IOC president invites athletes to celebrate Winter Olympics

The president of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, said that Italy is ready to write the next chapter of its Olympic history at an event organized at Milan's Piccolo Theatre one year before the 2026 Winter Olympics are scheduled to kick off, CE Report quotes ANSA.

"With pleasure, I would like to invite the various athletes of the world to return to Italy to celebrate" the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Games, he said at the event 'One year to go'.

Bach added that the "torch relay will bring the Olympic flame to all Italian provinces", noting however that the Milan-Cortina Games are "taking shape well before the lighting of the torch".

Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini thanked Bach during the event in Milan "for believing in Italy, I think it is the victory and triumph of the Italy of yes", adding that the Games would be "an occasion for the entire country".

Milan-Cortina got the 2026 Winter Olympics Monday beating Stockholm-Aare in a vote by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in June 2019 The Italian bid beat the Swedish one 47-34 at the first IOC ballot.

It will be 20 years since the last Winter Olympics in Italy, in 2006 in Turin.