Milano Cortina Olympics: a final balance

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The Milan-Cortina Olympics have come to an end, and they have been an undoubted success both from the point of view of the Italian team and from an organisational point of view; for once, something that makes us proud of our being Italian. It was also my longest sporting holiday: at the other Olympics, Turin 2006, Vancouver 2010 and Paris 2024, I only stayed for a week (I was also in London in 2012, but only for one day). It is time to take stock of my experience as a (ordinary) spectator. 

The highs

• Merchandising : the best I have ever seen at a sporting event. There was truly an abundance of choice, from T-shirts and sweatshirts to plush toys (with Tina selling out immediately—I never even saw one), keyrings, mugs, and even a moka pot (an item I haven’t used since the last century or so, otherwise I’d have considered it). There were also gadgets from the individual sports, from T-shirts (including the hockey one) to hockey pucks.
• Santa Giulia Arena: a truly modern venue, which I didn’t expect to see in Italy, and with an excellent view from any seat. There are only a few spots that are a bit tricky to reach, above the entrances. Now we’ll see what it’ll be used for in the future.
• Catering (with a few exceptions): the risotto with red wine and sausage I had in Tesero was truly excellent, something I didn’t expect to find at a sport venue. Overall, the food on offer was very varied, different from venue to venue and sometimes even within the same venue, especially in Livigno, which if I remember rightly, had six different stands. Almost all had a local cuisine stand, although sometimes the definition of “local” was questionable (in Predazzo it included pizza, sure not typical of the area). A far cry from Paris, where almost everyone offered the same things—basic and often only cold.
• Transport: unlike Paris, the queues were a bit disorganised, but apart from in Antholz, I never had to wait long for the shuttles. Of course, I also had the advantage of not using the most in-demand ones: the busier shuttles were those heading to the car parks (especially noticeable in Tesero).

The lows

• Prices: this was the biggest flop: for many events, the prices were too high and so the venues weren’t filled. This was especially evident during the ceremonies: usually, tickets for the opening ceremony are the hardest to get—I was so happy to have managed it (only not to be able to use them after all)—but this time, they didn’t even sell out. Even worse for the closing ceremony: €950 for category C, with the result that the Arena was half empty. I experienced this myself in some of the events I attended: there were empty seats at the hockey semi-final and I saw a few also at the alpine skiing , though perhaps some people had already left. But the biggest impact was on the events I decided not to attend: short track had exorbitant prices, even for the morning session, and for figure skating, I only saw the short programme.
• Checks at the Cortina arena: I had to give up a flag that had been with me for years because, according to them, it had a rigid pole. In Rho, Santa Giulia, Assago, Bormio, Livigno, Predazzo, and Tesero, no one ever made an issue of it, but apparently, they thought they were all incompetent. Elsewhere, I saw flags with similar poles, even bigger ones.
• Prohibited items in the venues: what caused me the most trouble was the ban on bringing in power banks: my phone was always on its last legs. There were charging stations, but not enough. What’s more, the ban was mentioned on the website but not in the list of prohibited items at the entrance. Also, the ban on bringing in any food or drink, regardless of packaging, seemed excessive to me.
• Assago Forum: a venue that really shows its age and stood in stark contrast to the modernity of the others. The food on offer there was also clearly of lower quality.

I have mentioned issues attributable to the organisation. Among the aspects beyond the organisers' control, I would mention:

• on the positive side: the atmosphere among fans. There were never any tensions, even in difficult geopolitical contexts, such as between the United States and Canada;
• on the negative side: the long walks to the venues, in Antholz (with the added bonus of long queues on the way back), Bormio and Cortina. But with so many people in such small places, I don't think there was any other way.

It's not easy to choose the race I remember best. Let's say snowboard cross for the atmosphere (especially the Australians), the location and the Italian medal. The unexpected medal in the cross-country relay was also great, but I had to watch it in an unconfortable position. The women's hockey final was exciting, but there were no Italians involved. As for the one I remember least fondly, I have no doubt: the USA-Slovakia hockey semi-final: 480 euros (the most I spent) for a dull, one-sided match.

enza storia.

And now? Between economic and geopolitical problems, I don't think I'll be going to Los Angeles. I hope to be there for the next Winter Olympics. Then, I hope that one day, when I am not only still alive but also able to travel, there will finally be a Summer Olympics in Italy and possibly another Winter Olympics as well.