The 2026 Winter Olympics host, the Italian Olympic Committee, is looking for an alternative speedskating venue. It came after the International Olympic Committee rejected its plans to construct a roof over Baselga di Pine’s outdoor track.
As of the time the project was revealed in November, the estimated cost of the roof was $54 million. However, according to sports wagering news reports, there were worries that actual expenses may increase by at least 50%.
During a visit to the Baselga track on Friday, Malag expressed his hope that Trentino and Lombardy would be able to bid to host the 2028 Youth Winter Olympics.
The idea of building a roof over the track was too expensive. Also, it wasn’t part of the official budget submitted when Milan-Cortina won the right to host the Games in 2019.
2026 Winter Olympics Host Looking for Venues
From the beginning of Italy’s 2026 candidacy, there have been demands to include speed skating on the existing indoor oval constructed for the 2006 Turin Games. As a result, for the first time since the 1992 Albertville Games, Olympic speed skating will not be held inside.
According to sports news reports, keeping outdoor ice in competitive form is notoriously difficult.
High temperatures made life hard in Albertville, where one repeating phrase was “slush,” with skaters pounding through thin ice that occasionally had a thin film of water on top.
According to internet gambling news sources, conditions at outdoor tracks may fluctuate drastically over longer distances. Also, winning the gold might be as dependent on the starting time. The cost to restore the Turin oval’s ice-making infrastructure is estimated at $16 million.
