The organizing committee for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy will move bobsleigh and luge competitions to another country. About it reports edition La Repubblica.
Source: AP 2023
During the 141st session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Mumbai, the head of the organizing committee of the Games and the president of the National Olympic Committee of Italy, Giovanni Malago, said that the organizing committee was forced to abandon the construction of a luge center in the Italian city of Cortina d’Ampezzo.
“Two days ago, the Italian government informed us that the best way out of the situation would be to consider moving the competition to an existing venue. In this regard, the organizing committee must decide on a facility outside of Italy. We are already working to explore all possible solutions,” Malago said.
According to the source, the organizing committee was unable to find funds for the reconstruction of the bobsleigh and luge track where the Winter Olympic Games were held in 1956. About 50-60 million euros were required for these purposes, but the Italian government refused to allocate money.
Source: Reuters
Modern view of the luge and bobsleigh track in Cortina d’Ampezzo, the reconstruction of which was decided to be abandoned
There are corresponding sports facilities in the vicinity of Cortina d’Ampezzo in Switzerland, Austria, Germany and France. Two tracks are being considered as potential candidates – in Innsbruck, Austria and St. Moritz, Switzerland. Innsbruck hosted the Winter Olympics in 1964 and 1976, St. Moritz in 1928 and 1948. Innsbruck is the first choice, as the distance from Cortina d’Ampezzo is only 160 kilometers.
Thus, the 2026 Olympics will be the first Winter Games to be held in several countries at once. Previously, this happened twice at the Summer Games: Amsterdam hosted the Olympic sailing competitions as part of the 1920 Olympics, which was held in Antwerp, and Stockholm hosted the equestrian competitions as part of the 1956 Olympics, which Melbourne hosted.
The 2026 Winter Olympics will take place from February 6 to 26. The host cities of the games will be the Italian cities of Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. It is expected that 116 sets of medals will be awarded at the Games, of which five in luge, four in bobsleigh and three in skeleton.
2023-10-16 10:44:03
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