Sliding events at 2026 Winter Olympics to be held outside Italy

Sliding events at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics will be relocated outside of Italy due to the failure to construct a new track in Cortina. Milan-Cortina chief Giovanni Malago announced during the International Olympic Committee Session in Mumbai that the Italian government had instructed them to move the bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton competitions to a new location due to a significant cost increase for the Cortina track, which had reached an estimated 80 million euros ($84 million).

Malago stated, “This venue has been at the center of a long and controversial process,” and explained that a public tender process had been underway since the spring, but the global financial difficulties had prompted a reevaluation of the resources allocated by the Italian government.

As a result, the organizing committee for Milano-Cortina 2026 has identified an alternative venue outside Italy and is working with the IOC and international federations to explore possible solutions before presenting the choice to their board for final approval.

Despite this change in plans, Malago stressed that “Italy is ready” to host the Games, which are scheduled for February 6 to 22, 2026, followed by the Paralympics from March 6 to 15. He emphasized that the responsibility for not building the sliding center lies with the Italian government.

Innsbruck, Austria, has been suggested as one of the nearest possible alternatives for the 2026 sliding events, but no decision has been made yet. Andrea Varnier, the chief executive of the organizing committee, described the decision as sensible and highlighted the broader implications of moving these competitions, considering it’s the Olympic Games.

IOC co-ordination commission chair Kristin Kloster Aasen welcomed the move, as it aligns with the IOC’s policy to avoid constructing Games venues without a clear legacy plan.

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