2026 Winter Olympics by the numbers: Athletes, events and milestones of the Milano Cortina Games
I 2026 Winter Olympics they bring thousands the players from all over the world together for more than two weeks in the snow and ice competition. From athletes and events to records and costs, the Games are a goldmine of statistics.
Here’s a look at the 2026 Winter Olympics by the numbers:
2: Number of times Italy has hosted the Winter Olympics
Italy first hosted the Winter Olympics in 1956 in Cortina d’Ampezzo, followed by the 2006 Games in Turin.
The country also hosted the Summer Olympics once, in Rome in 1960.
8,494: The square miles the Winter Olympics venues will cover
The 2026 Games will be the first Olympics to be hosted by two cities, with competitions held at 13 venues in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Participating cities mean it will be the most widespread Games in Olympic history, according to the International Olympic Committee, covering nearly 8,500 square kilometers in northern Italy.
Milan and Cortina are 250 miles apart by road, about a five-hour drive.
“This approach allows for maximum use of existing facilities, reducing the need for new construction and, as a result, reducing the carbon footprint,” said the IOC press release.
Of the 13 venues, 11 will be existing or temporary, with the exception of the 16,000-seat ice hockey arena that has been under construction for two years. The rail yard left behind by Porta Romana is also being renovated, according to the International Olympic Committee. It will be home to the Milan Olympic Village during the games and will be converted into 1,700 student apartments.
92: National Olympic Committees participated
Athletes compete as representatives of their “National Olympic Committees” instead of countries.
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Russia and Belarus were barred from competing because of the war in Ukraine, a goal consistent with this year’s Games, where athletes compete as “Non-Selective Athletes” under a neutral flag.
2,916: Total number of athletes expected to compete
According to information from the International Olympic Committee, approximately 2,916 athletes are expected to compete in this year’s Winter Games.
The US will have the largest presence at the Winter Olympics with 235 athletes (including three alternate athletes), followed by Canada (211 athletes) and host country Italy (195 athletes).
The 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, had only 1,801 athletes. Participation has grown in the decades since then.
There was a brief decline in athletic participation at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway.
232: Athletes competing on Team USA
A total of 232 athletes and three athletes will compete on Team USA, which includes 98 Olympians and 22 gold medalists, according to the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee.
Seven athletes will be making their fifth Olympic appearance, including soccer players Kaillie Humphries and Elana Meyers Taylor, snowboarders Nick Baumgartner and alpine skier Faye Thelen. Lindsey Vonnfigure skater Evan Bates and ice hockey player Hilary Knight.
Meanwhile, 32 athletes on the list have competed in the Youth Olympic Games, and 20 of them will be making their Olympic debut in Milano Cortina. The 232-athlete roster is expected to be the largest US Winter Olympic team ever, surpassing the 228 who competed in PyeongChang 2018.
Search the full list of US Olympic athletes:
8: New events debut at the Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina
Athletes will compete in 116 events in 16 Olympic disciplines and six Paralympic sports. The 2026 Games will introduce ski mountaineering – known as skimo – as a new sport, along with eight new events:
- Men’s skimo race
- Women’s skimo sprint
- Combined transfer to skimo
- Two men’s moguls in freestyle skating
- Two female moguls in freestyle skating
- Women’s doubles in luge
- Mixed gender team in skeleton
- Women’s big hill in ski jumping
2 million: Fans attending the Winter Olympics
American officials in Italy urged Americans to make reservations early, as organizers expect up to 2 million people to descend on northern Italy to attend the Games.
Tickets range from $30 for ice skating to nearly $1,400 for the figure skating series. The full schedule of events can be found here.
CBS News will continue to compile the numbers for the Paralympic Games after the qualified athletes are announced on March 2.
