The sight of Brazil’s Lucas Pinheiro Braathen celebrating his country’s first Winter Olympic gold medal by dancing a samba on the Stelvio snow was all it took to emphasise the success of the far-flung Milan and Cortina Games.
Ambitiously staged in so many different locations, they will serve as a blueprint for future editions – starting with the French Alps in four years’ time – for how to host a Games without losing its essential snow-bound setting.
