investment budget for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Milano Cortina 2026. The track will thus be only  used out to the Organising Committee during the course of the Games. 

Discussions on the Speed Skating Oval, which was also underlined by the IOC’s Evaluation Commission in its pre-election report, are continuing.
 

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