Olympic CEO has ‘absolutely no doubt’ that sliding events will be held in Cortina d’Ampezzo
Sliding Sports Confirmed for 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo
With less than a year until the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics, organizing committee CEO Andrea Varnier has expressed his confidence that sliding sports will indeed be held in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. Last week’s testing at the venue for bobsled, luge, and skeleton went well, alleviating concerns that the site may not be ready in time for the Games.
Initially, there were worries that the International Olympic Committee may need to consider a Plan B option, potentially moving the events to Lake Placid, New York. However, the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation reported that the recent testing period at the track was deemed successful, prompting Varnier to be optimistic about the progress of rebuilding the century-old sliding center.
“We were always very optimistic, but until the pre-homologation (testing) of course, there were a lot of doubts around us,” Varnier stated. “But we were confident, and we’re very happy now.”
Officials from the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation, International Luge Federation, and the International Olympic Committee will soon assess whether the track meets the necessary criteria for official preliminary certification. The completion of the track is scheduled for November 5, followed by homologation and handover to Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026 for the Games.
Before the Olympics, the track will be used for international training and test events by the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation and International Luge Federation. Varnier emphasized the importance of hosting the sliding sports in Cortina to enhance the overall experience for participants.
“We are very happy because it would be ideal for the athletes to be all together, to stay together in Cortina,” he explained. “It will be ideal for the spectators who will have a more truly Olympic experience in Cortina, and also for the media and all the operators. It would have been very difficult to follow those sliding sports somewhere else in the world.”
