Mölltaler Glacier: A strategic element in Olympic preparation

The Winter Olympic Games Milano – Cortina d’Ampezzo 2026 are fast approaching, and every gap in an athlete’s preparation can make the difference between a medal and disappointment. That’s why the training center at the Mölltaler Gletscher resort, which operated there last season, became a strategic element in preparing for the Olympic challenges.

The opening ceremony of the 2026 Games will take place on 6 February 2026 in Milan, with the closing ceremony on 22 February 2026 in Verona. More than 2,900 athletes from 93 countries will compete for 195 medals across 16 Olympic disciplines and in six Paralympic sports.

Where the 2026 Winter Games will take place and what disciplines to expect

The Milano – Cortina 2026 programme includes 16 different sports disciplines, including alpine skiing, biathlon, bobsleigh, cross-country skiing, curling, figure skating, freestyle skiing, ice hockey, luge, Nordic combined, short-track speed skating, skeleton, ski jumping, ski mountaineering, snowboarding and speed skating.

The atmosphere of sport’s biggest celebration will spread across northern Italy — from modern Milan, through legendary Cortina d’Ampezzo, to the snow-covered slopes of Livigno. Every venue will bring its own story and energy.

• Milano: opening ceremony, ice hockey, figure skating, short-track speed skating, speed skating.
• Cortina d’Ampezzo: women’s alpine skiing, bobsleigh, skeleton, luge, curling.
• Livigno: snowboard and freestyle skiing.
• Anterselva (Antholz): biathlon, cross-country skiing.
• Bormio: men’s alpine skiing, ski mountaineering.
• Predazzo: Nordic combined, ski jumping.
• Tesero: cross-country skiing, Nordic combined.
• Verona: closing ceremony.

Mölltaler Glacier as a springboard to the Olympics

On Austria’s Mölltaler Gletscher a training-centre project for freestyle skiing and snowboarding was developed last season. The initiative was carried out in cooperation with the Slovak Ski Association, the Czech Ski Association, the Police Sports Centre and the OLYMP Sports Centre of the Ministry of the Interior.

Thanks to the project, athletes preparing for the 2026 Winter Games — such as snowboarder Samuel Jaroš — have trained here along with young talents aiming for the 2030 Olympics. The project has earned praise from partners, coaches and the riders themselves.

Federations and athletes have been enthusiastic about the conditions they found at Mölltaler. With its excellent facilities, Mölltaler has the potential to become an iconic base for Slovak and Czech freestyle skiers and snowboarders — a training ground for those heading to world competitions and the Olympic stage.

The Olympic Games in Italy will be a spectacular sporting event, but the stories that lead to them are already being written. Mölltaler was one of the key places where those stories began. Whether you are a professional, an amateur or a fan, a visit to the Mölltaler Glacier will show how close the path from training to an Olympic dream can be.