Milano-Cortina Winter Games Medals – All photos are courtesy of Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026.

Design. “Victory is never a solitary moment,” reflects Raffaella Paniè, Director of Brand, Identity and Look of the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympic and Paralympic Games. Beyond the podium, each triumph is built on teamwork, collective strength, and shared experiences—a philosophy that lies at the heart of the medals’ design, celebrating both the athletes and the teams who stand behind them.

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Two opposing halves come together in a minimal design, inspired by Italian avant-garde design. Pure and essential lines express the ideas of union and movement. One side represents the athlete, the other their team, and the dialogue between these halves is expressed through contrasting textures: polished and granular surfaces that meet to tell a story shaped not only by the competitors, but by all who helped them reach the podium.

At the heart of each medal, the five interlocking Olympic rings unite the two halves, symbolising balance and shared achievement. Subtly inclined planes and raised edges imbue the medals with a sense of movement and dynamism, allowing light to dance across their surfaces while conveying motion and energy.

The Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics medals also pay homage to the host cities, marking the first Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games shared across two locations – from 6–22 February and 6–15 March 2026.

All 1,146 Winter Olympic Games medals are manufactured by the Italian State Mint, IPZS – Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato – with sustainability at their heart. Gold, silver, and bronze waste is upcycled, and induction furnaces are powered entirely by renewable energy. It is a marriage of environmental responsibility and artistic excellence.

The Mint combines “the artistic tradition of the School of Medal Art – where artists and engravers define and shape the medals – and the industrial reality of cutting-edge production,” explained Matteo Taglienti, representing the IPZS. “This makes each medal not just a technical achievement, but a truly unique object, rich with history and meaning.”

The Milano-Cortina Winter Games medals are more than awards: they are a celebration of human connection, artistic craft, and innovation – tangible reminders that every victory is shared, and every achievement, collective.

All photos are courtesy of Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026.