Kirsty Coventry praised athletes for demonstrating the true Olympic spirit
Great Britain achieved their best Winter Olympics performance with five medals including three golds
Brazil won their first Winter Olympic gold while Georgia earned their first medal
The ceremony featured Italian opera tributes and performances by Major Lazer and Achille Lauro
📖 Full Retelling
International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry officially closed the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at the Verona Olympic Arena in northern Italy during a ceremony featuring opera, flag bearers from 92 competing nations, and musical performances, bringing to a conclusion two weeks of sporting competition that saw 116 medal events and historic achievements for several nations including Great Britain's unprecedented five medals. The ceremony began with a tribute to classic Italian opera, followed by flagbearers entering through large props from Aida accompanied by Italian film music tributes, before the 'Drop of Fire' was brought into the ancient arena to light up the Olympic rings. While athletes typically enter mixed together during closing ceremonies, the Milan-Cortina participants largely remained in national groups during their parade. The final medals were awarded in the women's and men's 50km mass start cross-country skiing events, with a tribute to Games volunteers preceding performances by popular Italian musicians Major Lazer and Achille Lauro. In her closing speech, Coventry praised the athletes for demonstrating the true Olympic spirit, saying they showed 'what excellence, respect, and friendship look like in a world that sometimes forgets these values' and emphasized that 'the Olympic Games are a place for everyone.' The Games concluded with the traditional handover of the Olympic flag to the French Alps delegation, which will host the next Winter Games in 2030.
🏷️ Themes
Olympic Ceremony, Sporting Achievements, International Participation, Olympic Values
The Olympic medal table is a method of sorting the medal placements of countries in the modern-day
Olympics and Paralympics. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) does not officially recognize a ranking of participating countries at the Olympic Games. Nevertheless, the IOC does publish medal ta...
Kirsty Leigh Coventry Seward (née Coventry; born 16 September 1983) is a Zimbabwean politician, sports administrator, and former competitive swimmer who is the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). She has served as the president of the IOC since 23 June 2025, and is the first woma...
The Olympic flame is a symbol used in the Olympic movement. It is also a symbol of continuity between ancient and modern games. The Olympic flame is lit at Olympia, Greece.
Milan-Cortina 2026 closes with ceremony in Verona By Emma Smith BBC Sport journalist in Italy Published 17 minutes ago 8 Comments The Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics have officially ended following the closing ceremony in northern Italy. It took place at Verona Olympic Arena, despite none of the sporting events happening in the city, which is 75 miles from Milan. After beginning with a tribute to classic Italian opera, flagbearers representing the 92 competing nations entered the stadium through large props from Aida and accompanied by a tribute to Italian film music. The 'Drop of Fire' – the Olympic flame carried in a small glass vessel – was brought into the ancient arena to light up the rings before the parade of athletes. While athletes are supposed to come in all mixed together, here they were still largely in national groups. The final medals from Milan-Cortina 2026 were awarded in the women's and men's 50km mass start cross-country skiing events, before a tribute to the Games volunteers. The ceremony finished with performances from popular Italian musicians Major Lazer and singer-songwriter Achille Lauro. In her speech to close the Games, International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry said: "You have been incredible – every one of you. Brave. Fearless. Full of heart and passion. You left it all on the snow and ice. "Two unforgettable weeks, living every moment to the fullest. You gave everything – and you shared it with all of us. "This is the true Olympic spirit: competing, embracing, lifting each other up, whatever the result. You showed us what excellence, respect, and friendship look like in a world that sometimes forgets these values. "You showed us that the Olympic Games are a place for everyone. A place where sport brings us together." It ended a Games which saw 116 medal events, and historic sporting success for several of the competing nations – including Great Britain. Team GB won five medals , including three golds, to finish 15th in ...
