Final preparations underway with 100 days to Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina

The countdown is on to the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milano-Cortina, the first time Italy will host the sporting showpiece in 20 years.

On Wednesday, with 100 days to go until the official opening on 6 February, organisers unveiled the official winners podiums.

They were showcased by stoats Tina and Milo who are the official mascots of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Co-hosted by Milan and the alpine town of Cortina d'Ampezzo, sporting events will take place at several sites across the region.

This geographic spread means that organisers have focused on using existing infrastructure, with only two of the 13 venues being new.

It also means that the estimated the final bill of $6.05 billion will be much less that the amount spent for the previous three Winter Olympics.

With just over three months to go, the race is on to get everything ready amid concerns that preparations at some venues are experiencing delays.

This includes the new ice hockey arena in Milan which is not expected to be completed until shortly before the opening ceremony.

The Olympic torch relay begins in December, starting in Rome and passing through all of Italy's provinces before ending in the Milan stadium where the opening will take place.