Half a century after Cortina d’Ampezzo, the Winter Olympic Games return to Italy, beating competition from the Swiss candidate Sion. It is a record edition in terms of the number of participants and nations – including newcomers Albania, Madagascar, and Ethiopia – which involve Turin and the entire Piedmont region: 65 new facilities and infrastructure projects are built for the occasion. For the first time, the Olympics areavailable live on mobile phones.

Cross-country skier Stefania Belmondo, already the Italian record holder with 10 medals at the Winter Games, lights the Olympic flame.

In keeping with the International Convention Against Doping in Sport, signed in Paris the previous year, the 2006 Turin Games feature the most stringent anti-doping protocols ever, with over 1,200 tests conducted.

The speed skating team pursuit and snowboard cross makes their debut on the competition program. Italy finishes ninth in the medal table, with five golds and six bronzes. 

Nation: Italy

Athletes: 2,508 (960 women, 1,548 men)

Nations: 80

Medal count: Germany, United States of America, Austria

Turin 2006 Paralympics

This was the first edition to use the Paralympic logo with the three curved lines known as “agitos” – from the Latin agito, “I move” – instead of the five rings. 474 athletes (375 men, 99 women) from 38 countries participated. Wheelchair curling makes its debut. Russia finishes at the top of the medal table, ahead of Germany and Ukraine.