Source: Government of Italy (English)
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today awarded the Gold Olympic Order, the highest honour in international Olympic sport, to the President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, in recognition of the Government’s commitment and support in organising the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Games.
The award ceremony was held at Palazzo Chigi, during which the Olympic Order was also presented to the Vice-President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Matteo Salvini; the Minister for Sport and Youth, Andrea Abodi; the Minister of Economy and Finance, Giancarlo Giorgetti; the Special Government Commissioner for Olympic works and CEO of Simico S.p.A., Fabio Massimo Saldini; and the Special Government Commissioner for the organisation and staging of the XIV Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, Giuseppe Fasiol.
The ceremony was attended by the President of the IOC, Kirsty Coventry; the President of the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), Luciano Buonfiglio; the President of the Milano Cortina 2026 Foundation, Giovanni Malagò; the Chief Executive Officer of the Milano Cortina 2026 Foundation, Andrea Varnier; the Chair of the IOC Coordination Commission for Milano Cortina 2026, Kirstin Kloster; the Secretary General of CONI, Carlo Mornati; and the Italian members of the IOC: Franco Carraro, Manuela di Centa, Ivo Ferriani, Mario Pescante, and Francesco Ricci Bitti.