In a single yr’s time Italy can be welcoming the world to the Winter Olympics, however a sizeable variety of athletes may as an alternative be competing for medals greater than 4,000 miles away in the US.
The sliding centre in Cortina – which can stage bobsleigh, skeleton and luge – is going through a race towards time to be prepared.
The venue is being utterly rebuilt on a century-old monitor at a price of greater than £72m, sanctioned by the Italian authorities.
The official deadline is March for when the brand new monitor should have been iced, examined and licensed. Lake Placid in New York state is the confirmed different, regardless of world class tracks together with Igls in Austria and St Moritz in Switzerland being significantly nearer.
Andrea Varnier, chief government of Milan-Cortina 2026, informed BBC Sport: “We checked all accessible venues and the one one which was prepared with out the necessity for funding and capable of host us on the final minute was Lake Placid.
“That’s the reason why it is the plan B, however we actually intend to remain in Cortina as a lot as attainable.”
Varnier admitted it might be a “mutilated Video games” if the sliding occasions couldn’t be held in Italy.
“That is what we really feel,” he mentioned. “It is good for the athletes, good for the spectators to have the ambiance [in Cortina].”
However he remained hopeful, including: “We’re progressing and we’re monitoring along with the Worldwide Olympic Committee.”
