The rules are thus made, they will not change: Thomas Bach will no longer be president of the IOC at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Games. The German leader will have returned the keys to his office at the Olympic House in Lausanne a little less than 'a year earlier. But for the preparation of the next winter meeting, he is still concerned. And even on the front line.
Present in Italy at the end of last week, Thomas Bach completed his official stay as usual at full speed. He received from the hands of Giovanni Malago, the president of the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI), a distinction reserved only for the greats of this world, the Collare d'Oro (photo above). He visited Afghan and Ukrainian refugee athletes at the National High Performance Center in Rome. He found, for the first time in 40 years, one of his old fencer rivals, the Italian Carlo Montano.
Above all, Thomas Bach met Mario Draghi, the Italian Prime Minister. Among the subjects discussed, the preparation for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Games. Less than four years before the deadline, it is not a long, quiet river, between the delays and the cost of the work, the difficult search for private partners, the desire to take control of the political authorities and, the hottest subject of the moment, the search for a new general director to the organizing committee.
As a bonus, the holding of national elections in Italy at the end of the month postponed the visit to Milan and Cortina of the visit of the IOC Coordination Commission. It is postponed to December. Consequence: Thomas Bach had the privilege of facing questions from the media on the preparation of the Winter Games in 2026.
The German leader admitted this: “ As always before the Olympics, there are challenges ahead, particularly in light of this emerging new world order and the financial and economic crisis. But we have overcome some challenges over the past two years. So I'm not too worried because we know the enthusiasm, efficiency and dedication of our Italian friends"
Cool. But the road map of “ Italian friends » took on the appearance of a minefield. THE " challenges » mentioned by Thomas Bach are multiplying. Nothing is simple.
First file: the sites. At the top of the pile, the Cortina d'Ampezzo sliding track, supposed to host the Olympic bobsleigh, luge and skeleton competitions. Abandoned for a long time, after having been used for the Winter Games in 1956, it must be renovated. A budget of more than 80 million euros has been released by the public authorities. Dear. But Thomas Bach explained it during his Italian visit: the cost of renovating the track should not be attributed to the Milan-Cortina 2026 Games. This is a tourism and sports project that would have been carried out anyway, independently of the Winter Olympics.“, suggested the IOC President.
According to Ivo Ferriani, the president of the International Bobsleigh Federation, also a member of the IOC Executive Board, the legacy of the Cortina track is already in place. It could host the bobsleigh World Cup from the 2026-27 season, then the world championships the following year.
Another gray area: the speed skating track. The question has still not been definitively resolved, but the option of outdoor equipment, as at the Albertville Games in 1992, remains current. The Italians could choose the Baselga di Piné track, in the Trentino region. Advantage: reduced costs. But, due to size constraints, the map of sites would be even more fragmented. As a reminder, the Milan-Cortina Winter Games promise to be the least compact in history. The system covers 22.000 square kilometers, with sites in the regions of Lombardy and Veneto, but also in the provinces of Trento and Bolzano.
In Rome, Thomas Bach also raised the question of the upcoming appointment of the general director of the organizing committee. Vincenzo Novari, the holder of the position, is announced as a certain departure. But the identity of his successor is the subject of all rumors and speculation.
The only certainty: he will not be appointed before the legislative elections, scheduled for Sunday September 25 throughout Italy. A wise decision, according to Thomas Bach. “ The new director general must and should have the support of the new government, he suggested. It would not be desirable to appoint him now, before the national elections"
