The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics are set to begin in less than two weeks, hosted across northern Italy. The Games will run from February 6 to February 22, 2026, followed by the Paralympic Winter Games from March 6 to 15. In a notable move connecting pop culture to the global sporting event, actors Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, stars of the breakout television series Heated Rivalry, have been announced as official torchbearers for the Olympic relay.
Key Details For The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games
This edition of the Winter Olympics is historic as the first to be officially co-hosted by two cities: Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. The events will be spread across multiple clusters in Italy’s Lombardy and Veneto regions, utilizing a mix of existing and newly built venues.
More than 3,500 athletes from 93 countries are expected to compete for medals in 16 different sports disciplines. The sports program will feature the Olympic debut of ski mountaineering, a race where athletes go up and down a mountain course, alternating between skiing and carrying their skis. Several new events for women are also being added, including Women’s Large Hill in ski jumping and Women’s Doubles in luge.
The Olympic Torch Relay And Celebrity Participants
The Olympic torch relay is a major tradition leading up to the Games. For the 2026 Olympics, the flame was lit in Olympia, Greece in late November 2025. It is traveling over 12,000 kilometers through all 110 provinces of Italy, making 60 stops before its final destination. The relay will conclude at the Opening Ceremony in Milan on February 6.
The stars of the hit television series Heated Rivalry have been named official torchbearers for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
The announcement that Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie will carry the torch was made by the Olympic organizing committee and HBO Max, which streams the series and holds broadcast rights for the Games in several countries. While the exact location and timing of their participation in the relay are not yet public, their involvement has created a significant buzz.
Behind The ‘Heated Rivalry’ Phenomenon
Heated Rivalry is a television series that became a global sensation after its release in late 2025. Based on Rachel Reid’s bestselling Game Changers novels, the show follows two elite hockey players, Shane Hollander (played by Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (played by Connor Storrie), who are fierce rivals on the ice but develop a secret romantic relationship off it. The series quickly became the number-one show on HBO Max and has been renewed for a second season.
The show’s impact extends beyond television. Fitness chains have hosted themed workout classes, and its popularity on social media has been massive. Hudson Williams was recently in Milan for Men’s Fashion Week, walking the runway for Dsquared2 and attending the Giorgio Armani show, signaling the merging of entertainment, fashion, and Olympic excitement.
Where To Watch The 2026 Winter Olympics Events
The Milano Cortina 2026 Games will be broadcast live around the world, with different networks holding the rights in each country. In a first, HBO Max will stream the Winter Olympics in Italy and Germany, in addition to its coverage in the United States and parts of Europe. Viewers should check their local sports broadcasters for specific scheduling in their region.
The series Heated Rivalry itself will begin airing in Italy on February 1 on HBO Max, just days before the Olympic Opening Ceremony.
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Venue Clusters And Competition Locations
The events will not be confined to just the two host cities but spread across five main zones in northern Italy, each with its own character.
- Milan Cluster: The metropolitan hub will host ice events. The Opening Ceremony will be held at the iconic San Siro football stadium. Other venues in Milan will host figure skating, short track, speed skating, and ice hockey.
- Cortina d’Ampezzo Cluster: This famous mountain resort in the Dolomites, a UNESCO site, will stage alpine skiing, sliding sports like bobsleigh and skeleton, curling, and biathlon.
- Valtellina Cluster: This area near the Swiss border will host men’s alpine skiing, ski mountaineering (making its Olympic debut), and freestyle skiing and snowboarding events at the Livigno Snow Park.
- Val di Fiemme Cluster: Known for its Nordic skiing tradition, this valley will be the site for cross-country skiing, ski jumping, and Nordic combined events.
- Verona: The historic city, famous for its Roman amphitheater, will host the Closing Ceremony on February 22.
The choice to spread events across existing world-class venues is part of an effort to make these Games more sustainable and integrated into the region’s communities.
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