LAUSANNE, Switzerland, Jan 21 (Reuters) – The Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics sliding center and ice hockey stadium are almost complete, but some work is still needed so they can be delivered for the Games in 16 days, the International Olympic Committee said on Wednesday.
The sliding center in Cortina d’Ampezzo was under intense pressure after Italy decided less than three years ago to build a new site instead of using an existing site in a neighboring country to keep costs down and speed up preparations.
That decision – which was opposed by the IOC before being reluctantly accepted – meant that Italian organizers had their backs against the wall from the start of the project. The Santagiulia ice hockey venue in Milan had an equally tight construction schedule.
“The sliding center. Is there still some work to be done? Yes, a lot,” Christophe Dubi, the IOC’s Olympic Games executive director, told a news conference.
NurPhoto via Getty Images
“But what I was told is that it is not a complex job. Everything to do with systems, track cooling, scoring, cameras, everything is there,” said Dubi, speaking from Milan.
“What I saw is still a lot of finishing touches, some concrete sidewalks for tents, some groundwork to get the venue ready for spectators. There are a lot of people working. No doubt it will be finished. I have a lot of confidence in the sliding center.”
Slow progress and delays in the construction of the Santagiulia arena in south-east Milan were one of the biggest problems in the run-up to the Olympics, but Dubi said work was well underway to finalize a venue where ice hockey matches will take place.
“Hats off to anyone who can get a location done in such a short period of time,” Dubi said. “It started late. That means all hands are on deck. There are 1,600 employees in the room every day. I’m very confident.”
