IOC boss Coventry hails Milano Cortina Games a success

MILAN, Feb 20 : The Milano Cortina Olympics exceeded expectations despite a shaky build-up, IOC President Kirsty Coventry said on Friday, hailing the first spread-out Winter Games a success.

"These Games are truly ... successful in a new way of doing things, in a sustainable way of doing things, in a way that I think many people thought maybe we couldn't do, or couldn't be done well, and it's been done extremely well, and it's surpassed everyone's expectations,” Coventry told a press conference.

It was the International Olympic Committee chief's clearest endorsement yet of a format that split events across several Alpine clusters rather than concentrating them in one host city.

Her assessment came after two weeks in which organisers sought to prove that a geographically dispersed Games could still deliver a consistent athlete experience.

The smooth delivery comes after years of logistical and political challenges, including construction delays at Milan’s Santagiulia Arena and controversy over building a new sliding centre in Cortina against IOC advice.

Organisers have also faced isolated disruptions during the Games, such as suspected sabotage on rail lines and protests in Milan over housing and environmental issues.

Transport concerns across the dispersed venues have been mitigated by limited cross-regional travel among spectators, though some competitors had to walk to the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium in heavy snowfall that stopped traffic.

Central to the success of the Games, Coventry argued, was the effort to standardise conditions across multiple athlete villages despite the distances separating venues from Cortina d’Ampezzo to Livigno and Bormio.

Italian athletes’ performances also helped ticket sales, which amounted to