Milano Cortina Olympics Face Funding and Climate Challenges Amid Calls for Permanent Hosting Model

The preparation for the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics faces hurdles due to funding issues and climate concerns. FIS President Johan Eliasch advocates for a permanent host rotation model to tackle rising costs and infrastructure waste. The ongoing debate emphasizes the need for sustainable planning in winter sports.

Italian authorities are under pressure to expedite preparations for the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, grappling with significant funding gaps and unseasonably warm temperatures. Amidst these challenges, the president of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), Johan Eliasch, is urging a transformative overhaul in the organization of future Winter Games.

With the Olympics slated to commence in February, Eliasch highlighted Italy's predicament as indicative of broader structural issues plaguing winter sports, such as escalating costs, climate impacts, and under-utilized facilities. The mounting concerns have bolstered support for a rotational hosting model featuring a select number of established venues to hold the Games repeatedly.

This proposed model promises to enable long-term planning, curtail excessive spending, and guarantee optimal conditions for participants and audiences. According to Eliasch, several Olympic sites are experiencing technical issues, attributed not to local organizational inefficiencies but to national-level financing problems.

(With inputs from agencies.)