Update (17.10.2023)
The Italian government has finally decided against the construction of a new bobsleigh track in Cortina. This was announced by Giovanni Malagò, President of the Italian Olympic Committee, on November 16. For the first time in the history of the Winter Olympics, bobsleigh and skeleton competitions will be held outside the host country. Among the most promising candidates are Innsbruck-Igls/A and St. Moritz/CH.

After an unsuccessful tender in July, no construction company had submitted a bid by 20 September 2023, despite a simplified tendering procedure. The construction and the necessary test runs for the installation would have to be completed by the end of 2025: in view of rising raw material prices and the short lead time available, no company was willing to take such a risk. The bid dossier talked of already existing facilities and of Winter Olympic Games that would cost practically nothing. In the meantime, the costs for the bobsleigh track alone – which the organisers want to build from scratch in Cortina – are estimated at over 120 million euros. CIPRA Italy has researched the increase in costs and published it in a media release (it). Costs continue to rise, the time for construction is running out and there is a risk that millions of euros will be spent on a facility that will not be ready in time. On 24 September a demonstration took place in Cortina: citizens and organisations took to the streets to protest against the building of the bobsleigh track. In their opinion, the 120 million euros would be better invested in social, health, housing and other services for the local population.

Possible Swiss bid for 2030

Swiss Olympic is currently preparing a feasibility study on a possible bid for the 2030 Winter Games under “new framework conditions”. The problem, however, is “that declarations of intent by national Olympic committees very often do not correspond to the specifications of the IOC, or one or other thing is changed afterwards”, said Kaspar Schuler, Executive Director of CIPRA International, in a discussion held on Swiss radio: “In almost all cases this leads to huge mismanagement and building ruins in the landscape.” The decision on Switzerland's Olympic bid should be made by the end of 2023.

Sources and further information:

www.corriere.it/economia/aziende/23_settembre_21/milano-cortina-2026-perche-nessuno-vuole-fare-pista-bob-l-olimpiade-non-trova-costruttori (it), www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2023/09/21/olimpiadi-2026-tempo-nessuno-vuole-costruire-pista-bob-cortina/7299253/ (it), https://altreconomia.it/olimpiadi-2026-la-fine-del-confronto-mai-nato-tra-organizzatori-e-ambientalisti (it), https://vocidicortina.it/a4367-Cortina-manifestazione-No-pista-da-bob-del-24-settembre-programma-e-adesioni (it), www.ildolomiti.it/cronaca/2023/pista-da-bob-a-cortina-si-riempie-la-piazza-per-dire-no-allopera-foto-e-una-questione-di-tutti-perche-di-tutti-e-lambiente-che-ci-circonda (it), www.srf.ch/audio/forum/olympische-winterspiele-in-der-schweiz-eine-gute-idee?id=12442420 (de), www.spiegel.de/sport/olympia/olympische-winterspiele-2026-eiskanal-wettbewerbe-finden-nicht-in-gastgeberland-italien-statt (de), www.rainews.it/tgr/bolzano/articoli/2023/10/olimpiadi-2026-malago-niente-pista-da-bob-a-cortina-per-le-gare-si-andra-allestero (it)