'What do you hope to see done at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony in 2026?' Redditor asks
MILANO-CORTINA, ITALY: Fans all around the world are looking forward to the 2026 Winter Olympics at Milano-Cortina in Italy. This event, showcasing winter sports, will bring people together to celebrate sportsmanship, culture, and tradition.
A Redditor started a discussion on Reddit asking, 'What do you hope to see done at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony in 2026?'
A few netizens expressed their expectations for the opening ceremony, specifically regarding the availability of proper equipment. One Redditor stated: 'Proper country placard bearers. Sorry, I know this is minor, but since Vancouver 2010, none of the games have had proper signage. Maybe Beijing 2022 came close.'
Another Redditor remarked: 'A proper Olympic torch. Beijing's was underwhelming. Doesn't have to be like Sydney's, London's or Paris's, just enough to be like 'yip, torch'.'
Moreover, some netizens hoped for a rich display of Italian culture. A Redditor commented: 'I hope to see some great Italian artists present their artwork and songs during the Milan opening ceremony.' Another commenter responded: 'Italy is full of wonderful singers. Their Sanremo Festival is an example of it.'
One said: 'Parade of Nations + seeing the culture of Milan and Cortina represented during the ceremonies,' 'Being Italian myself, I want to see a glorious showcase of Italian culture and our history. That is basically what I'm hoping for,' said another. A third added: 'I hope they don't only focus on the cultural aspects that everybody knows about Italy (Colosseum, seaside, sculture and paintings, which will 100% be there) but also focus on the often forgotten Alpine traditions and culture. That would also fit the theme of the Games, and I think that many of us who don't come from mainstream regions could also relate to it!'
One more netizen remarked about the ticket prices for the event and commented: 'I would hope that they make it affordable to buy a ticket, so it is not just the uber wealthy who can enjoy the ceremony!' Updates on the 2026 Winter Olympics
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed that Russia will be banned from participating in both men's and women's hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics. This decision continues the suspension that began in 2022, when Russian and Belarusian teams were barred from international hockey events following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Read more here.
The event will also be the swan song for figure skater Kaori Sakamoto, who plans to end her competitive career after the 2026 Winter Olympics. The athlete revealed that she wishes to stay involved in the figure skating world as a coach. Read more here.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
Spanish harmony to battle English resilience in Women's Euro final
BASEL, Switzerland - Sunday's final of the Women's Euros in Basel pitches the two best European teams of the current generation against each other, as a unified Spain side bristling with technique and intelligence takes on an equally talented England side that never gives up. Both sides have overcome adversity on their way to the final, with Spain almost losing playmaker Aitana Bonmati to a pre-tournament meningitis scare, and Sarina Wiegman's England coming close to elimination twice in the knockout round, only for late heroics to see them through. "We need to be at our best to beat Spain. I think they need to be at their best to beat us, too," England captain Leah Williamson told a media conference on Saturday. "I think there's a lot of respect between the two teams, and I'd be hesitant to rule an underdog in this scenario." Both sides said that all 23 squad members were fit and available for selection on Sunday, setting the stage for what is expected to be an intriguing battle of skill, wit and nerves. Defending champions England may not have played particularly well in their five games so far, but they have displayed an uncanny ability to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in the knockout stage, first with a shootout win over Sweden and then with a come-from-behind extra-time victory over Italy. "I know that we've left it late," Williamson admitted. "(That was) definitely not the plan, we'd really like to wrap things up a little earlier and a little easier if we could." Spain have also gotten off to several slow starts, but they have still run out convincing winners in their five games to date, eventually finding a way to break down their opponents. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Woman taken to hospital after car falls into sinkhole on Tanjong Katong Road Singapore Students hide vapes in underwear, toilet roll holders: S'pore schools grapple with vaping scourge Singapore 'I've tried everything': Mum helpless as son's Kpod addiction spirals out of control Singapore NDP 2025: How Benjamin Kheng is whisked from Marina Bay to Padang in 10 minutes by boat, buggy Singapore Almost half of planned 30,000 HDB flats in Tengah to be completed by end-2025: Chee Hong Tat Singapore From libraries to living rooms: How reading habits take root in underserved S'pore children Asia Thai-Cambodia clashes spread along frontier as death toll rises Asia Thousands rally in downtown Kuala Lumpur for resignation of PM Anwar "We have a particular way of playing, of training, we are very confident. Even if we won the games, there are things always that we can correct, things we see on video that we practice, and that's our line of work," Spain captain Irene Paredes said. The Spain team for Sunday's final is a much more harmonious one than the one that took beat England 1-0 in the World Cup final in 2023, when several of the best Spanish players boycotted the tournament in a dispute with coaching staff and their federation. Though Spain won that game 1-0 to claim their first major title, Montse Tome's squad has given a much more unified impression in Switzerland, with none of the negativity that surrounded them at that World Cup. "(This tournament) shows the change we are making, and right now I believe that, for all their efforts, the squad deserves to win," Tome said. "When you are in the elite football world that's not always the case, but we will do everything to win the final tomorrow." Spain's only defeat in their last 14 games came at the hands of Sarina Wiegman's side in the Nations League in February, and they will be slight favourites for Sunday's decider, but Paredes said such labels make little difference when the game kicks off. "I think both teams deserve to be in the final. We wanted to be there, at the beginning of the tournament that was our objective, to play six games. We're on our way. Tomorrow is number six," she told reporters. "We don't like this idea of being favourites. We know what it takes to be here, what we have to suffer, and we have to be focused." Sunday's final takes place at St. Jakob-Park stadium in Basel, with kick-off at 1800 CET (1600 GMT). REUTERS
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Straits Times
Women's Euros reach new peaks in Switzerland as final awaits
OBERENTFELDEN, Switzerland - The Women's Euros reach their climax with the final between holders England and Spain on Sunday, but before a ball is even kicked at the St. Jakob-Park stadium, records have been smashed at what has proved to be the most successful edition of the tournament. Before their quarter-final defeat by Spain, Swiss fans held up a banner saying "Time to move mountains", but by then the hosts already had, making the knockout stage for the first time as a fever for women's football swept the country -- and the continent. "I hope it was just a very, very important step to show Switzerland that women can play football really well -- not just Switzerland, but all the other teams as well," Swiss captain Lia Waelti said after the hosts exited the tournament. Fans at games in Switzerland have shattered attendance records, including the highest overall one ever, with the final still to be played. A record 623,088 fans attended games through the end of the semi-finals, obliterating the previous total of 574,875 fans who watched the entire England 2022 tournament. England's dramatic semi-final win over Italy in extra time gave British broadcaster ITV its biggest audience of the year with 10.2 million linear viewers, and another 17.2 million following the game on streaming platform ITV X. Fox Sports in the United States also reported a 176% increase in the number watching the semi-finals compared to 2022 as the tournament caught the imagination on the other side of the Atlantic. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Students hide vapes in underwear, toilet roll holders: S'pore schools grapple with vaping scourge Singapore 'I've tried everything': Mum helpless as son's Kpod addiction spirals out of control Singapore Almost half of planned 30,000 HDB flats in Tengah to be completed by end-2025: Chee Hong Tat Singapore Black belt in taekwondo, Grade 8 in piano: S'pore teen excels despite condition that limits movements Singapore As Asean looks to nuclear energy, public education efforts are needed: UN nuclear watchdog chief Asia Thousands rally in downtown Kuala Lumpur for resignation of PM Anwar Asia Death toll climbs as Thai-Cambodia clashes continue despite calls for ceasefire Asia Shunsaku Tamiya, who brought perfection to plastic race car models, dies at 90 It has not all, however, been plain sailing. The opening games were overshadowed by soaring temperatures that led to worries about player welfare and UEFA suspending rules around water bottles for fans. JOYOUS CELEBRATION There was also the death of Portugal international Diogo Jota and his brother in a car accident, which cast a pall over Portugal's opening game against Spain. In the end, the game itself honoured his memory by turning into a joyous celebration of Portuguese football, despite the team's defeat. The 16 teams in the group stage provided plenty of excitement, with Switzerland's late equaliser against Finland to snatch second place in their final Group A game stealing the plaudits as the most dramatic moment. Fans did not have long to wait for the next twist in the tale, as England came back from two goals down to beat Sweden after a chaotic penalty shootout in their quarter-final. Online critics hailed that shootout, with only five successful efforts out of 14, as one of the worst ever, ignoring Sweden keeper Jennifer Falk's exceptional performance in which she made four saves from English spot-kicks, yet still ended up on the losing side. England's Michelle Agyemang is the break-out star of the tournament, netting two vital equalisers as they flirted with disaster in the knockout stage and playing a major role in getting them to the final. Through it all, the Spaniards have ticked like a metronome, starting games slowly before gradually finding the solution to whatever opposition was in front of them and winning all five of their matches. Another win for the Spaniards against England will give them the European crown to add to their world and Nations League victories, confirming them as the dominant team. However, England's never-say-die mentality stands between them and that goal. No matter how that game turns out, the tournament has successfully sustained the momentum created at Euro 2022, and the trajectory for the women's game continues to move sharply upwards. REUTERS
CNA
2 days ago
- CNA
Gymnastics-Italy withdraw from World University Games after gymnast seriously injured in fall
Italy have withdrawn from the rest of the World University Games in Essen, Germany, after gymnast Lorenzo Bonicelli suffered a fall during his routine, sustaining a serious neck injury that required surgery, news agency ANSA reported on Friday. Bonicelli remains in intensive care but is stable and his life is not in danger, the Italian Gymnastics Federation (FGI) said, after the 23-year-old was rushed hospital where he underwent surgery following the incident. "From the University Hospital in Essen... we (learned) that today, the athlete, who remained conscious after the accident until the moment of surgery, was awakened from a medically-induced coma and is showing positive signs," the FGI said in a statement on Friday. Italy have withdrawn from the competition due to the emotional impact the incident had on the rest of the team, ANSA reported.
