I went skiing in the Italian Alps with Winter Olympics athletes — here's what I learned

Twenty years after it hosted the Games, the spirit of the Winter Olympics is still alive at Club Med Pragelato Sestriere, writes Maurice Brosnan

La Trattoria which serves wood-fired pizza at Club Med Pragelato Sestriere,

It is a surreal experience to see the ghosts of Winter Olympics past swirling all around you while the actual event takes place a couple of hours away. The venues, the athlete, and the sport are all around us, with no crowds or cameras.

I’m at Club Med Pragelato Sestriere in the heart of the Italian Alps, east of Milano Cortina where the 2026 Games took place. This paradise hosted the 2006 Winter Olympics too. Former Olympian Jamie Nicholls is here to lead our group around the slopes. It has all the infrastructure and spirit of that famed event without any of the frenzy.