3 months ago
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Sofia Goggia had a cardinal relation successful securing the hosting rights of the Milan Cortina Olympics for Italy.
So it seemed fitting that the Italian downhiller lit the cauldron successful Cortina to reason Friday's (February 6, 2026) opening ceremony, portion retired Olympic skiing champions Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni performed the honours simultaneously successful Milan.
In 2019, Goggia and snowboarder Michela Moioli made a associated code and dabbed successful unison earlier astir 100 members of the International Olympic Committee astatine the voting league for the 2026 Games. Their presumption was aboriginal considered captious for Milan Cortina's palmy bid — winning implicit voters with their affirmative vigor to flooded a rival candidacy from Sweden.
Goggia won golden successful the downhill astatine the 2018 Olympics and took metallic 4 years aboriginal successful Beijing weeks aft crashing successful Cortina.
She'll contention for much medals successful the women's downhill connected Sunday successful Cortina.
Goggia has had a bid of highs and lows successful Cortina. She's won 4 World Cup downhills connected the upland but missed the 2021 satellite championships astatine the Alpine edifice due to the fact that of injury.
“There's a peculiar spot successful my bosom for this course,” Goggia said. “It's aggravated and escaped similar I am.”
It was a large nighttime for Italian Alpine skiers, with defending wide World Cup champion Federica Brignone 1 of the big country's emblem bearers successful Cortina. Olympic curling champion Amos Mosaner, Italy's different emblem bearer successful Cortina, held Brignone connected his shoulders erstwhile the Azzurri paraded done the municipality center.
“I'm heavy,” Brignone said, “so I wasn't definite helium could transportation me.” Stefania Constantini, who won golden with Mosaner successful mixed doubles successful Beijing, and luger Dominik Fischnaller, work the Olympic oath successful Cortina.
Gustav Thoeni, the 1972 Olympic elephantine slalom champion, was the penultimate torch bearer successful Cortina and handed disconnected to Goggia.
