Care for a winter spritz?
After all, the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics have officially kicked off in Northern Italy Feb. 6, and 3,000 of the world’s biggest athletes across sports like hockey, figure skating and cross-country skiing are gliding into the ceremony.
During the welcome event, which was set to the theme Harmonyor harmony, NBC Sports’ Terry Gordon and seasoned Olympics reporter Mary Carillo were joined by former Olympic snowboarder Shaun White to comment on the ceremony at the Parade of Nations at San Siro Stadium in Milan. (Today’s Savannah Guthrie was also set to host this year’s Opening Ceremony, but she stepped down Feb. 3 amid the ongoing search for her mother Nancy Guthrie.)
To kick things off, a dance troop donned in Greek angel costumes performing an interpretive dance, which later exploded into technicolor. A slew of new dancers wearing colorful costumes—including one donning moka pot trappings—danced in a round rainbow circle. Later, Mariah Carey performed “Volare,” hitting high notes in impeccable Italian, before transitioning into her own song “Nothing is Impossible.”
