The China Mail - Milan-Cortina organisers rush to ready venues as Olympic flame arrives in Italy

Just two months remain until the start of the 2026 Winter Olympics, which run over February 6-22, and there are concerns over a number of sites, most notably the Santa Giulia Arena near Milan which is scheduled to host the ice hockey tournament but is still a building site.

And while the flame takes a 60-day trip around Italy on its way to Milan, where the main opening ceremony will be held, another Olympic tradition is being respected in the form of a late dash to complete works at a clutch of venues.

Milan-Cortina's organising committee declined to comment on some alarming reports, but Christophe Dubi, the International Olympic Committee's Executive Director of the Games, admitted that "pressure" was felt.

"You will know if you were involved with Paris 2024 (summer Olympics), some things are delivered late because that's just the nature of the business; the most significant investments are made in the final months," Dubi said on Wednesday on a visit to 2030 Winter Olympic sites in France.

- To the wire -

As well as Santa Giulia, the snow park in mountain town Livigno which will host snowboarding and freestyle skiing events is also under scrutiny.

This week Michel Vion, the Secretary General of the International Ski Federation (FIS), expressed concern to AFP about delays to the site's artificial snow system, without which the jumps and ramps needed for the events cannot be built.

"Apparently, the hillside reservoir is completed but they haven't received the permits to fill the lake yet," said Vion.

"A reservoir without water is quite problematic. We are still a bit concerned because the need for snow is significant for these disciplines."

SiMiCo, the state-owned company responsible for delivering the Olympic venues, told AFP that the use of snow cannons should be possible by the middle of next week.

"The low temperatures we have in Livigno mean that we're not worried at all," said SiMiCo CEO Fabio Massimo Saldini.

But it is Santa Giulia which is still the biggest concern, as the arena is supposed to host stars of the world's biggest ice hockey League the NHL, who are returning to the Games after a 12-year absence.

Luc Tardif, the head of the International Ice Hockey Federation, fumed to Radio Canada that "the facilities in Milan are not up to standard".

But the project's private developer Eventim says that the arena will be delivered in January, a month later than originally scheduled, as "580 workers on two shifts" rush to get it ready.

Milan-Cortina organisers confirmed on Wednesday that a key test event for the arena will be held on January 9-11, with seven club matches being played on the rink over those three days.

- Italy 'ready' -

Meanwhile at Cortina d'Ampezzo it's a cable car rather than a competition venue which is causing headaches.

The Apollonio-Socrepes ski lift is supposed to transport spectators to the women's alpine skiing events and alleviate congestion in the chic resort in the Dolomite mountains.

But works only began in July due to a combination of legal challenges and terrain issues, meaning that organisers have had to limit ticket sales for fans who want to see stars like Mikaela Shiffrin, Lindsey Vonn and local hero Sofia Goggia compete on the famous Olimpia delle Tofane piste.

A weary sounding Saldini insisted that "the works will be completed in time for the Games".

"Italy will be ready," he added.

"We were also told that the curling rink and bobsleigh track wouldn't be ready but each time we got it done."

The bobsleigh track at Cortina was a huge question mark for the Games, due to its construction only starting in February last year following a political firestorm caused by organisers originally deciding to hold the sliding events abroad.

The International Luge Federation's competition director Matthias Boehmer told AFP that there are "no negatives" about the track following the success of recent test events.

"For us, the Olympics could start tomorrow."

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B.Carter--ThChM