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After weeks and months of uncertainty, the Italian government provided so-called clarity on Friday. Construction company Pizzarotti will realize the project worth 81.5 million for the new Olympic ice rink in Cortina in record time.
This plan has been criticized since it was first discussed. Left-wing politicians in Italy, environmental associations and the mayor of Cortina had already spoken out against the new construction. Italy’s right-wing government wants to avoid damage to its image by having to hold individual competitions for the 2026 Games outside Italy at all costs. This no longer has anything to do with sustainability – as the IOC has repeatedly demanded.
Will the bobsleigh, skeleton and luge races actually take place in Cortina? It will be a race against time. “Never before has a circuit been built in such a short time,” says the IOC.
Little time for St. Moritz
The Olympic governing body refers to deadlines, necessary tests and examinations to be conducted at the rink. The course should be ready in March 2025 in order to be accepted for the games in February 2026. There is no room for delays in construction. Accordingly, the IOC is calling for a plan B, but one does not exist.
One possibility would be to go to St. Moritz. But as Blick knows, waiting until March 2025 for a decision is not an option for St. Moritz. They would need two years’ notice, so they would need to be notified in February.
Innsbruck was also interested, but they also need some time. Is there even a scenario that the races will take place on the Olympic circuit in 2022? The Chinese have also presented themselves as an option.
The Italian newspaper ‘La Repubblica’ has already outlined the horror scenario: the track will not be ready for the test races in March 2025 or inspectors from the professional associations will refuse approval (for example because they do not meet the technical requirements for the Olympic Games). competition). A new bobsleigh track could then be built in Cortina, but the 2026 races could still take place abroad.
Source : Blick
I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.
