Italy wants to decide on the venue for the bobsleigh, luge and skeleton races at the 2026 Winter Olympics by the end of January. The organizing committee announced this after a meeting in Rome.
Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini had previously campaigned within the government for the construction of a new railway in Cortina d’Ampezzo. However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had ruled out a new building if there was no viable plan for subsequent use.
There is also talk of renovating the Olympic track in the Italian winter sports resort of Cesana, which has been closed since 2011, or moving the competitions to Austria, Germany or Switzerland. The Bobsleigh and Sled Association for Germany (BSD) is already in the running with the artificial ice rinks in Schönau am Königssee, Altenberg and Winterberg.
Hosting competitions outside the host country would be a first in the history of the Winter Games. The games were awarded to Milan and Cortina in 2019. They take place in February of next year.