2026 Olympics: In Livigno, Cortina and Milan, two months to complete a race against time

It is a highlight before each Olympics: the flame, lit in Olympia, will travel to Rome on Thursday December 4, before travelling across Italy for 60 days until its arrival in Milan for the opening ceremony.

Although the country is beginning, tentatively, to adorn itself with the colours of Milano Cortina 2026, their organizers have no time to lose in order to ensure that the seven sites, between Lombardy, Veneto and Trentino-Alto Adige, of these Games deliberately "spread out" to reduce the cost, are ready.

And as is another Olympic tradition, this time trial is not immune to rumors and concerns.

While the organizing committee refuses to comment on the most alarming reports, the IOC admitted on Wednesday to a form of "pressure" according to its executive director of the Games, Christophe Dubi.

"On an Olympic setup, as you know if you were involved with Paris-2024, 'objects' are delivered late, because that's the very nature of this business, the most important investments are made in the last few months," he recalled on the sidelines of a visit to Savoie and Haute-Savoie where the 2030 Olympics will take place.

"Quite a delay"

Among the venues where the 116 Olympic titles will be awarded, two are attracting particular attention: the Livigno snowpark for the freestyle skiing and snowboarding events and the main ice rink for ice hockey in Milan.

For Livigno, the Secretary General of the International Ski Federation (FIS), Michel Vion, raised the alarm.

"There is quite a delay on the artificial snow system which is not yet finalized. Apparently, the hillside reservoir is finished but they have not received the authorizations to fill the lake yet," he explained to AFP earlier this week.

But without artificial snow, it is impossible to build the imposing modules, jumps and other ramps.

The use of snow cannons should be able to begin in the middle of next week, SiMiCo, the state company in charge of delivering the Olympic works, which is notably responsible for building the basin to supply them, assured AFP.

"The low temperatures prevailing in Livigno place us in a situation of absolute tranquility," insisted its boss Fabio Massimo Saldini.

The International Ice Hockey Federation is on tenterhooks because of the Arena Santagiulia, the multi-sports venue hosting the final of the men's Olympic hockey tournament on February 22, with NHL stars returning to the Olympics after a twelve-year absence.

"The facilities in Milan are not up to standard," fumed Luc Tardif, the French head of world hockey, on Radio Canada.

The private developer of the project, the Eventim group, assured AFP that the ice rink, where "580 workers on two shifts" are working, will be delivered in January, a month late.

Ticket sales capped

The seven matches of the Italian Championship and the Italian Cup, test events, were confirmed on Wednesday.

In Cortina d'Ampezzo, it was a cable car that was delayed. The Apollonio-Socrepes lift is meant to transport spectators to the women's alpine skiing events and relieve congestion in the chic Dolomite resort.

But between legal challenges and geological complexities, construction only began last July. The organizers therefore decided to limit ticket sales to follow the exploits of Shiffrin, Goggia, and Vonn on the legendary "Olimpia delle Tofane".

"This work will be completed for the Olympics," Mr. Saldini insisted.

"Italy will be ready," insisted the head of SiMiCo, sounding a bit weary, emphasizing that his company had "stepped up" for the curling rink and the bobsleigh track, two projects that were initially complex.

Long considered the black spot of these Olympics, the bobsleigh and luge track, whose construction began late, in February 2024, has just hosted its first events.

"There are no negative points (...) For us, the Games could start tomorrow," Matthias Böhmer, the competition director of the International Luge Federation, told AFP.