From Francesca Lollobrigida’s Olympic record in the women’s 3,000m speed skating to Federica Brignone’s second gold in three days, these Games have felt distinctly Italian. With 25 medals so far — the country’s best Winter Games haul, beating the previous high of 20 in Lillehammer more than 30 years ago — it’s natural to ask how much of that success comes from being the host.
Past hosts often saw spikes in performance: the US in 2002, Canada in 2010, South Korea and China more recently. But the notion of a strong, consistent home advantage is more complicated. Carl Singleton, an economist who has studied Olympic home advantage from 1896 to 2021, finds that the effect has generally diminished over time. The Games have grown in size and depth — far more sports and many more competing nations — so the advantage once enjoyed by hosts is likely smaller now than in earlier decades.
Still, hosting appears to confer meaningful benefits at Milan–Cortina. One obvious factor is familiarity. Italy used only two brand-new venues for these Games (the sliding centre and the Santagiulia ice arena), meaning many Italian athletes had trained repeatedly on the same tracks and rinks they competed on, and many grew up on the same snow. That intimate knowledge of surfaces, lines and local conditions is a concrete, performance-boosting edge. Supportive home crowds and the absence of long travel also help, while possible officiating bias remains a more debated and less quantifiable influence.
A striking feature of Italy’s run in 2026 is the prominence of women. Whereas historical data showed home advantage was often much larger in men’s events and relatively muted in women’s competitions, Italian women have been central to this host-nation surge. Italian athletes have medalled in 16 women’s events so far — four more than in Beijing — reflecting broader growth in women’s sport: more funding, greater participation and deeper competition. That stronger base makes it easier for any familiarity or marginal home gains to translate into podium results.
How lasting will the effects be? Evidence suggests different patterns for Summer and Winter hosts. Singleton’s research finds clear post-hosting spillovers for some Summer Games hosts, but on average Winter hosts do not show the same sustained lift. Recent examples illustrate the point: China collected 15 medals at home in 2022 but had five in Milan–Cortina; South Korea fell from 17 at home in 2018 to nine in 2022 and sits lower again this time. Medals are visible markers of success and matter politically and culturally, but they are an imperfect gauge of long-term development pathways.
Cost remains a big constraint for many nations trying to convert a one-off hosting boost into broader participation and elite depth. Even so, there are intangible returns that are harder to measure: memories, national pride, inspiration for young athletes and a shared social experience. Those benefits don’t show up in GDP figures but can matter to communities and future sporting culture.
In short, Italy’s 2026 performance shows that while the classical home advantage may be smaller than in the past, it hasn’t vanished. Familiarity with venues, home support and a strong surge in women’s results have combined to make hosting a tangible advantage this winter — whether it produces lasting change remains to be seen.
Note: Medal count cited was current as of 13:40 CET on February 18, 2026.