The Olympics: one of the most important and sought-after sporting events that has deeply affected the world from the times of the Greeks to modern countries, is coming to Milan, Italy, in 2026.
The Olympics’ history began in ancient Greece, where citizens celebrated religious athletic festivals that started around 776 BCE. First located in the city of Olympia, the purpose of the first games was to honor the God Zeus. Now in the modern era, the games are a fun sporting event that provides great entertainment and competition between international teams.
To Graham Frank, the president of the sophomore class, “the Olympics create an opportunity for nations to unite together and compete at the highest level against one another.”
As aforementioned, the 2026 Winter Olympics are taking place in the beautiful city of Milan. Although this seems like the picture-perfect host, at a deeper level, many people hold concerns.
One of the more common worries about the Olympics is the progress of construction in Milan. The ice hockey arena is reported not to be ready by the time the Olympics come around, but all hockey games will be held once it is finished, so there is no real worry. Other major concerns are the weather and climate factors.
For the snow-related events, there are questions about how the Olympic organizers will keep the snow sustainable in the warm temperatures. Although these problems create a high-pressure environment for the planners, the Olympics are still planned to be held from February 6 to February 22, 2026.
What makes the Olympics such a watched event? To start, each variant (summer or winter) only happens every four years, which builds major anticipation for the events. Also, not only are there 16 sports being showcased, but they are also featuring some of the best athletes in the world.
In today’s world, the realm of social media and the internet spreads the fun activities to the homes of people who can not travel to them. Liam Williams, a sophomore at Hingham High School, agrees by saying, “The Olympics is a fun event because there is always something going on that I can just turn on my TV to watch, and I can always find a sport that I enjoy because of the big variety of winter sports that take place.”
Overall, through the variety of sports and activities that help construct national fanbases to compete, the Olympics serve as a powerful entertainment for all, interconnecting the world in a new way every four years.
