The 2006 Turin Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo in 1956. The Nations paricipating were 80, the athletes 2,508 (1,548 men, 960 women). The motto was: Passion lives here. The Olympic Games were officialy opened by the President of the Republic Carlo Azeglio Ciampi.
