Cortina d'Ampezzo hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics, originally scheduled for 1944, but cancelled because of World War II.
The 1927 Nordic, 1941 Nordic, and 1941 Alpine World Championships were held in Cortina as well, although both 1941 championships were withdrawn by the International Ski Federation (FIS) in 1946.
The region lost Winter Olympics bids in 1988 (Calgary, Canada) and 1992 (Albertville, France).

[[File:Cortina 1971 2.jpg|thumb|left|Stadio Olimpico Del Ghiaccio in summer 1971]] Cortina will host the 2021 Alpine World Championships, and, with Milan, will jointly host the 2026 Winter Olympics and the 2026 Winter Paralympics.

The town is home to SG Cortina, a professional ice hockey team in Serie A1, Italy's top division.
Cortina is also the start and end point of the annual Dolomites Gold Cup Race, a historical re-evocation event for production cars on public roads.
The town hosted the Red Bull Road Rage in 2009.

Cortina also offers excellent skiing facilities, centrally located among the 12 resorts of the Dolomiti Superski area.
Cortina itself has 115 km (71 mi) of pistes with 34 lifts and guaranteed snow coverage of over 95% from December to April.
There are six ski schools (two for cross-country) and some 300 instructors.
The Faloria-Cristallo-Mietres ski area has views over the Ampezzo Valley and is suitable forall abilities, including children.
The Tofane area offers more challenging opportunities from an elevation of 2,500 m (8,200 ft) with the Canalone and Schuss ski runs.
The longest run, the Armentarola piste in the Lagazuoi-5 Torri area, starts next to the Lagazuoi refuge at 2,752 m (9,029 ft) and is reached by cable car.

Facilities also exist for cross-country skiing, including a long stretch of the old railway line.
In and around Cortina, there are opportunities to participate in many other winter sports such as curling, ski mountaineering, snowboarding, sledding, and extreme skiing.
In the summer months, sports include trekking, trail running, biking, rock climbing, tennis, golf, swimming, and ice skiing.
The annual Lavaredo Ultra Trail series of international trail running races is based at Cortina.
Cortina d'Ampezzo hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics, originally scheduled for 1944, but cancelled because of World War II. The 1927 Nordic, 1941 Nordic, and 1941 Alpine World Championships were held in Cortina as well, although both 1941 championships were withdrawn by the International Ski Federation (FIS) in 1946. The region lost Winter Olympics bids in 1988 (Calgary, Canada) and 1992 (Albertville, France).
[[File:Cortina 1971 2.jpg|thumb|left|Stadio Olimpico Del Ghiaccio in summer 1971]] Cortina will host the 2021 Alpine World Championships, and, with Milan, will jointly host the 2026 Winter Olympics and the 2026 Winter Paralympics.
The town is home to SG Cortina, a professional ice hockey team in Serie A1, Italy's top division. Cortina is also the start and end point of the annual Dolomites Gold Cup Race, a historical re-evocation event for production cars on public roads. The town hosted the Red Bull Road Rage in 2009.
Cortina also offers excellent skiing facilities, centrally located among the 12 resorts of the Dolomiti Superski area. Cortina itself has 115 km (71 mi) of pistes with 34 lifts and guaranteed snow coverage of over 95% from December to April. There are six ski schools (two for cross-country) and some 300 instructors. The Faloria-Cristallo-Mietres ski area has views over the Ampezzo Valley and is suitable forall abilities, including children. The Tofane area offers more challenging opportunities from an elevation of 2,500 m (8,200 ft) with the Canalone and Schuss ski runs. The longest run, the Armentarola piste in the Lagazuoi-5 Torri area, starts next to the Lagazuoi refuge at 2,752 m (9,029 ft) and is reached by cable car.
Facilities also exist for cross-country skiing, including a long stretch of the old railway line. In and around Cortina, there are opportunities to participate in many other winter sports such as curling, ski mountaineering, snowboarding, sledding, and extreme skiing. In the summer months, sports include trekking, trail running, biking, rock climbing, tennis, golf, swimming, and ice skiing. The annual Lavaredo Ultra Trail series of international trail running races is based at Cortina.
Cortina d'Ampezzo