The town of Cortina, one of Italy’s most famous ski resorts, is gearing up to co-host the 2026 Winter Olympics, marking a return of the Games to one of its traditional European bases for the first time in two decades.
As skiers enjoy a mild sunny day in the Dolomites and tourists stroll in the center of the Alpine town, builders work flat out to have the sliding center ready for a March deadline when athletes are scheduled to test it for the first time.
Finishing the sliding center, which will stage the Olympic bob, skeleton, and luge competitions, is one headache facing local organizers, who must also adapt to climate change which has meant natural snow is in short supply.
Despite the International Olympic Committee (IOC) suggesting using existing venues in neighboring Austria or Switzerland, the Veneto region and the national government ultimately opted for a full rebuilding of Cortina’s Eugenio Monti track.
Named after an Italian bobsleigh racer who won two silver medals at the last Winter Olympics held in Cortina in 1956, the revamped site has an estimated cost of 118 million euros. That is part of a 3.4 billion euro budget for the infrastructure linked to the Games.
Critics argue the revamped sliding venue risks being a white elephant given the limited number of elite competitors in sliding events and the high venue management costs.
The return of the Games to Europe comes when climate change and rising temperatures are posing an existential threat to many of the region’s traditional skiing centers.
Some 90% of Italy’s ski slopes rely on artificial snow, compared with 70% in Austria, 50% in Switzerland, and 39% in France, according to environmental lobby Legambiente.
That is evident in Cortina. Snow guns and groomers ensure the perfect white of its ski tracks, including the Olympia delle Tofane run, a regular World Cup venue, and the course where the women’s Alpine Ski events will be held.
Snow guns are provided by Italian specialist company TechnoAlpin, which supplied the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and is set for a prominent role again in ensuring there is snow at the upcoming Games in its home nation.
Cortina enjoyed a welcome drop in temperatures and accompanying snowfall in the last week of January as the one-year countdown to the Games approaches.
The town’s hoteliers are looking forward to additional exposure that can help bring tourists all year round to the Dolomites, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
(Production: Cristiano Corvino, Claudia Greco, Roberto Mignucci, Fabiano Franchitti)
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