You say Turin, I say Torino

Opening Ceremonies of the 2006 Olympic Games in Torino, Italy / AP photo: Gene J. Puskar

Isn't it great? After four long years away, the Winter Olympics are back!

Unfortunately, there's some confusion regarding where the Olympics are being held. Most people agree that it's in Italy, but is it in Torino or Turin? After all, if you are watching on NBC, they'll say Torino. But if you're reading an AP story, they'll say Turin. So why the discrepancy?

This MSNBC story explains why most print publications say Turin:

“Turin is the English translation of the Italian word Torino,” said Clara Orban, a professor of Italian at DePaul University. “Standard practice in the United States is if a city name has been translated differently, go with the English translation.”

That’s what The Associated Press is doing. Its policy — and it was around long before Turin was awarded the Olympic Games — is to use the English version of foreign cities. It’s Rome, not Roma. Munich, not Muenchen. Moscow instead of Mockba or Moskva.

That same MSNBC story also explains why NBC says Torino:

The official name of the games is “Torino 2006,” and the International Olympic Committee refers to the city by its Italian name. When the games were awarded in June 1999, then-IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch announced, “The hosts of the 2006 Games will be Torino.”

After NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol took a trip to Turin, he decided the network would go with Torino, too. NBC has the U.S. broadcast rights to the games.

“Dick was hearing the way the locals were saying Torino, and how it’s so magnificently Italian how it rolls off the tongue,” said Mike McCarley, vice president of communications and marketing for NBC Sports.

Of course, if you're reading this blog, you probably won't be making it to Turin or Torino for the 2006 Olympic Games. If that's the case, you might want to check out the recent Google Earth and Google Local upgrades, Virtually Torino, to get a feel for what the city's like and where the various venues are.