Italian Skiers Excited About Milan-Cortina 2026 Bid

(ATR) Italian athletes are thrilled about a potential Olympic Winter Games return to Cortina d’Ampezzo.

The 1956 Winter Olympics host city is welcoming its annual women's FIS Alpine World Cup races Friday through Sunday, as critical preparations for the 2021 World Championships are ongoing.

Many in the Italian winter sports community are hoping the races are a prelude to the 2026 Olympics. A successful bid would bring the Olympics back to the chic Italian Dolomites resort 70 years after it last hosted the Games.

"For sure, we are here to support this movement," said 27-year-old Italian ski racer Elena Curtoni about the bid. "It would be such a positive thing for Italy and especially my younger teammates.

"It’s important to explain to the world our history and our legend of this place and slope," Curtoni said, referring to the Olympia delle Tofane piste, which skiers also raced down during the 1956 Games.

Italian racer Marta Bassino, 22, conveyed similar enthusiasm about the chance of the Olympics returning to Italy.

"I don’t know the politics, but for our sport and winter sport in general I think it could bring lots of benefits for all the population," Bassino said, following a downhill training run on Thursday.

"I was last year in Korea and I think a big event like the Olympics here in Italy would be amazing."

Should Italy win the right to host the 2026 Games, Alpine skiing would be divided between Bormio (men) and Cortina (women). According to the Milan-Cortina candidature file submitted to the IOC on Jan. 11, only one sporting venue would need to built from scratch – an arena in Milan.

Vancouver 2010 Olympic downhill gold medalist and PyeongChang bronze medalist Lindsey Vonn is making her latest comeback from injury in Cortina. Vonn recently announced this will be her final season as she seeks five more victories to break Ingemar Stenmark’s World Cup record of 86.

Vonn – who has won 12 races in Cortina – lit up when asked about the Italian Olympic bid.

"Yeah, that would be awesome – maybe I’d come out of retirement for that," joked the 34-year-old skier.

The four-time Olympian also commended Italian organizers for the various improvements and changes surrounding the new Cortina finish area unveiled for this weekend’s races ahead of the 2021 championships.

"It definitely seems like it’s a better lay-out for everyone," said Vonn. "It was always a bit of a challenge with people standing on the sidehill – I would get mobbed, people would slide down the hill and it was kind of dangerous actually. I think this is a much better set-up."

Milan-Cortina’s challenger, Stockholm-Are is preparing for the World Alpine Ski Championships, to be contested next month in Are. The Swedish ski resort, which also held the 2007 edition, is located 541 kilometers (336 miles) northwest of the Swedish capital. By comparison, Cortina is 409 kilometers (254 miles) driving distance from Milan.

International Ski Federation secretary general Sarah Lewis points out that while the two 2026 candidates are busy getting ready for Alpine World Championships, both have also hosted Nordic World Championships in recent years – Val di Fiemme in 2013 and Falun in 2015.

Lewis emphasized that both candidatures offer FIS well-equipped cities with proven winter sports expertise, reliable venues and long traditions of hosting major international events.

The IOC Evaluation Commission will visit Milan-Cortina from April 2-6, with the host city election in late June at the 134th IOC Session in Lausanne.

Written and reported by Brian Pinelli in Cortina d’Ampezzo.

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