IOC President Coventry excited about Friday night's Milano Cortina 2026 opening ceremony

On the eve of the opening ceremony for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry couldn't wait to be joined by sports fans eager to enjoy the program.

"The excitement on the ground is building and building and I think now we're so close to the opening ceremony," the IOC chief said. "Everyone is like 'let's go, let's go.' So, I hope that that really gets everyone inspired around this city to come out and celebrate the Games and to share the inspirational moments that we're gonna see in the next few days."

Coventry attended TCL's launch ceremony for an exhibit of its latest innovations at the TCL Edelweiss Land Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina Showcase on Thursday. The "It's Your Greatness" display at Piazza Duca d'Aosta Milano Centrale turned a busy urban space into a fully immersive experience.

A host of Chinese technology leaders are helping write a new chapter in how the world connects through sports. Coventry noted that the partnership bridges continents, while delivering the emotion, intensity and shared human moment directly to the world.

TCL Technology Group Corporation CEO Wang Cheng feels empowering major international events highlights the innovation abilities of Chinese companies.

"I believe the trend of China's tech industry empowering major international events is becoming increasingly evident and is actively unfolding and it's not just TCL," Wang said. "Alibaba is also a key partner in major global competitions and plays a crucial role in the Olympics. These efforts highlight the innovation capabilities of Chinese enterprises. So seeing Chinese companies take on such significant roles on major international stages and at global events, I am very confident that more and more such companies and success stories will emerge in the future."