Sawt Falasteen - Milan-Cortina chief defiant over controversial bobsleigh track

Andrea Varnier told AFP on Wednesday that he believes that the Cortina d'Ampezzo track, which has been heavily criticised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and local environmental activists, can be ready on time despite the tight timeframe.

Italian construction company Pizzarotti, the sole bidder for the contract, has to build a 1,445m-long (4,740-foot) track which includes 16 bends and requires complex refrigeration systems, for March next year.

That deadline is to allow the IOC to carry out extensive testing before the Games begin in northern Italy on February 6, 2026.

"It's a very complex project. We speak every day with Simico (the Games' infrastructure arm) and the construction group building the track, and they tell us that they believe they can do it," says Varnier.

However he admits that the sliding events may still have to be moved abroad -- as previously decided last year -- as the 82-million-euro ($88.6-million) construction is in a race against time.

"We will do progress reports, the first at the end of June, others at the end of October and the end of January," says Vernier.

"Each time we will make a detailed examination to see if we are on time or if there is a delay. If we cannot catch up on a delay, we will activate Plan B (move the events abroad), and by April we will finalise which track outside Italy will be used."

Organisers had agreed in October that the bobsleigh, luge and skeleton competitions would be held outside the host nation, a decision which was almost unprecedented in the history of the Winter Olympics.

However the location of the track quickly became a political football in Italy, with the country's hard-right government led by prime minister Giorgia Meloni, pushing for all events to stay at home.

The row over infrastructure delays became so serious that even economy minister Giancarlo Giorgetti expressed "regret" bringing the Winter Games to Italy.

"It's been talked about a lot, and it's relegated the good things we have accomplished to the background. So it's had a negative impact" admits Varnier.

"But after the decision was taken it became final, in particular since the IOC visit at the end of February in which they said in substance that they were convinced building the track was the wrong decision but that they will do everything to make sure that it is completed.

"If this ends up being the big crisis that we have to deal with for the Games then that suits me very well."

Q.Najjar--SF-PST