The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announces the venue for the 2026 Winter Olympics to be hosted by Italian cities Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, reports Reuters, citing the results of the vote IOC delegates in Lausanne.
The 82 delegates attending the 134th IOC Session chose between two applicants. The tournament was also claimed by the Swedish bid – Stockholm and Ore. The envelope with the voting results was handed over to IOC President Thomas Bach by a 10-year-old figure skater from Lausanne. Sweden lost to Italy 34–47. One participant abstained from voting.
The IOC will allocate $ 925 million for the 2026 Winter Games. “The passion and knowledge of the Italian fans, together with the experience of the organizers, will create the ideal atmosphere for the best athletes in the world,” said Bach.
The IOC press service clarified that in preparation for the 2026 Olympics, the existing infrastructure will be used, as well as temporary structures, when there will be no need for permanent facilities after the Games. According to the Italian bid, 13 of the 14 venues (93%) that will host the Olympics are either already built or will be temporary.
The last time Italy hosted the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, they were held in Cortina d’Ampezzo back in 1956.Sweden last received the right to host the Summer Games in 1912, after which it applied eight times to conduct them on their territory, but to no avail. Reuters notes that in Italy, according to the latest IOC poll, the idea of holding the Olympics received wider support from local residents: 80% supported against 50% in Sweden.
The upcoming 2022 Winter Olympics will be held in Beijing, which will be the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Games. The last Winter Games were held in South Korea in 2018. Due to the doping scandal, Russian athletes were allowed to participate in them only under a neutral flag. Itself Russia hosted the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi for the first time.
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