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« Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the first ever dispersed Olympic Games. "This is what the San Siro crowd and television viewers heard on Friday, February 6, just before the athletes' parade, during the opening ceremony. Milan-Cortina 2026 has launched a new model, one that is being scrutinized with curiosity. Christophe Dubi, the IOC's Games Director, had warned: For me, the first element that will allow us to measure the success of the Games is the experience, and that always starts with the athletes. "The time has come to take stock."
The revolution of the opening ceremony
The opening ceremony set the tone by allowing athletes to march at four different venues. This clearly demonstrated the organizers' desire to enable as many athletes as possible to experience this first major moment of the Games. For example, 127 athletes from the French team marched in Milan (73), Livigno (23), Cortina (18), and Predazzo (13). Out of a delegation of 162 athletes, 78% experienced the ceremony in person rather than watching it on television – an unprecedented number. Only 26 French athletes participated in the ceremony in 2022 (out of a delegation of 88), 48 in 2018 (out of 107), and 58 in 2014 (out of 116).
« Logistically, it was really convenient to be able to do this here in Livigno; they organized it very well." explained flag bearer Clément Noël, speaking immediately after the event. These are wonderful moments of sharing; there were quite a few athletes and staff here in Livigno. “Opening the opening ceremony to other clusters undoubtedly allowed athletes to more easily experience this highlight of the Olympic experience, especially by being in close proximity to the public.” The athletes in the mountains – and this was our biggest fear, that they would feel isolated – tell us that these Games are fantastic. The athletes are the true measure of the Games. They tell us that it's working. » Christophe Dubi assured us a few days ago.
"It's similar to what we already know."
However, the assessment needs to be qualified. Several athletes stated that they felt they were experiencing World Championships rather than Games. This was the case for biathlete Emilien Jacquelin. We are not in an Olympic village, so we do not have the Olympic experience, the experience of living with athletes from other disciplines, this encounter with all the international athletes from different sports. It's a frustration, he confided to Francs Jeux before the opening. I remember that in Pyeongchang, we would see our alpine skiing friends, we would chat, it really created a collective energy. I miss that atmosphere, seeing all the other friends and colleagues. »
« We have a little less of that multi-sport Olympic atmosphere which is still sought after by athletes. » confirms Martin Fourcade, IOC member and six-time Olympic biathlon champion. It's not one big village, so we're generally with people we might meet at the World Cup or the World Championships, with the cross-country skiers and jumpers. It's bigger, there's more going on around it, but in terms of the athletes, it's similar to what we're already familiar with. “,” says Maël Tyrode, who was competing in Nordic combined. It's a bit different from the previous Olympics I've participated in, but you can feel that there's a different atmosphere than at the World Cup or the World Championships., his teammate Laurent Mühlethaler clarifies. There's a different atmosphere. Even though there are several villages spread out, there's still that Olympic spirit. »
In contrast, the competition venues, all regular hosts of World Cup or World Championship stages, unsurprisingly received unanimous approval. The venues have a high level of expertise, and it shows. This is exactly what athletes are looking for: a perfectly organized competition. "That's a bit of a letdown," remarked Swiss mission leader Ralph Stöckli. A slight exception, however, was Livigno, where the snowboard and skicross course drew criticism for its lack of technical difficulty and steepness (barely 150 meters of vertical gain). A near-perfect performance.
