International Olympic Committee picks Italy to host 2026 Winter Olympics

Italy will host the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo. Italy received 47 votes from International Olympic Committee (IOC) members. Cortina previously hosted the Winter Games in 1956. The last Winter Games to be held in Italy was just 20 years ago in Turin.

IOC President Thomas Bach abstained from voting. That left 82 members, including the Emir of Qatar and the Princess Royal of Britain, who voted electronically on Monday from an auditorium in the SwissTech conference center in Lausanne.

Prior to winning, Italy Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte delivered an impassioned speech stressing the country's unity behind the bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics. "If I am here today in front of you, it is thanks to the enthusiasm of all Italy," Conte said. "This is the dream of an entire country, and not only the government but also the regions."

The mayor of Stockholm sung a line from an Abba song during Sweden's final presentation of its bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Anna Konig sang a bit of "Dancing Queen," one of the most famous songs from the iconic Swedish pop group.

She added, "Abba is everywhere."

Stockholm-Are was considered an underdog but nonetheless placed second, having received 34 votes.