Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics back on track as concerns over snow ease: FIS chief
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PARIS – Preparations for the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics are back on schedule, with snow making and infrastructure work progressing well across all venues, International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) president Johan Eliasch said.
Speaking to Reuters a month before the start of the Feb 6 to 22 Games, he said recent cold temperatures had helped organisers address earlier concerns over snow farming and snow making at key sites, including Cortina d’Ampezzo, Livigno, Bormio and Val di Fiemme.
“Yes, it has,” Eliasch said, when asked whether his confidence had grown. “The preparations are advancing very well. We’ve had cold temperatures which help.
“And right now, it looks like there should be no issue to complete everything on time as planned. So that’s very good news.”
The Italian authorities and organisers have faced mounting scrutiny over delays, funding gaps and climate-related risks ahead of the Games, particularly after a warm start to winter raised doubts about snow reliability.
Eliasch said snow security remained partly dependent on weather conditions, but stressed that organisers had the technical capacity and resources in place to manage risks.
“We are in the hands of the gods but you also need the resources for snow making, and the capabilities that are necessary here are in place,” he said.
“So from that perspective... it’s all looking good.”
He added that contingency planning was standard practice at major events, with reserve days built into competition schedules to deal with heavy snowfall or adverse weather that could disrupt races.
“That happens all the time,” Eliasch said. “It happens during the world championships. Sometimes it happens also during the Olympic Games.
“And at this point, we have reserve days for the schedule so that if there are weather issues, we can delay the race.”
Eliasch also reiterated his view that future Winter Games hosting should prioritise snow-secure venues at higher altitudes and rely on a limited rotation of established locations to reduce costs and improve sustainability.
“What is clear here is that snow security is very much tied to the altitude of the venues,” he said. “But snow security is only one part of that equation. It’s also about maintaining the venues and that requires continuous competitions.”
“Make sure that we do World Cups in these venues every year and that will incentivise the local organisers to keep their committees together,” Eliasch added.
“So we have the local competence and also to invest in the venues, the courses, whatever it takes. And that’s far more efficient than trying to reinvent the wheel in new destinations.”
He said a realistic long-term model for the World Cup could involve “maybe realistically three, four or five venues in continental Europe… maybe a couple in Scandinavia, maybe one or two in North America and two or three in Asia”. REUTERS
