(ATR) Cortina d’Ampezzo is one of the signature venues on the women’s World Cup Alpine circuit, while on the men’s side Bormio is renowned for its exceedingly difficult, bumpy and unrelenting downhill piste.
World Cup races have been run on Bormio’s Stelvio Piste since 1993, while Cortina’s Olympia delle Tofane course has been the slope for women's races since 1974. The venerable 1956 Olympic resort of Cortina is preparing to host the 2021 Alpine Ski World Championships, with comprehensive upgrades and infrastructure improvements planned. Bormio hosted world championships previously in 1985 and 2005.
Considering the two resorts' wealth of ski racing experience, the Milan-Cortina 2026 bid master plan proposes staging men’s races in Bormio and women's races in Cortina. The two resorts are situated some 260 kilometers apart. Bormio lies in the Italian Alps of the Lombardy Region, whereas Cortina is situated in the heart of the Dolomites in the Veneto Region of northern Italy.
The IOC Evaluation Commission report, released on May 24 following venue inspections of both Milan-Cortina and Swedish challenger Stockholm-Are, suggests Italian bid officials evaluate holding all alpine ski races in Cortina. It states: "Having separate men's and women's venues for Alpine skiing in Bormio and Cortina respectively could increase operating costs and logistical complexities.
"In the light of the Olympic Agenda 2020/New Norm objectives, the FIS indicates that Cortina, which is currently being comprehensively upgraded in preparation for the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in 2021, could serve as the venue for all the Alpine skiing competitions."
In response to the IOC report and recommendation about alpine skiing venues, a Milan-Cortina spokesman said: "Should the Games be awarded to Milano Cortina, we will discuss with IOC, FIS and the NOCs to find the best operational solutions to reduce costs and smooth Games experience for all stakeholders involved."
In lieu of the IOC’s suggestion to evaluate consolidating events to one alpine ski resort, it also notes that Bormio and Cortina are "world-class venues and have the capacity of hosting all the Alpine events." The report adds that both benefit from experienced and professional operators and a solid network of volunteers and passionate fans, all of which would ensure an unforgettable experience for the athletes.
Milan-Cortina 2026 President Giovanni Malago said he is very happy with the IOC report.
"We were sure that we had done a good job, with great effort and passion, thanks to fantastic teamwork, the support of the government and the extraordinary collaboration between the various sports, institutional and territorial players," Malago said. "However, when you take an exam, you have to wait for the results, and we are very happy with our report card."
The last Olympic Winter Games to stage men’s and women’s alpine races in separate ski areas was Albertville 1992. Men’s races took place in Val d’Isere, while the ladies skied in Meribel.
Written by Brian Pinelli
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