Winter Games: Ridicule in the channel: Who will get the 2026 Olympic races?

Frustrated athletes, irritating officials and the IOC on course for failure: the sports-political conflict of interest surrounding the 2026 Olympic sled races is becoming more and more of a farce. While the Italians, contrary to the official statements of the organizers of the Winter Games in Milan and Cortina, continue to fight in the background for a home game in the bobsleigh, luge and skeleton competitions, a German application as replacement hosts is taking shape. This was confirmed by the head of the German association, Andreas Trautvetter, to the German Press Agency.

Hosting the competitions outside the host country would be a first in the 102-year history of the Winter Games. Because Italy currently lacks a suitable ice track, organization boss Giovanni Malago recently announced a move abroad on a large stage at the International Olympic Committee session in Mumbai.

Criticism of the athletes

Many athletes don’t like that. “It’s just disappointing, Italy got the games back then. And the condition was that the track in Cortina was rebuilt. Now they’re saying two and a half years in advance that we won’t get there. Sorry, where did we end up?” Bob Olympic champion Laura Nolte told ARD.

She feels “pushed away. It somehow takes away from you what you’re actually doing it for.” The three-time Olympic luge champion Felix Loch is also angry: “I feel extremely sorry for our Italian athletes. They and our entire sport deserved a track in Italy.”

Italians are planning renovations

The Italians have apparently not given up on their plans for home races yet. In the background, efforts are currently underway to renovate the track in Cesana Pariol, where the 2006 Olympic races were held. It has been closed since 2011.

“The chances are good that the railway will be reactivated, we have pretty good cards, it has to be decided in November,” said Armin Zöggeler to the dpa. The 2002 and 2006 Olympic luge champion, who has been Vice President of Technology at the World Luge Federation since 2018, sees the organizers’ statements at the IOC session as a “misinterpretation. Internally we heard something different.”

But the IOC recently ruled out new railway construction if there is no viable reuse plan. “This position was confirmed several times in the discussions in Cortina and also applies to Cesana,” said Lausanne when asked.

Germany is preparing an application

And that’s exactly where the alternatives come into play. The German Olympic Sports Confederation, together with the Bobsleigh and Sled Association for Germany (BSD), wants to submit an application for the Olympic races on the ice track in 2026. At least that’s what BSD President Trautvetter says.

“The timeline is very tight, the documents from Italy are there. We need a week to evaluate this with the partners in the railways and politics. However, we need a clear decision from the federal government about the participation of Russian and political parties before December 1st Belarusian athletes,” said Trautvetter, who is also vice president of the Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Federation (IBSF).

Solution: oldest ice rink in the world?

Since the track in Oberhof is not designed for bobsleigh racing and the distance to Altenberg and Winterberg would hardly be acceptable, the world’s oldest artificial ice track comes into discussion. “If we want to be somewhere near the Olympic city, then we can’t go past the Königssee railway,” said Trautvetter.

The upper part of the ice channel in Bavaria was partially destroyed after a storm in July 2021. Planning for the reconstruction is underway. According to dpa information, even temporary solutions would be possible until the railway is completely rebuilt.

Other possible applicants are the Austrians, who brought up their cable car on the Patscherkofel in Innsbruck/Igls, which is currently being expanded, into discussion immediately after the cancellation of Cortina. Athletes also refer to St. Moritz as the ski mecca.

Worry about temperatures

Although the temperatures at the end of February are extremely dangerous for the natural ice there due to the sunlight during the day – the Olympics could probably be managed with solar sails and new lighting. But the Swiss, like the French with La Plagne, have already positioned themselves with an application for 2030, which rather reduces the chances.

According to Trautvetter, Germany needs to do its homework as quickly as possible, including at the political level. The IOC is currently critical of Olympic competitions in Germany because Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) wants to deny entry to athletes from Russia and Belarus because of the war in Ukraine. According to the IOC statement, this means “that countries where there are such restrictions cannot be considered”.