The 2026 Winter Olympics are the most geographically dispersed ever —— here’s why that could be a good thing

Mount Faloria rises above Cortina d'Ampezzo, one of the host towns for the 2026 Winter Olympics. kallerna / Wikimedia, CC BY

Italy’s 2026 Winter Olympics have been described as the most regionally distributed Winter Games ever staged. Events are spread across more than 22,000 km², taking in Milan, as well as the towns of Cortina d’Ampezzo, Valtellina, Val di Fiemme and Livigno in the Alps.

Geographical dispersion is not entirely new. In 1956, the equestrian events of the Melbourne summer Olympics were actually held 15,500 km away...