The official unveiling of the medal designs for the upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games occurred earlier this month. The ceremony took place in Venice and featured appearances from celebrated Italian athletes Federica Pellegrini and Francesca Porcellato, underscoring the symbolism and national pride of the moment.
Medal Design Highlights
- Splitsurface composition: Each medal consists of two halves—one smooth, mirrored surface and one finely textured—to represents both the unity and contrast of the two host cities, Milano and Cortina d’Ampezzo, as well as the athlete paired with their support team..
- Symbolism of collaboration: Rather than reward individual accomplishment alone, the design communicates the joint effort behind every performance—athlete, coaches, organisers, volunteers and fans.
- Olympic and Paralympic distinction: The Olympic medals display the five interlocking rings, while Paralympic medals feature the Agitos. Inscriptions on the reverse include the event and location, personalising each award.
- Sustainability and craftsmanship: Produced by Italy’s state mint IPZS using recycled metal and powered by renewable energy, with eco-friendly finishes and recyclable packaging. Finely numbered lines denote gold, silver and bronze status, and Paralympic medals include braille inscriptions.
Giovanni Malagò, President of the Milano Cortina 2026 Foundation, said the medals “are a story etched into metal” — emblematic of dedication, sacrifice and Italian design excellence.
Medal Allocation
- Olympic Winter Games: 245 gold, 245 silver and 245 bronze medals will be awarded across all disciplines.
- Paralympic Winter Games: 137 gold, 137 silver and 137 bronze medals will be distributed.
The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games run from the 6 – 22 February 2026, and the final Team Ireland athletes will be confirmed in January 2026.