Here's why there are Olympic games every 2 years

WASHINGTON — In just 100 days, athletes from all over the world will gather in Italy to compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics .

The event comes nearly two years after the Summer Games in Paris and four years after the last edition of the Winter Games in Beijing.

Next year, the Winter Games will be hosted by two Italian cities, Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo.

More than 3,500 athletes from 93 countries will compete in the 16 Olympic and six Paralympic sports events. Several prolific American athletes are expected to compete, with the U.S. a top contender for overall medal count.

The Winter Games will feature 16 different sports, including ski jumping, snowboarding, bobsleighing and figure skating.

Why are the Olympics every two years?

For most of the 20th century, the Winter and Summer Ol