Dolomites Diary: Lederhosen, Late Buses and the Anatomy of an Olympic Champion

Covering the first week of Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics was an exciting but far from straightforward experience. The opening ceremony was a seven-hour journey from one end to the other.

I left Milan at 12 and arrived in Cortina just as the athletes were parading through the town square. Cortina is a one-street town, closed off but with everyone hanging out on their balconies. I spotted three people in lederhosen, five in identical Wayne Gretzky jerseys, and countless others swathed in luxurious furs. The first person I spoke to was a member of Qatar's police force, working here under a security agreement between the two states. This is my sixth Olympics, but all previous ones have been in the summer. I'm glad to see he's looking even more uncomfortable than I am.