Sliding events at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics will be staged outside Italy following the failure to build a new track in Cortina, it was announced Monday.
Milan-Cortina chief Giovanni Malago told the International Olympic Committee Session in Mumbai his organisation had been effectively ordered by the Italian government to move the bobsleigh, luge and skeleton competitions to a new site following an estimated doubling of costs for the Cortina track to 80 million euros ($84 million).
“As you know, this venue has been at the centre of a long and controversial process,” Malago, also the president of Italy’s National Olympic Committee, told the session.
“Since the spring, a public tender procedure has been under way, going through different stages.”
He said recent global financial trouble “has forced a reflection on the resources originally allocated by the Italian government”.
“As a result, Milano-Cortina 2026 has identified another venue outside Italy. We are already working to explore all possible solutions and analyse the alternatives together with the IOC and international federations before submitting the choice to our board for final approval.”
Despite the change of plans, the organising committee president insisted “Italy is ready” to stage the Games, scheduled for February 6 to 22, 2026, followed by the Paralympics from March 6 to 15.
