Federica Brignone, Stefania Constantini, Federico Pellegrino, Lisa Vittozzi, Sofia Goggia, Francesca Lollobrigida

From February 6 to 22, 2026, Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo will host the Winter Olympic Games, an event that puts Italian sport squarely in the global spotlight. The Italian squad heads into the competition backed by high expectations, with a roster of athletes who bring both seasoned experience and a proven ability to perform when it matters most.

The Fair Play Menarini International Award plays an active role in championing the Olympic spirit, honoring year after year those athletes who embody competition as a vehicle for responsibility, mutual respect, and collective commitment.

The Italian delegation will march into the opening ceremony behind three flag bearers: Federico Pellegrino, Arianna Fontana, and Federica Brignone. Their paths could not be more different, yet all three share a deep familiarity with the pressure and intensity of elite winter sport.

For Pellegrino, one of the most respected names in cross-country skiing worldwide, Milan-Cortina is the final act of a distinguished career. His track record — two Olympic silver medals (PyeongChang 2018 and Beijing 2022) and six World Championship medals, including a gold — tells the story of an athlete who navigated every challenge thrown his way without ever losing his hunger to compete.

Arianna Fontana, a true icon of short track, arrives at these Games exactly two decades after claiming her first Olympic bronze in Turin 2006, when she was just sixteen years old. In the years since, she has assembled a record that stands alone in the sport: sixteen Olympic medals in all. Milan-Cortina, then, is far more than a sentimental homecoming — it is a chance to push her own boundaries once again, racing against time and against herself.

Federica Brignone may well be the most anticipated skier of the entire Games. After a dominant 2025 season, she suffered a serious injury in April that put everything in jeopardy. Simply stepping onto the start line will already be a victory in itself. Her presence in Milan-Cortina is the culmination of a grueling recovery: a testament to her willpower and to a refusal to give in, even when the odds looked overwhelming.

Beyond the Flag Bearers: Italy’s Wider Olympic Arsenal

The broader group of Fair Play Menarini Ambassadors adds depth and variety to the Italian contingent across a range of disciplines.

Francesca Lollobrigida will be competing at her fourth Olympics, arriving as reigning World Champion in the 5,000 meters and with an Olympic bronze in the 3,000 meters from Beijing 2022 already on her mantelpiece. She remains the undisputed pillar of Italian speed skating.

In biathlon, Italy’s medal hopes rest squarely on the shoulders of Lisa Vittozzi and Dorothea Wierer, two athletes who have been instrumental in putting Italian biathlon on the map. Vittozzi, who clinched both the overall World Cup title and the pursuit crown in 2024, has battled her way back to top form after an injury-plagued year. Wierer, a three-time World Champion with 52 World Cup podium finishes to her name, will bow out of competitive sport in Anterselva — the place where it all began for her, bringing a remarkable career full circle.

In curling, Stefania Constantini is gunning for a second consecutive Olympic gold, reuniting with Amos Mosaner — who also serves as Italy’s fourth flag bearer — after their triumph in Beijing 2022.

On the alpine skiing front, Dominik Paris, boasting 24 World Cup victories, dreams of winning on his Stelvio course — a storybook ending to a storied career. Meanwhile, Sofia Goggia, a defining figure of the discipline and already an Olympic gold medalist in 2018 and silver medalist in 2022, arrives on the back of a recent Super-G win, hungry to add yet another unforgettable chapter to her Olympic legacy.

Milan-Cortina 2026 carries a weight that goes well beyond results for every one of the Menarini Fair Play Ambassadors. Behind each starting gate, every descent, and every race lie years of sacrifice, pivotal life decisions, and a commitment that transcends the scoreboard. On the Olympic stage, these athletes will represent not only their country but also a broader idea of what sport should be — one rooted in respect, integrity, and the power of leading by example.

Fair Play Menarini Ambassadors at the 2026 Winter Olympics

Francesca Lollobrigida, Speed Skating, “Social Values of Sport” — 2024

Lisa Vittozzi, Biathlon, “Fair Play and the Environment” — 2023

Stefania Constantini, Curling, “Educational Values of Sport” — 2022

Dominik Paris, Alpine Skiing, Sustenium Special Prize “Energy and Heart” — 2020

Federica Brignone, Alpine Skiing, “A Role Model for Young People” — 2019

Arianna Fontana, Short Track, Sustenium Special Prize “Energy and Heart” — 2018

Dorothea Wierer, Biathlon, “Promotion of Sport” — 2017

Sofia Goggia, Alpine Skiing, “Promotion of Sport” — 2017

Federico Pellegrino, Cross-Country Skiing, “Role Model for Young People” — 2017