Some individual athletes from the banned countries will be permitted to participate in the Milano Cortina Winter Games

Italy announced on Wednesday that it had successfully stopped a wave of cyberattacks aimed at disrupting the 2026 Winter Olympics. The attacks struck just hours before the opening ceremony in Milan. They highlighted the growing threat of cyber incidents at major international sporting events.

Ninety-two nations will be present at the 25th edition of the Games, with nearly 3,000 athletes set to compete in 116 different events. However, not all countries will be represented at the major sporting event in Italy, as non-sporting action has once again led to certain countries being barred from competing.