The one-year countdown to the Milan Cortina Olympic Games is on. International Olympics Committee president Thomas Bach has proudly declared “Italy is ready.”

Thomas Bach said Italy is ready to host next year's Winter Olympics as the one-year countdown to the sprawling Milan-Cortina Games began at an event in Italy's economic capital on Thursday. "Italy is ready to write the next chapter of its great Olympic history,

Italy began the one-year countdown to the Winter Olympics on Thursday with a series of events designed to fuel enthusiasm for the Games that will be co-hosted by Milan and the Alpine town of Cortina d'Ampezzo.

President Thomas Bach said he saw eye to eye with Premier Giorgia Meloni and Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti at a ceremony marking a year to go to the 2026 Winter Olympics at Cortina and Milan. "There is great feeling not only with Meloni,