The construction site in front of the Sliding Center in Cortina d'Ampezzo on Wednesday. © APA / HANS KLAUS TECHT

For the Olympics: Digging until the last minute

In the days leading up to the opening of the Olympic Games, you stumble over every construction site, fall into every mud hole, and sometimes discuss the opening hours of press centers – if any even exist – in vain.

February 05, 2026

From: dpa/dl

It feels worse than ever right now, but compared to Sochi 2014, where doors had no locks and bathroom installations were still ongoing, the hotel rooms are finished this time. Many of them have the charm of the last century.

Milan/Cortina 2026 will be a Games of long distances. Not only are the sports venues spread across six clusters, but the accommodations are also some distance away. And on the narrow roads, even a single stuck vehicle can cause long traffic jams. The journey from Cortina to Toblach, where many media representatives are staying, is a challenge for the wide buses, which, due to the snowdrifts at the roadside, have no way to pass oncoming traffic.

Competitions are already taking place at the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan. © APA/afp / JULIEN DE ROSA

The finished ice track is the star attraction of the sliding center in Cortina d'Ampezzo. The construction site surrounding it is undeniable. While the fresh snow visually conceals the condition of the ground, the numerous excavators can't disguise the unfinished state of the entire complex, which is adjacent to the curling center. A malfunction caused delays Wednesday evening at the start of the mixed curling tournament. The lights went out, as did the electronic scoreboard.

Day-trippers are slow to arrive in Bormio

Bormio, 135 kilometers away as the crow flies, like Cortina, has extensive experience in winter tourism and hosting Ski World Cup races. However, there is no sign of the numerous Italian day-trippers who are usually seen during the men's World Cup in December. The slopes are closed to the public at least until February 16th. It remains to be seen whether this will also be the case during the Olympic ski mountaineering competitions (until February 22nd).

It's still quiet in Bormio two days before the men's downhill race. © APA/afp / FABRICE COFFRINI

Many businesses in the town of 4.000 inhabitants, including restaurants and ski rental shops, fear for their business during the "Settimana bianca," the Italians' ski holiday season. Two days before the official opening, Olympic officials – who ensure high hotel occupancy – and numerous Carabinieri dominated the streetscape of Bormio.

The high-alpine village of Livigno, blanketed in deep snow, exudes a bustling mountain village charm. Because the town near the Swiss border has been a duty-free zone since 1805, exempt from VAT, it's a haven not only for petrol station operators but also for luxury brand manufacturers. Here, the Olympic preparations seem to have been completed well in advance – with the exception of one towering construction site: the Big Air ski jump, initially deemed too shallow, had to be rebuilt several times during the freestyle training sessions. Continued snowfall added another layer of complexity.

There is still a lot of dredging going on in Tesero.

At the cross-country skiing stadium in Tesero, numerous excavators were still working at full capacity three days before the first medal event, the women's skiathlon. While the athletes encountered wet conditions during their first training session due to temperatures just above freezing, countless fences were still being erected around the track, and final preparations were underway. In the finish area, the excavators, noisy and some equipped with snow chains, were a common sight.

Work is still underway around the cross-country skiing stadium in Tesero. © APA/afp / JAVIER SORIANO

Predazzo, on the other hand, is perfectly prepared for the Olympics. The town, dotted with hotels and restaurants, exudes an idyllic atmosphere thanks in part to countless strings of lights. The ski jumping stadium, just a few minutes' drive away, is a striking sight in the landscape, especially after nightfall – when all the ski jumping competitions take place. The many floodlights illuminate the Val di Fiemme, and the ski jumps, modified again in the autumn, appear impeccably prepared.