Volunteers celebrate role at Italy's Winter Games

Описание: (15 Feb 2026)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY: AP AND SNTV CLIENTS MAY USE

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP AND SNTV CLIENTS MAY USE
Milan, Italy - 15 February 2026
1. Wide of International Olympic Committee briefing room
2. Wide of officials arriving for briefing
3. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Diana Bianchedi, chief strategy planning and legacy officer:
"I have always said that when an athlete coming to the Games lands, when the doors of the airplane open, the first person they see is a volunteer. The smile and welcome of the volunteer is something that makes you feel a little more at home, a little more confident. But the volunteer is also that person who is there with you at that point in time when you are called, when you are alone, when you are about to face the ultimate and most important moment and you are not with your coach, when you are not with your family."
4. Wide of briefing
5. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Giulia Restelli, volunteer: ++STARTS ON ZOOM IN++
“Because from an early age, watching the Olympics I have always felt very strong emotions. Knowing that they would be hosted by my native country, this was an unmissable opportunity, so I applied right from the start. The cultural gain is really vast, this experience is enriching in ways that are truly unique, you can’t find this in other contexts. There is an opportunity to make connections and meet people both Italian and above all from all over the rest of the world."
6. Pan of International Olympic Committee officials during briefing
7. Wide of briefing
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Mark Adams, IOC spokesperson:
“We can’t rewrite history. The 1936 Games happened. And by the way, we hold up what Jesse Owens did, and a number of other athletes as great examples of upholding the Olympic spirit. So I think we need to also remember that there are also some good aspects of that. The technical answer which is actually quite important, is that the validity of those trademarks depends on us exercising our rights to use those trademarks. So if we stop using those trademarks, they can be taken by other people and potentially misused.”
9. People leaving at end of briefing
10. Various of volunteers and others gathered
STORYLINE:
Olympic volunteers took center stage on Sunday at an International Olympic Committee briefing to talk about their experiences and role.

Giulia Restelli, one of volunteers, called the program an “unmissable opportunity” and a way to meet people from all over the world.

The Winter Games’ chief strategy planning and legacy officer, former Olympian Diana Bianchedi said they received more than 130,000 applications from around the world to volunteer.

She said volunteers play a vital role in so many aspects of the Games, and help ease athletes' anxieties.

“The smile and welcome of the volunteer is something that makes you feel a little more at home, a little more confident,” she said.

Restelli said she has watched the Olympics since she was a child, and was inspired to volunteer when she realized her country, Italy, would be hosting.

"This experience is enriching in ways that are truly unique, you can’t find this in other contexts," she added.

Officials also addressed a controversy surrounding the sale of T-shirts commemorating the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin in the official Olympic Games online shop.

The Games that year were infamously held under the Nazi regime, and used by Adolf Hitler to promote Nazi ideology.


===========================================================


Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter:   / ap_archive  
Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​
Instagram:   / apnews  


You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...