LAUSANNE: Italian authorities and Games organisers will track betting patterns to prevent match-fixing at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, while also monitoring for any manipulation of competitions, the International Olympic Committee said on Tuesday.

The 16-day Games, starting on February 6, are the biggest winter multi-sports event in the world, with more than 3,000 participating athletes from over 90 countries.

The IOC said its new Joint Integrity Unit, set up jointly with Games organisers to ensure collaboration and quick exchange of information between sports disciplinary bodies and Italian law enforcement agencies, will operate between January 30 and February 24. The Games end on February 22.

Integrity breaches can take many forms, from competition manipulation to bribery or unethical behaviour by accredited individuals, said the IOC’s chief ethics and compliance officer, Giuseppe Deleonardis, in a statement.

“Should criminal elements be involved, we will work with the Italian authorities, police and justice system, to share any relevant information.”

One of the key tasks of the JIU will be to prevent match-fixing, with a betting intelligence system already in place to track irregular betting patterns and other suspicious activity related to the Games.

The IOC has set up similar units at every Games since the 2012 London summer Olympics.

While previous Games, summer and winter, have not been tarnished by a major betting scandal, they have been rocked by several high-profile doping scandals.

ORGANISERS DEFEND ICE HOCKEY RINKS

On Monday, the Games organising committee defended the size of ice rinks after criticism from the sport’s governing body.

The Santa Giulia arena is set to host preliminary and knock-out games but the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and North American media covering the NHL have voiced their concerns regarding the playing area.

The Milano Rho arena will be the home of some other preliminary matches.

Players from the NHL in North America, widely regarded as the best in the world, will compete at next year’s Olympics for the first time since 2014.

“The IIHF can confirm that the ice surfaces for the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games will measure 60.0 m x 26.0 m (approximately 196.85 ft. x 85.3 ft),” the Milan-Cortina Games organisers said.

“While these dimensions differ slightly from a typical NHL rink, they are consistent with IIHF regulations, match the rink size used at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games and are fully consistent with the dimensions the NHL requires as part of its Global Series Game arena specifications.

“All involved, the IIHF, the Organizing Committee, NHL, NHLPA, IOC and the relevant venue authorities agree that the differences in rink specifications are insignificant, and should not impact either the safety or quality of game play. We look forward to welcoming the world’s best players for a best-on-best competition at the Games.”

Santa Giulia arena is set to open next month following delays in its construction. The Santa Giulia arena will host seven games in the Italian league and cup from January 9-11 in a test event.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2025