Ciao and greetings from Italy!
Cortina was the proud host city of the 1956 Olympic Winter Games, and the ‘village town’ has embraced the opportunity to once again play a central role in staging the 2026 (Olympic and Paralympic) Games. Restaurants, shops, official building, and residences across the village have a variety of flags and banners, to show their support for Paralympians and visitors alike.
The local council have also erected signage in a distinct style, as Host City, aligning well with wider Games branding, to create a great atmosphere. You’ll be able to tell the difference between the Games and local signage – the Games are allowed to utilise the Olympic Rings and Paralympic Agitos, where the city steers clear of these symbols, as they are restricted to official partners only.
In a positive development across both Games, some signage has been designed with either both Olympic and Paralympic symbols, or not including any symbols at all. This is a great sustainability initiative and reduces both waste of duplicate branding between events, but also reduces logistical challenges for resetting branding between events – whilst providing an extended period that the host city can be recognised with the images and colours of the Games.
Stand by for a double shot of NZ Paralympic Team action as Day 7 competition at Milano Cortina 2026 gets underway, with both Paralympians #158 Adam Hall MNZM and #188 Corey Peters MNZM in action in the Giant Slalom. Some more members of the Kiwi Support Crew have also arrived in Cortina, so keep an eye out, both for the action on the snow, and to spot whānau and friends in the crowd on the TVNZ broadcast coverage.
With just three days of the Games remaining, this is a great opportunity to make sure that everyone you know is watching the coverage across the weekend. Your support of both the NZ Paralympic Team, and Paralympics New Zealand, will help us continue to change the narrative on disability in Aotearoa New Zealand, and create more opportunities for the next generation of Paralympians going on to represent New Zealand at the Paralympic Games. #WorthTalkingAbout
Ngā mihi and grazie!
