Commentary: A new chapter for Olympic Movement

MILAN, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- As the Olympic flame was lit against the backdrop of the Alps, the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics opened not only a celebration of winter sports, but also a new chapter for the Olympic Movement itself.

This edition of the Olympic Games arrives at a moment of transition, experimentation, and profound global uncertainty -- making its significance extend far beyond medals, venues, or television ratings.

Milan-Cortina 2026 is the first Olympic Games since Kirsty Coventry assumed office as president of the International Olympic Committee, marking a historic shift in the IOC's leadership. As a former Olympic champion and the first woman to lead the organization, Coventry embodies both continuity and change: continuity in the values the Olympic Movement has long upheld, and change in how those values may be expressed and defended in a rapidly evolving world.

Her presidency began under intense scrutiny. From geopolitical tensions to questions about sustainability, governance, and inclusivity, the Olympic Movement faces challenges that are more complex and more visible than ever. The Milan-Cortina Games thus serves as an early test of Coventry's vision -- whether she can balance idealism with pragmatism, and whether the IOC can maintain moral authority while adapting to new realities.

The opening ceremony, rich in symbolism and restraint rather than excess, reflects this moment of recalibration. It signals an Olympics less focused on grandeur for its own sake, and more intent on meaning, legacy, and responsibility.

Another defining feature of Milan-Cortina 2026 is its unprecedented geographical layout. Spread across four major clusters - Milan, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Valtellina, and Val di Fiemme - the Games challenges the traditional notion of a compact Olympic host city.

For organizers, this model was designed to reduce costs, avoid underused venues, and rely on existing infrastructure. For the media, however, it has introduced significant logistical challenges. Long travel times, fragmented schedules, and limited opportunities for spontaneous storytelling have tested journalists' ability to capture the full Olympic experience.

Critics argue that the dispersion risks diluting the sense of unity that defines the Games, turning the Olympics into a series of parallel events rather than a shared global festival. Supporters counter that this model represents a more sustainable and realistic future for hosting, particularly for Winter Games, where geography and climate impose natural constraints.

Whether this approach ultimately strengthens or weakens the Olympic experience remains an open question. Milan-Cortina 2026 may not provide a definitive answer, but it will offer valuable lessons. If the Games succeed in maintaining narrative coherence and emotional resonance, the multi-cluster model could become a blueprint. If not, it may serve as a cautionary tale about the limits of decentralization.

Beyond leadership changes and organizational experiments, Milan-Cortina 2026 arrives in a world deeply marked by division. Ongoing conflicts, political polarization, and growing mistrust between nations have made international cooperation increasingly fragile.

Against this backdrop, the Olympic Games once again remind the world why the Olympic Movement remains unique and necessary. For all its imperfections, it is one of the few global platforms where nations still gather under shared rules, shared values, and shared respect. Athletes compete fiercely, yet shake hands at the finish line.

The opening ceremony's emphasis on peace, unity, and human dignity may sound familiar, even idealistic. But familiarity does not diminish relevance. In a time when dialogue is often replaced by confrontation, the Olympics offer a rare language understood across borders: sport.

Milan-Cortina 2026 does not claim to solve the world's problems. But by bringing together athletes from every corner of the globe, it quietly asserts that coexistence is possible, that excellence can be celebrated without exclusion, and that competition does not have to lead to conflict.

The true legacy of Milan-Cortina 2026 will not be measured solely in medals or attendance figures, but in whether the Olympic Movement emerges more credible, more adaptable, and more united than before. In a fractured world, that may be the most important victory of all.