The Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games Begin On Feb. 6
From February 6 to February 22, the eyes of the world will be on the XXV Winter Olympic Games, hosted by the cities of Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.
In total, the Olympics website states that “more than 3,500 athletes from 93 countries will be competing for 195 medals in 16 Olympic disciplines and six Paralympic sports.”
The Opening Ceremony for the Milano Cortina Winter Games will be broadcast at noon (EST) on Friday, February 6, on NBC and streaming on Peacock.
Ahead of the start of the games, take a look at the medals the athletes will be competing for, as well as the uniforms Team USA will be wearing, below…
See Ralph Lauren’s Uniforms For Team USA
At the opening ceremony for the Winter Games, the Parade of Nations will be a highlight.
At each of the Olympic games, the Parade of Nations sees all the athletes from the countries represented in that year’s Olympic games march out into the stadium.
Since the 2008 Olympic Summer Games in Beijing, China, Team USA has been dressed by one of America’s most celebrated fashion designers, Ralph Lauren.
Marked by his signature preppy aesthetic, and bolstered by his background with sporty apparel, the uniforms worn by Team USA at the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Olympic Games have become part of the culture of America’s involvement in the sporting event.
David Lauren, the son of Ralph Lauren and chief branding and innovation officer for his father’s business, said in a Vogue feature on the 2026 Team USA uniforms, “Ralph Lauren has had the immense privilege of outfitting Team USA for nearly 20 years, and the significance and sheer magnitude of dressing our nation’s incredible athletes — on the most dramatic stage in sport as they pursue their lifelong dreams — is an honor that never fades.”
Continuing, David said:
“Our design philosophy has always been about creating dreams and telling stories through style, and these uniforms, both timeless and modern, reflect the passion, optimism, and relentless pursuit of excellence that embody the American spirit.”
Team USA’s Opening Ceremony uniforms “feature a white wool coat with wooden toggles, an American flag intarsia wool turtleneck sweater, and tailored wool trousers.”
For the Closing Ceremony look, Team USA will be sporting “a color-block puffer jacket, a wool turtleneck sweater, and white utility pants.”
Further, “Accessories include red, white, and blue intarsia knit mittens, as well as a leather belt and brown suede alpine boots with red laces.”
Notably, all of the pieces made for the Team USA collection are made in the USA.
There is also a collection of clothes inspired by the Team USA uniforms, reflecting “both the sporty vibe of the Olympics and the cozy, all-American luxury for which [Ralph Lauren] is known.”
See the Team USA uniforms designed by Ralph Lauren, here:
See more on the Team USA uniforms, here:
Watch Team USA athletes speak on competing in the Olympics while wearing clothes from the Team USA Ralph Lauren collection, here:
Shop the Team USA collection, here.
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The Medals At The Milano Cortina Winter Olympics Are Inspired By Italian Modern Art
As members of Team USA, and competitors from all over the world, begin winning events, there will be medal ceremonies.
There, the dreams of the top athletes will be realized.
For the 2026 Winter Games, the medals were designed by the Olympic officials with the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato.
The medals are minimalistic, inspired by the “timeless elegance” of artworks associated with the Italian avant-garde.
As smooth discs divided by a diagonal line across the diameter of the medal, these medals “celebrate the power of differences.”
Each half has a different texture, and the halves are raised against one another as a modernist flourish.
In a video released by the Olympics about the medals, Raffaella Paniè, who is the director of brand, identity and look of the 2026 games, said, “Our medal is divided into two parts, or two halves, which, for us, represent the athlete on one side, of course, and on the other, all the teamwork that brought them there.”
See more on the medals, here:
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Get In The Olympic Spirit With John Williams’ Olympic Themes
Get in the Olympic spirit by listening to composer John Williams’ “Olympic Theme Fanfare Medley,” which has been used at the Olympics since 1984, here:
John Williams also composed a special theme for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, titled “Summon The Heroes,” which can be heard here:
In 2002, John Williams composed “Call of the Champions” for the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, which can be heard here:
It remains to be seen if John Williams, who is 93, will compose a theme for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, California.