UAE makes Winter Olympics debut as Milan-Cortina Games kick off

The Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics officially kicked off on Friday with a glittering opening ceremony at San Siro stadium and festivities across the Italian Alps.

The Games, the most geographically spread in Olympic history, saw two cauldrons lit — one at Milan’s Arch of Peace and another in Cortina d’Ampezzo, host of the women’s alpine skiing events.

The United Arab Emirates made its Winter Olympics debut, represented by alpine skiers Alexander Astridge and Piera Hudson, who carried the UAE flag during the ceremony in Cortina.

Italian skiing legends Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni lit the Milan cauldron, inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s knot patterns, while Sofia Goggia, former Olympic gold medallist, lit the Cortina flame.

The ceremony celebrated Italy’s culture and fashion, featuring oversized heads of opera greats Verdi, Puccini and Rossini, a performance by Andrea Bocelli, and Mariah Carey singing in Italian.

Italian President Sergio Mattarella officially opened the Games, with IOC chief Kirsty Coventry praising athletes for their courage and resilience.

Historic debut for UAE

The UAE marked a historic moment at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, making its debut at the Winter Games during Friday’s opening ceremony.

The Gulf nation was represented by alpine skiers Alexander Astridge, 19, and Piera Hudson, 29, who carried the UAE flag into Piazza Dibona in Cortina d’Ampezzo.

The flag flew during a ceremony staged simultaneously across four locations—San Siro Stadium in Milan, Livigno Snow Park, Cortina city centre, and the ski jumping arena in Predazzo—with athletes grouped by competition to reduce travel.

Senior UAE officials were in attendance, including Fares Mohammed Al Mutawa, Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee; Mohammed bin Darwish, Executive Director of the National Olympic Committee; and Hamel Al Qubaisi, Vice President of the UAE Winter Sports Federation.

The Winter Games feature roughly 2,900 athletes competing for 114 sets of medals across eight sports and 16 disciplines.

Astridge and Hudson will represent the UAE in alpine skiing over a three-day competition schedule, marking the country’s first participation at the Winter Olympics.

Previously, the UAE had only competed at the Winter Youth Olympic Games. Its debut at the senior Games highlights the growing reach of winter sports beyond traditional snowbound nations.

The event also sparked controversy as US Vice President JD Vance appeared on screen, drawing boos, while ICE agents accompanying the US delegation prompted protests despite having no operational role.

Sofia Goggia shines in Cortina

Goggia, who helped secure Milan-Cortina’s hosting rights in 2019, lit the Cortina cauldron. She will compete in the women’s downhill on Sunday, having previously won gold in PyeongChang and silver in Beijing despite a pre-Olympics crash.

Lindsey Vonn completes first downhill run

American star Lindsey Vonn, 41, passed a major test of her injured knee during training, keeping her hopes of an Olympic medal alive in her comeback from retirement.

Day 1 highlights to watch

• Men’s downhill at Stelvio Ski Center, with favourites Marco Odermatt, Franjo von Allmen, and home hope Dominik Paris.

• Figure skating: Ilia Malinin and Madison Chock/Evan Bates compete in the team event, with the US leading after the rhythm dance.

• Cross-country skiing: Jessie Diggins aims to add to her Olympic medal haul in the 20 km skiathlon.

• Other medal events: Women’s normal hill ski jumping, men’s snowboard big air, and women’s 3000m speed skating.

• Women’s hockey: US faces Finland following a 5-1 opening win over Czechia.

The Games run from February 6 to 22, promising a week of high-stakes competition and memorable moments in Italy’s winter playgrounds.