VIDEO SHOWS: THE START OF THE IOC EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING IN MILAN AHEAD OF THE 2026 WINTER OLYMPICS RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT SHOWS: MILAN, ITALY (JANUARY 31, 2026) (REUTERS – Access al) 1. IOC PRESIDENT, KIRSTY COVENTRY (CENTRE) SITTING AT TOP TABLE AHEAD OF THE IOC EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING ALONG WITH VICE-PRESIDENT, JUAN ANTONIO SAMARANCH TALKING TO THE IOC DIRECTOR IN CHARGE, CHRISTOPHE DE KEPPER (STANDING UP) 2. IOC EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS, NENAD LALOVIC (STANDING UP), PRINCE FEISAL AL HUSSEIN OF JORDAN (FAR RIGHT) 3. COVENTRY SPEAKING TO IOC EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER, LI LINGWEI 4. MEETING IN PROGRESS 5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) IOC PRESIDENT, KIRSTY COVENTRY, SAYING: "We're very excited to finally be here in Milano Cortina. The last time we were all here in this room was in September last year and I think we're going to see incredible strides that have been taken over the last few months, just in the last week, since we've been here, it's really moving at a fast pace. The teams are working extremely well. I have to thank our teams in and around the table and all the directors for working so closely with the MiCo team. I think it's greatly appreciated and we've seen huge, huge strides in so many things." 6. COVENTRY SPEAKING 7. (FROM LEFT TO RIGHT): LALOVIC, PRINCE FEISAL AL HUSSEIN, EMMA TERHO, LI, OCTAVIAN MORARIU AT MEETING 8. IOC SPORTS DIRECTOR, PIERRE DUCREY (CENTRE) AND IOC ATHLETE'S DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR, KAVEH MEHRABI (RIGHT) AT MEETING 9. CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS ADVISOR TO THE PRESIDENT JAMES PEARCE (CENTRE), AND OLYMPIC FOUNDATION FOR CULTURE AND HERITAGE DIRECTOR, ANGELITA TEO (FAR RIGHT) 10. EXTERIOR OF THE WESTIN PALACE HOTEL 11. MILANO CORTINA 2026 FLAGS 12. MILANO CORTINA BRANDING ON ENTRANCE TO HOTEL, READING: "WELCOME. BENVENUTI!" AND "MILANO CORTINA 2026" 13. SIGN READING: "MILANO CORTINA 2026" 14. EXTERIOR OF THE WESTIN HOTEL STORY: The International Olympic Committee Executive Board met in Milan on Saturday (January 31) ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games. IOC President, Kirsty Coventry spoke at the start of the two-day meeting as she prepares for her first Olympic Games since succeeding Thomas Bach last year. The Milano Cortina Olympics are scheduled to take place from Feb. 6-22 at sites across Lombardy and Northeast Italy. The 25th edition of the Winter Olympics will be the first to officially be co-hosted by multiple cities, with Milan primarily hosting ice events, and the remaining events being hosted in clusters around Cortina, and the Valtellina and Fiemme valleys. In line with a modernised approach to Olympic delivery, 85% of competition venues already exist. This reflects a new, regionally distributed model for the Winter Games, designed to maximise use of existing infrastructure and local knowledge. The Games will welcome more than 3,500 athletes from 93 countries competing for 195 medals in 16 Olympic disciplines. (Production: Alex Fraser, Tim Hart)
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