Milan to host 2026 Winter Olympic Games

Madrid, June 25: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has awarded the organisation of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games to Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo over Stockholm-Are.

It will be the third Winter Olympics Italy organises following the 1956 and 2006 games, held in Cortina and Turin respectively, reports Efe news.

"Milano-Cortina elected as host for the Winter Olympic Games 2026," the IOC posted to its official Twitter account on Monday.

Milan will succeed Beijing which is set to host the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte led his country's delegate on Monday for the final representation during the IOC's assembly held in the Swiss city of Lausanne.

"We are proud of this great result! Italy has won: a whole country that has worked together with the ambition to create and offer the world a "memorable" sporting event #Olimpiadi2026 #MilanoCortina," Conte tweeted.

President Sergio Mattarella addressed the delegate via a video-conference.

A young skater born in Lausanne handed IOC's President Thomas Bach of Germany an envelope that included the winning bid after the committee members voted.

The Italian bid got 47 votes out of 81 valid votes, seven more than the minimum required, while 34 members voted for Stockholm-Are.

Only one of the members abstained from the secret voting, according to the IOC's official Twitter account.