Winter Olympics in Northern Italy Promise Plenty of Drama on Ice and Snow

Japan already has a deep affinity for the two host cities. Milan, as a "fashion capital," attracts many Japanese tourists. And this will be the second Winter Olympics held in Cortina d'Ampezzo.

At the 1956 Games held there, Chiharu Igaya won the silver medal in the Alpine skiing men's slalom. This was the first medal for a Japanese athlete at the Winter Olympics.

Milan is also well known as the home of two powerhouse soccer clubs. Keisuke Honda once wore the number 10 jersey at AC Milan, while Yuto Nagatomo was for several years a key player for Inter Milan.

Actually, Cortina d'Ampezzo had been set to host the 1944 Winter Games. But they were cancelled due to the outbreak of World War II. Tokyo suffered a similar fate. It was slated to host the 1940 Summer Olympics. But even though these became Olympics that never were, Japan's capital finally realized its dream of hosting the Olympics in 1964. And it went on to do so for a second time in 2021.

Japan's Medal Hopes for the 2026 Winter Olympics

For veteran Olympian Sara Takanashi, who will be competing in ski jumping events for the fourth consecutive Winter Games, this will likely be her last Olympics. On the other hand, the blossoming of young athletes such as figure skater Ami Nakai and ski jumper Nozomi Maruyama is encouraging, as they have the potential to win medals.

In the popular women's curling event, Fortius will be representing Japan after eliminating the previous Olympic silver medal winner, same-generation team Loco Solare, in the national championships.

As for Japan's prospects in the snowboarding events, although the recent injury to Ayumu Hirano, the reigning men's halfpipe gold medalist, is definitely concerning, there are still plenty of young gold medal hopefuls in each event.

War in Ukraine Violates Olympic Truce

Meanwhile, even though Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine, a handful of Russian athletes with recognized neutral status will be competing in the games on an individual basis. Russia invaded Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula immediately after the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. And President Vladimir Putin gave a speech ordering the dispatch of troops to assault Ukraine immediately after the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

*Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a meeting on foreign military-technical cooperation. Moscow, on January 30, 2026 (TASS via KYODO)*

The United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution calling for an Olympic truce before and after the Milan Cortina Games. However, Russian drone attacks on Kyiv and other locations in Ukraine have continued during the truce period called for by the resolution. Sports sanctions are obviously too lenient for countries that turn their backs on Olympic values.

The Winter Games face various serious problems, including concerns about a lack of snow due to global warming. But as these Milan Cortina Winter Games commence, the first priority must be to ensure that the competition proceeds smoothly.

Finally, we would like to express in advance our heartfelt appreciation for the achievements and skills of athletes from Japan and other nations we will be witnessing.