Inside Cortina's Olympic Village: A snowy haven for hundreds of athletes

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy — Athletes at the Cortina Olympic and Paralympic Village on Tuesday chatted at an outdoor coffee stand, traded their unique national team pins and took in the atmosphere of the Dolomites as snow steadily fell.

The village is the temporary home for about 1,400 athletes, coaches and team members during the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games. They are living in 377 trailers in the Alpine valley, a 10-minute drive from downtown Cortina. The other main Olympic Village is in Milan.

“It’s just such a fun environment to be here, amongst so many other athletes,” said Cory Thiesse, an American curler. “We're living all together, training together, eating together. We’re literally at the base of the mountains here. It’s just kind of a dream to wake up in the morning and see the mountains like that.”

Cortina is hosting curling, women’s Alpine skiing, bobsled, luge and skeleton. Athletes have decorated the outside of their mobile homes with flags and banners to show their team spirit, plus other reminders of home. Team Canada placed a red moose statue in front of its lodgings so others know that's their territory, and the woman who coordinates team security brushed freshly fallen snow from its back.

Each trailer is divided into two rooms, with up to two people per room. The rooms are simple, with beds a shower and toilet. Half the trailers are wheelchair-accessible for the Paralympics that will be held in March.

Nick Timmings, who is competing in skeleton for Australia, settled into the room he’s splitting with his coach. They're used to sharing space; his coach is also his twin brother.

“A lot of people were worried beforehand about being in trailers — is there going to be adequate heating and plumbing, and all those kind of things. But we've come here and they're warm. The plumbing seems to be working fine,” Timmings said. “I’m very comfortable.”

The Village has a fitness center, recreational space, lounge, dining hall, massage rooms and a prayer room. Ukrainian luger Nazarii Kachmar said he likes visiting the common areas to meet athletes from other countries. So far, he has chatted with athletes from Canada, Romania, the U.S. and Latvia.

An outdoor coffee stand is a popular gathering spot. Athletes on Tuesday chatted while waiting for their cappuccinos and espressos. De Aundre John, a bobsledder from Trinidad and Tobago, spotted American bobsledders and asked to trade national pins for their lanyards.

John said it was amazing to be at the village, fulfilling his lifelong goal of becoming an Olympian. The Italian cuisine is just a bonus, he said, adding that his favorite so far is the lasagna. In the dining hall, Swedish curling coach Alison Kreviazuk raved about the desserts, especially the cannoli.

Tuesday was overcast, but on sunny days athletes can see the ski center the moment they walk out of their trailers, said Eva Lune Wiggelendum, who manages the village.

“We are in a valley, so we are surrounded by mountains,” she said. “This is amazing. As you look outside, it’s snowing. So we’re really creating a Winter Olympics atmosphere here.”

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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics