Bidders to stage sliding competitions for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games from among Lake Placid, U.S., St. Moritz, Switzerland and Innbruck, Austria need only wait until the end of October to learn whether they’ll be chosen as a ‘plan b’ site for the bobsled, luge and skeleton events. Then, the winning proposal will have to wait until next March to learn if the preferred venue now under construction in Cortina d’Ampezzo earns certification by international federations and where the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ultimately chooses to hold the event.
Last week the presidents of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) and the International Luge Federation (FIL) inspected the progress of the construction project and said they were confident that it would be delivered on time.
“After our inspection on the site, I am very pleased to confirm that the quality of the product and the timing we see in the execution of the work make us absolutely positive about the final result,” IBSF president Ivo Ferriani said.
“We are sure that the track will be ready in the ways and times expected and above all with the quality necessary for the safety of the athletes,” the Italian IOC Executive Board member added.
Photos released by the federations show sections of the track where concrete has already been poured, and preparations have been made so construction can be carried out through the winter months.
The reconstruction of the dilapidated Eugenio Monto sliding track, first built to stage the 1956 Cortina Winter Games, began in the spring after several delays due to difficulties sourcing a construction partner. Despite warnings from the IOC and various stakeholders that developing a track in such a short timeframe to meet a March 2025 deadline was risky, the Games organizing committee was permitted to move forward as long as it prepared a backup venue. If the target date is met it will mark the fastest development of a sliding track in history.
Meanwhile work on securing the backup site continues.
Darcy Rowe Norfolk, communications director for the Olympic Development Regional Authority (ORDA) in New York State told Adirondack Daily Enterprise that Lake Placid remains as a potential site in the ongoing bid process. She said discussions continue with the Italian organizers and she expects Milan-Cortina 2026 to make a decision at the beginning of October. The IOC will then approve the chosen plan before the end of that month.
The IOC Executive Board is scheduled to meet October 8.
Plans proposed by Lake Placid if they are to stage sliding at the Winter Olympics for a record-setting third time include holding medal ceremonies at Rockefeller Center in New York City.
If organizers fail to meet the 2026 Winter Games deadline, the completed track could be ready for the proposed Dolomiti Valtellina 2028 Winter Youth Olympic Games that has already been singled out for election by the IOC membership next year. The venue will also support Italy’s national team and will likely host future World Cup events and championships.
Milan-Cortina 2026 is set to open February 6 and run until February 22.
