My take on the ’26 Olympics

Thank god, the Olympics are over! I was getting weary of that five-ring circus, everyday for 2 weeks. The 2026 Games brought some 2,900 athletes from 92 countries to Italy, competing for some 116 medal events. The event covered 16 disciplines across 8 sports.

This marks the first Winter Games with 116 events and a high female participation at 47%, the highest in Winter Olympic history, with competitions taking place in venues from Milan, Livigno, Bormio, Val di Fiemme, Predazzo, Anterselva/Antholz and of course Cortina d'Ampezzo. 

I didn’t care about the medal count, as I love all nations and I’m not chauvinistic enough to fall into that narrow rut. 

What I didn’t like is that there are now far too many events to be able to navigate and understand them all. Some are just weird, just don't belong, and I thought ski-mountaineering was a joke and, once more, found that not all medals are far from being created equal. 

The IOC has become a money-making machine, deep into the entertainment business. The Games and the IOC would require huge reforms, but don’t count on it. Once more I’m glad it’s over and 2030 will arrive faster than I need or want!