The picturesque Italian resort of Cortina d'Ampezzo, set to host the 2026 Winter Olympics, presents a stark contrast between its gleaming slopes and the visible chaos of unfinished preparations. Just metres from the Tofane finish area, gravel piles are being excavated and tractors grind across muddy access roads as contractors work frantically with events due to commence in three days.
The curling tournament is set to begin on Wednesday, followed by the first women's downhill training on Thursday, placing immense pressure on organisers. While a brand-new sliding centre was completed just in time, defying International Olympic Committee (IOC) pressure to relocate events abroad, a crucial cable car intended to transport spectators to the Alpine skiing events will not be ready.
This failure has prompted organisers to request temporary school closures in Cortina to ease strain on the resort's already stretched transport system. Olympic Games executive director Christophe Dubi acknowledged on Sunday that not every space is finished, but insisted that 'anything the athletes need is absolutely done' and that no experience would be tainted by incomplete paint or carpeting.
IOC president Kirsty Coventry offered a more optimistic assessment, stating that 'we are where we need to be'. The Milano Cortina organising committee did not respond to a request for comment.
