Just a few days before the start of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, Italy is racing against time to have its key venues ready. One of the most important is the Arena PalaItalia, a multi-purpose facility built especially for the winter event and destined to be the heart of ice hockey during the Olympic tournament.
According to the Organizing Committee, the PalaItalia – located southeast of Milan, in the Santa Giulia area – will host most of the men’s field hockey matches and also several matches of the women’s tournament. However, just 16 days before the opening ceremony at the San Siro Stadium, the arena still has areas under construction and pending adjustments.
The track has already passed its first test… but details are still missing
The main concern of the International Olympic Committee(IOC) was the track.
In this area, the organizing committee for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games received a break:
The ice has already been used in a game of the Italian Hockey League, which represented a first functional test.
Even so, the building still looks incomplete in several areas.
Especially in details in bleachers, dressing rooms in the process of adaptation, media center with pending work and outdoor areas planned for food and beverages.
The pressure is growing because these facilities must not only be ready to play, but also to receive the press, families, international fans and all the Olympic logistics.
Italy is racing against time
QuéOnnda.com
Despite the accelerated pace of the construction work, local authorities have expressed confidence that the building will be ready for its formal handover on February 5, just when the first Olympic Games are scheduled to take place at the venue.
“I am fully confident that the stadium will be completed on February 5,” said Alessandro Giungi, a Milan city councilor and president of the Olympic and Paralympic Commission in the city.
A tournament with high expectations for the return of the NHL
Stress is no accident.
Milano-Cortina 2026 will mark a special point for international field hockey because the National Hockey League (NHL) players are expected to return to the Olympic Games after a 12-year absence.
This raises the level of media attention and demands on infrastructure, as field hockey will be one of the most followed sports in the program.
The PalaItalia Arena will have a capacity of around 15,000 spectators, and its Olympic debut is scheduled for women’s field hockey, with the match between Italy and France on February 5.
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